English Language

Sentence Transformation

558 Questions

Sentence transformation questions evaluate grammatical accuracy in converting sentences between active and passive voice, as well as direct and indirect speech. The focus lies on altering sentence structures without changing the original meaning while maintaining correct tense and verb forms. This is a highly weighted English language topic in SSC and banking exams.

Active and passive voiceDirect and indirect speechNarration changeTense consistencyVerb form transformation

Sentence Transformation Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one that best converts the given sentence into passive or active voice.

Who teaches you English?

  1. By whom were you taught English?

  2. By whom you are taught English?

  3. By whom English is taught to you?

  4. By whom is English taught to you?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

While changing the voice, we interchange the respective places of the subject and the object. In passive voice, we always use the third form of the verb with the helping verb. Case of present simple tense (interrogative case). In such sentences, auxiliary precedes the subject.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

He says, “My father works in the Navy.”

  1. He says that her father works in the Navy.

  2. He says that his father works in the Navy.

  3. He says that his father worked in the Navy.

  4. He says that my father works in the Navy.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The reporting verb is in simple present. Hence, the verb of the sentence in quotes does not get changed. But the demonstrative adjective ‘my’ changes into ‘his’ as the pronoun ‘he’ shows that the speaker is male.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

Rahul said, “I will come tomorrow afternoon to take my book.”

  1. Rahul said that he will come tomorrow afternoon to take my book.

  2. Rahul said that he would come tomorrow afternoon to take my book.

  3. Rahul said that he would come the next day afternoon to take his book.

  4. Rahul said that he would come the next day afternoon to take my book.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The future tense ‘will’ changes into would when the reporting verb is in the past tense. Whereas the timing word ‘tomorrow’ changes into ‘next day’ and the demonstrative adjective ‘my’ into ‘his’. The sentence satisfies all the rules.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

She shouted, “Leave me alone.”

  1. She shouted to them to leave her alone.

  2. She shouted to them to leave me alone.

  3. She shouted to them of leaving alone.

  4. She shouted to them for leaving her alone.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in quotes is a command i.e. imperative sentence. In other words, the sentence that starts with a verb changes into infinity in indirect speech. The objective pronoun ‘me’ changes into ‘her’ as the speaker is female.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

Michael said, “I called Williams for tonight dinner.”

  1. Michael said that he had called Williams for tonight dinner.

  2. Michael said that he had called Williams for dinner that night.

  3. Michael said that he have called Williams for tonight dinner.

  4. Michael said that he called Willaims for that day night dinner.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in quotes is in simple past. The reporting verb is also in simple past. So the sentence in quotes changes into past perfect tense. The timing word 'tonight' changes into that day night.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

Manish said, “O my God! I am ruined.”

  1. Manish called the God, he was ruined.

  2. Manish said that he was ruined.

  3. Manish exclaimed sadly that he is ruined.

  4. Manish exclaimed sadly that he was ruined.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The exclamatory sentence in quotes changes the reporting word in indirect speech according to the expression or feeling of the sentence. In this sentence, the expression is an exclamation. Thus the reporting verb 'exclaimed' replaces the exclamation in indirect speech. As the reporting verb is in simple past tense, the sentence following exclamation, changes accordingly.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

“Where do you live?” asked the teacher.

  1. The teacher asked me where do you live.

  2. The teacher asked me where I live.

  3. The teacher enquired where I lived.

  4. The teacher enquired where do I live.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The interrogative sentence helps you enquire. So, the reporting verb changes accordingly. As the reporting verb is in past tense, the sentence converts into the same, as it is in simple present. The pronoun in the sentence is in second person. It changes into first person as the listener is assumed as first person.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

He said to Prapti, “Will you come with me?”

  1. He asked Prapti whether she will come with him.

  2. He asked Prapti whether she would come with him.

  3. He aked Prapti to come with him.

  4. He liked Prapti to come with him.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in quotes is a question about acceptance. The word 'whether' or 'if' has to be used in indirect speech in such a case. Being the reporting verb in past tense, 'will' becomes 'would'. The reporting verb also gets changed as the sentence was a question.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

“How clever I am!” Ayush said.

  1. Ayush said that how clever he was.

  2. Ayush exclaimed how clever he was.

  3. Ayush exclaimed that he was clever.

  4. Ayush exclaimed that how clever he was.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The exclamatory sentence has to be converted into declarative sentence in indirect speech. Hence the reporting verb changes according to the expression. While converting into declarative, the words that show the exclamation get omitted.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

Johnny said, “I played this game last week.”

  1. Johnny said that he had played that game the previous week.

  2. Johnny said that he played that game the previous week.

  3. Johnny said that he had played the game the previous week.

  4. Johnny said that he played that game last week.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in quotes is in simple past. The reporting verb is also in simple past. So the sentence in quotes changes into past perfect tense. The timing word 'last' changes into the previous in indirect sentence. The demonstrative adjective 'this' changes into 'that'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Convert the following into indirect speech.

My friend says to me, “You have to work hard to achieve the top rank.”

  1. My friend says that I had to work had to achieve the top rank.

  2. My friend says that he has to work hard to achieve the top rank.

  3. My friend says that I have to work hard to achieve the top rank.

  4. My friend says that I have to work hard to achieve that top rank.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence in quotes as well as the reporting verb is in simple present. So, no changes take place in tense form. The listener is specified as first person. Thus, the pronoun in the sentence changes accordingly.

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.