WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-10 MCQs on Changing Indirect Speech into Direct Speech
10 MCQs on Changing Indirect Speech into Direct Speech
1. Indirect speech: "She said that she was very happy with the results of her examination." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) She said, "I am very happy with the results of my examination."
- B) She said, "She was very happy with the results of her examination."
- C) She said, "I was very happy with the results of my examination."
- D) She said, "I have been very happy with the results of my examination."
Answer: A) She said, "I am very happy with the results of my examination." (The past tense "was" in the indirect speech changes back to the present tense "am" in the direct speech — the third person pronoun "she" changes back to the first person "I" — "her" changes back to "my" and the conjunction "that" is removed and replaced with a comma and quotation marks.)
2. Indirect speech: "He told me that he would help me with my project the next day." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) He said to me, "I will help him with his project tomorrow."
- B) He said to me, "I would help you with your project the next day."
- C) He said to me, "I will help you with your project tomorrow."
- D) He said to me, "He will help me with my project the next day."
Answer: C) He said to me, "I will help you with your project tomorrow." (The reporting verb "told" changes back to "said to" — the modal verb "would" changes back to "will" — "he" changes back to "I" — "me" changes back to "you" — "my" changes back to "your" and the time expression "the next day" changes back to "tomorrow.")
3. Indirect speech: "The teacher told the students to open their books and read the first chapter." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) The teacher said to the students, "Open your books and read the first chapter."
- B) The teacher said to the students, "You open your books and read the first chapter."
- C) The teacher said to the students, "They should open their books and read the first chapter."
- D) The teacher said to the students, "Open their books and read the first chapter."
Answer: A) The teacher said to the students, "Open your books and read the first chapter." (The indirect imperative construction "told the students to open" changes back to the direct imperative "Open" — the reporting verb "told" changes back to "said to" — "their" changes back to "your" and the infinitive marker "to" is removed as direct imperatives use the base form of the verb.)
4. Indirect speech: "She said that she had already submitted her application for the scholarship." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) She said, "I have already submitted my application for the scholarship."
- B) She said, "I had already submitted my application for the scholarship."
- C) She said, "She has already submitted her application for the scholarship."
- D) She said, "I already submitted my application for the scholarship."
Answer: A) She said, "I have already submitted my application for the scholarship." (The past perfect tense "had submitted" in the indirect speech changes back to the present perfect tense "have submitted" in the direct speech — "she" changes back to "I" — "her" changes back to "my" and the conjunction "that" is removed and replaced with quotation marks.)
5. Indirect speech: "He asked her whether she knew the answer to that question." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) He said to her, "Do you know the answer to this question?"
- B) He said to her, "Did she know the answer to that question?"
- C) He said to her, "Does she know the answer to this question?"
- D) He said to her, "Whether you know the answer to this question?"
Answer: A) He said to her, "Do you know the answer to this question?" (The indirect yes/no question introduced by "whether" changes back to a direct yes/no question — the reporting verb "asked" changes back to "said to" — "she" changes back to "you" — "knew" changes back to "know" — "that" changes back to "this" and the question mark and subject-verb inversion are restored.)
6. Indirect speech: "The doctor told the patient that he should take complete rest for at least a week." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) The doctor said to the patient, "You must take complete rest for at least a week."
- B) The doctor said to the patient, "He should take complete rest for at least a week."
- C) The doctor said to the patient, "You should take complete rest for at least a week."
- D) The doctor said to the patient, "You took complete rest for at least a week."
Answer: A) The doctor said to the patient, "You must take complete rest for at least a week." (The reporting verb "told" changes back to "said to" — the modal verb "should" changes back to "must" which was the original modal expressing strong obligation — "he" changes back to "you" and the conjunction "that" is removed and replaced with quotation marks.)
7. Indirect speech: "She said that she had been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) She said, "I was reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out."
- B) She said, "I had been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out."
- C) She said, "She was reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out."
- D) She said, "I have been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out."
Answer: A) She said, "I was reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out." (The past perfect continuous tense "had been reading" in the indirect speech changes back to the past continuous tense "was reading" in the direct speech — "she" changes back to "I" — the simple past "went out" remains unchanged and the conjunction "that" is removed and replaced with quotation marks.)
8. Indirect speech: "He asked me where I had found that beautiful painting." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) He said to me, "Where did you find this beautiful painting?"
- B) He said to me, "Where had you found that beautiful painting?"
- C) He said to me, "Where I found this beautiful painting?"
- D) He said to me, "Where you did find this beautiful painting?"
Answer: A) He said to me, "Where did you find this beautiful painting?" (The indirect wh-question changes back to a direct wh-question — the reporting verb "asked" changes back to "said to" — the subject-verb inversion is restored with the auxiliary "did" — "I" changes back to "you" — the past perfect "had found" changes back to the simple past "did find" — "that" changes back to "this.")
9. Indirect speech: "The manager told the team not to submit the report without checking it thoroughly." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) The manager said to the team, "You should not submit the report without checking it thoroughly."
- B) The manager said to the team, "Do not submit the report without checking it thoroughly."
- C) The manager said to the team, "They must not submit the report without checking it thoroughly."
- D) The manager said to the team, "Not to submit the report without checking it thoroughly."
Answer: B) The manager said to the team, "Do not submit the report without checking it thoroughly." (The negative infinitive construction "not to submit" in the indirect speech changes back to the negative imperative "Do not submit" in the direct speech — the reporting verb "told" changes back to "said to" and the direct negative imperative is formed by placing "Do not" before the base form of the verb.)
10. Indirect speech: "She told him that she had been waiting for him there since morning." Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into direct speech?
- A) She said to him, "I have been waiting for you here since morning."
- B) She said to him, "She had been waiting for him there since morning."
- C) She said to him, "I was waiting for you here since morning."
- D) She said to him, "I have been waiting for him here since morning."
Answer: A) She said to him, "I have been waiting for you here since morning." (The reporting verb "told" changes back to "said to" — the past perfect continuous tense "had been waiting" changes back to the present perfect continuous tense "have been waiting" — "she" changes back to "I" — "him" in the reported clause changes back to "you" — "there" changes back to "here" reflecting the shift back to the original place of speaking
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