10th class,board examination, English grammar practice:Direct speech to Indirect speech
10th Class · English Grammar · Board Exam 2026
Each question carries 1 mark. No negative marking. Choose the correct Indirect Speech form of the given Direct Speech sentence.
Statement — Simple Present → Simple Past
Direct: Hari said, "I am very happy today."
Q1. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) Hari said that he is very happy that day.
(B) Hari said that he was very happy that day.
(C) Hari said that he has been very happy that day.
(D) Hari said that he had been very happy that day.
Statement — Simple Past → Past Perfect
Direct: She said, "I lost my purse on the way to school."
Q2. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) She said that she lost her purse on the way to school.
(B) She said that she has lost her purse on the way to school.
(C) She said that she had lost her purse on the way to school.
(D) She said that she loses her purse on the way to school.
Statement — Will → Would
Direct: Rahul said, "I will visit my grandparents next Sunday."
Q3. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) Rahul said that he will visit his grandparents the following Sunday.
(B) Rahul said that he visited his grandparents the following Sunday.
(C) Rahul said that he would visit his grandparents the following Sunday.
(D) Rahul said that he has visited his grandparents the following Sunday.
Yes/No Question
Direct: The teacher said to Ramesh, "Have you completed your project?"
Q4. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) The teacher asked Ramesh if he had completed his project.
(B) The teacher asked Ramesh that he had completed his project.
(C) The teacher told Ramesh whether he completed his project.
(D) The teacher asked Ramesh have he completed his project.
Wh- Question
Direct: Mother said to her son, "Why are you making so much noise?"
Q5. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) Mother asked her son why he is making so much noise.
(B) Mother asked her son why was he making so much noise.
(C) Mother asked her son why he was making so much noise.
(D) Mother told her son why he makes so much noise.
Command
Direct: The officer said to the clerk, "Submit the report immediately."
Q6. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) The officer said to the clerk that he submits the report immediately.
(B) The officer told the clerk that submit the report immediately.
(C) The officer ordered the clerk to submit the report immediately.
(D) The officer asked the clerk that he will submit the report immediately.
Request
Direct: Anita said to her friend, "Please lend me your notes for the exam."
Q7. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) Anita told her friend to please lend her notes for the exam.
(B) Anita requested her friend to lend her notes for the exam.
(C) Anita ordered her friend to lend her the notes for the exam.
(D) Anita said her friend that she lends the notes for the exam.
Exclamation of Sorrow
Direct: The woman cried, "Alas! My child is badly injured!"
Q8. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) The woman exclaimed with joy that her child was badly injured.
(B) The woman exclaimed with sorrow that her child was badly injured.
(C) The woman said that alas her child was badly injured.
(D) The woman told that her child is badly injured.
Statement — Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Direct: He said to me, "I am preparing for the board examination."
Q9. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) He told me that he is preparing for the board examination.
(B) He told me that he had been preparing for the board examination.
(C) He told me that he was preparing for the board examination.
(D) He told me that he prepared for the board examination.
Universal Truth
Direct: The teacher said to the students, "Honesty is the best policy."
Q10. Choose the correct Indirect Speech:
(A) The teacher told the students that honesty was the best policy.
(B) The teacher told the students that honesty is the best policy.
(C) The teacher told the students that honesty had been the best policy.
(D) The teacher told the students that honesty will be the best policy.
✅ Answers with Explanation
| Q | Answer | Rule / Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (B) …was very happy… | Tense change: Simple Present "am" → Simple Past "was". Pronoun: "I" → "he". Time word: "today" → "that day". Reporting verb "said" stays "said" (no object). |
| 2 | (C) …had lost… | Tense change: Simple Past "lost" → Past Perfect "had lost". Pronoun: "I" → "she" · "my" → "her". Simple Past in direct always becomes Past Perfect in indirect. |
| 3 | (C) …would visit… | Tense change: "will" → "would". Pronoun: "I" → "he" · "my" → "his". Time word: "next Sunday" → "the following Sunday". Will always becomes would in indirect. |
| 4 | (A) …asked…if…had completed… | Yes/No Question: "said to" → "asked". Add "if" or "whether". Question mark removed. Tense: "Have you" → "he had". Pronoun: "you" → "he" · "your" → "his". |
| 5 | (C) …asked…why he was making… | Wh- Question: "said to" → "asked". Keep "why". Normal (statement) word order: "why he was making" — not "why was he". Tense: "are making" → "was making". Pronoun: "you" → "he". |
| 6 | (C) …ordered…to submit… | Command: "said to" → "ordered" (strong command). Add "to" before the base verb. Inverted commas and "!" removed. "Submit" → "to submit". No "that" is used for commands. |
| 7 | (B) …requested…to lend… | Request: "said to" + "Please" → "requested". Remove "please" and add "to" before verb. "lend me" → "to lend her". Pronoun: "me" → "her". Reporting verb must be "requested" — not "ordered." |
| 8 | (B) …exclaimed with sorrow… | Exclamation of sorrow: "Alas!" → "exclaimed with sorrow". Remove "Alas!" and "!" · Add "that". Tense: "is" → "was". Pronoun: "My" → "her". Never use "exclaimed with joy" for Alas. |
| 9 | (C) …was preparing… | Tense change: Present Continuous "am preparing" → Past Continuous "was preparing". Pronoun: "I" → "he". Reporting verb "said to" → "told". Add "that". |
| 10 | (B) …honesty is… | Universal Truth / Proverb: Tense does NOT change. "Honesty is the best policy" is a timeless truth → remains Simple Present "is" even in indirect speech. Reporting verb "said to" → "told". |
📌 Direct → Indirect Speech: Key Rules at a Glance
| Type | Direct → Indirect Change | Reporting Verb |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Add "that" · Change tense · Change pronoun · Change time words | said / said to → told |
| Yes/No Question | Add "if / whether" · Statement word order · Change tense | said to → asked |
| Wh- Question | Keep Wh-word · Statement word order · Change tense | said to → asked |
| Command | Add "to" before verb · No "that" | said to → ordered / told |
| Request | Remove "Please" · Add "to" before verb | said to → requested |
| Exclamation | Remove interjection · Add "that" · Change tense · Hurrah = joy · Alas = sorrow | exclaimed with joy / sorrow |
| Universal Truth | Tense does NOT change · Stays Simple Present | said to → told |
🧠 Tense Change Table: am/is/are → was/were · was/were → had been · V2 (Past) → had + V3 · will → would · can → could · may → might · shall → should · is/am + V-ing → was/were + V-ing · Time: now → then · today → that day · tomorrow → the next day · here → there · this → that
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