English Language

Direct and Indirect Speech

290 Questions
All Interrogative Sentences 64 Imperative Sentences 63 Tense Sequence Shift 30 Assertive Sentences 23 Exclamatory Sentences 23 Universal Truths and Habits 22 Modal Auxiliary Shift 19 Time and Place Expressions 19 Pronoun Shifts 18 Mixed Sentence Types 5 Question Tags 1

Direct and Indirect Speech Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the given statement into indirect speech.

Sourabh asked, “What is the matter?”

  1. Sourabh asked what is the matter.

  2. Sourabh asked what the matter was.

  3. Sourabh asked what the matter is.

  4. Sourabh asked what matter was that.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The interrogative sentence converts into declarative in indirect speech. Thus, the helping verb follows the subject in declarative. The reporting verb is in simple past where the sentence is in simple present. So, the sentence changes into simple past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the given statement into indirect speech.

His sister said to Arjun, “Bring me a colourful dress.”

  1. His sister said to Arjun bring me a colourful dress.

  2. His sister asked Arjun to bring her a colourful dress.

  3. His sister asked to Arjun bring her a colourful dress.

  4. His sister said to Arjun to bring her a colourful dress.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

While converting an imperative sentence into a declarative, the infinity takes place. The first person in the sentence changes into third person as the speaker is third person. The reporting verb also changes accordingly.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the given statement into indirect speech.

Ashish will say, “I went home.”

  1. Ashish will say I went home.

  2. Ashish will say he will go home.

  3. Ashish will say he go home.

  4. Ashish will say he went home.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

No changes in the verb form takes place as the reporting verb is in future tense, whatever verb form the sentence may be in. The pronoun in the sentence changes into third person as the speaker is third person.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the given statement into indirect speech.

He said, “I came here long time ago.”

  1. He said that he came here long time ago.

  2. He said that he had come there long time before.

  3. He said that he had come there long time ago.

  4. He said that he came here long time before.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in simple past changes into past perfect tense as the reporting verb is also in simple past. The pronoun of the sentence changes into third person as the speaker is third person. The timing word ‘ago’ changes into ‘before’.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

''There is a plague in my village and all my wives are dying'', said Deesa.

  1. Deesa told that there was a plague in his village and all his wives were dying.

  2. Deesa said that there was a plague in his village and all his wives were dying.

  3. Deesa said that there is a plague in his village and wives are going to dying.

  4. Deesa told that there is a plague in his village and all his wives were dying.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive sentences like this, 'said' remains unchanged and is followed by 'that'. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said, ''What a beautiful sight!''

  1. He exclaimed with wonder that the sight was very beautiful.

  2. He told with wonder that the sight was very beautiful.

  3. He said with wonder that the sight was very beautiful.

  4. He told with wonder that the sight had been very beautiful.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In reporting exclamations and wishes, indirect speech is introduced by the verb expressing an exclamation or a wish.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said, ''I have my own choice."

  1. He told that he had his own choice.

  2. He said that he had his own choice.

  3. He said that he have his own choice.

  4. He told that I had my own choice.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'said to' is changed to 'tell'; 'said' remains unchanged and is followed by 'that'. If the reporting verb (he said) is in past tense and the reported verb is in present tense, reported speech (while changing narration) converts into past (had). Subject 'I' becomes 'he' and possessive determiner 'my' becomes 'his'. Hence, option 2.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

Preeti said, ''Sapru is at home now.''

  1. Preeti said that Sapru was at home then.

  2. Preeti said that Sapru is at home now.

  3. Preeti told that Sapru is at home now.

  4. Preeti asked that Sapru is at home now.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive sentences like this, 'said' remains unchanged and is followed by 'that'. If the reported verb is in past tense and the reported verb is in present, reported speech (while change of narration) converts into past. 'Now' becomes 'then'. So, option 1.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

''May God bless you!'', cried Deesa.

  1. Deesa cried if God might bless him.

  2. Deesa asked God to bless him.

  3. Deesa prayed that God might bless him.

  4. Deesa told that God might bless him.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

When we seek something from God for someone, we use the word 'pray'. If the reported verb (Deesa cried) is in the past tense and reported speech (May God...) is in the present tense, reported speech (in indirect form) takes the simple past. Past of 'may 'is 'might'. Hence, option 3.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after the change of narration.

Ram: "Where are you going, Sham?" Sham: "I am going to college." Ram wants to know from Sham ________

  1. where is he going?

  2. where was he going?

  3. where he is going.

  4. where he am going.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Rule 1: Indirect speech never takes a question mark. Rule 2: Indirect speech takes auxiliary after the subject. Now, here 'wants' is the present tense, so 'is' is the correct auxiliary.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

She said to her son, ''Do not play with bad boys.''

  1. She advised her son not to play with bad boys.

  2. She said to her son not to play with bad boys.

  3. She told her son not to play with bad boys.

  4. She asked her son that he should play with bad boys.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

It is an imperative sentence, and a piece of advice is offered. So, option (1) is the correct answer. Option (4) does not convey the correct message.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

The teacher said, ''Hurry up girls! It is time to finish the test.''

  1. The teacher asked the girls that they should hurry up and finish the test.

  2. The teacher told the girls to hurry up and finish the test.

  3. The teacher exhorted the girls to hurry up as it was time to finish the test.

  4. The teacher said hurry up girls. It was time to finish the test.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In reporting exclamations and wishes, indirect speech is introduced by the verb expressing an exclamation or a wish. Here the exclamation is 'exhort'. Note that options 1 and 2 omit the important phrase 'it is time'. Hence, option 3.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after the change of narration.

Tom: "How are you, Dick?" Dick: "I am fine, thank you." Tom wanted to ask Dick ________

  1. how is he?

  2. how was he.

  3. how he was.

  4. how he is.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Rule 1: Indirect speech never takes a question mark. Rule 2: Indirect speech takes auxiliary after the subject (he was). Now, here 'wanted' is in the past tense, so 'was' is the correct auxiliary.