WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-10 MCQs on Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
10 MCQs on Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
1. Direct speech: "She said, 'I am very happy with the results of my examination.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) She said that she is very happy with the results of her examination.
- B) She said that she was very happy with the results of her examination.
- C) She said that she has been very happy with the results of her examination.
- D) She said that she had been very happy with the results of her examination.
Answer: B) She said that she was very happy with the results of her examination. (The reporting verb "said" is in the past tense so the present tense "am" in the direct speech changes to the past tense "was" in the indirect speech — the first person pronoun "I" changes to "she" and "my" changes to "her" to reflect the change of speaker.)
2. Direct speech: "He said to me, 'I will help you with your project tomorrow.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) He told me that he will help me with my project the next day.
- B) He told me that he would help me with my project the next day.
- C) He said to me that he would help me with my project tomorrow.
- D) He told me that he had helped me with my project the next day.
Answer: B) He told me that he would help me with my project the next day. (The reporting verb changes from "said to me" to "told me" — the future tense "will" changes to "would" — "you" changes to "me" and "your" changes to "my" — the time expression "tomorrow" changes to "the next day" in indirect speech.)
3. Direct speech: "The teacher said to the students, 'Open your books and read the first chapter.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) The teacher told the students that they open their books and read the first chapter.
- B) The teacher said to the students to open their books and read the first chapter.
- C) The teacher told the students to open their books and read the first chapter.
- D) The teacher told the students that they should opens their books and reads the first chapter.
Answer: C) The teacher told the students to open their books and read the first chapter. (An imperative sentence in direct speech changes to an infinitive construction in indirect speech — "said to" changes to "told" and the imperative verb "open" changes to the infinitive form "to open" — "your" changes to "their" to reflect the change of reference.)
4. Direct speech: "She said, 'I have already submitted my application for the scholarship.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) She said that she has already submitted her application for the scholarship.
- B) She said that she had already submitted her application for the scholarship.
- C) She said that she already submitted her application for the scholarship.
- D) She said that she would already submit her application for the scholarship.
Answer: B) She said that she had already submitted her application for the scholarship. (The present perfect tense "have submitted" in the direct speech changes to the past perfect tense "had submitted" in the indirect speech — "my" changes to "her" and the adverb "already" is retained in the indirect speech.)
5. Direct speech: "He said to her, 'Do you know the answer to this question?'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) He asked her if she knows the answer to that question.
- B) He asked her that did she know the answer to that question.
- C) He asked her whether she knew the answer to that question.
- D) He told her whether she knew the answer to that question.
Answer: C) He asked her whether she knew the answer to that question. (A yes/no question in direct speech changes to an indirect question introduced by "whether" or "if" — the reporting verb changes from "said to" to "asked" — the auxiliary "do" is dropped — "you" changes to "she" — "this" changes to "that" and the verb "know" changes to "knew.")
6. Direct speech: "The doctor said to the patient, 'You must take complete rest for at least a week.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) The doctor told the patient that he must take complete rest for at least a week.
- B) The doctor told the patient that he should take complete rest for at least a week.
- C) The doctor said to the patient that he must take complete rest for at least a week.
- D) The doctor told the patient that he took complete rest for at least a week.
Answer: B) The doctor told the patient that he should take complete rest for at least a week. (The reporting verb changes from "said to" to "told" — the modal verb "must" expressing obligation changes to "should" in indirect speech — "you" changes to "he" reflecting the change of person in the reported clause.)
7. Direct speech: "She said, 'I was reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) She said that she was reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out.
- B) She said that she had been reading a novel when the lights suddenly had gone out.
- C) She said that she has been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out.
- D) She said that she had been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out.
Answer: D) She said that she had been reading a novel when the lights suddenly went out. (The past continuous tense "was reading" in the direct speech changes to the past perfect continuous tense "had been reading" in the indirect speech — "I" changes to "she" — the simple past "went out" remains as it describes a completed past action within the reported speech.)
8. Direct speech: "He said to me, 'Where did you find this beautiful painting?'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) He asked me where did I find that beautiful painting.
- B) He asked me where I had found that beautiful painting.
- C) He told me where I had found that beautiful painting.
- D) He asked me where I found this beautiful painting.
Answer: B) He asked me where I had found that beautiful painting. (A wh-question in direct speech changes to an indirect question using the question word "where" — the reporting verb changes to "asked" — the subject-verb inversion is removed — "you" changes to "I" — the simple past "did find" changes to the past perfect "had found" — "this" changes to "that.")
9. Direct speech: "The manager said to the team, 'Do not submit the report without checking it thoroughly.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) The manager told the team not to submit the report without checking it thoroughly.
- B) The manager said to the team to not submit the report without checking it thoroughly.
- C) The manager told the team that they do not submit the report without checking it thoroughly.
- D) The manager told the team they should not submitting the report without checking it thoroughly.
Answer: A) The manager told the team not to submit the report without checking it thoroughly. (A negative imperative in direct speech changes to a negative infinitive construction in indirect speech — "said to" changes to "told" — "do not submit" changes to "not to submit" — "your" is replaced by "it" as the reference remains the same report.)
10. Direct speech: "She said to him, 'I have been waiting for you here since morning.'" Which of the following correctly changes the sentence into indirect speech?
- A) She told him that she has been waiting for him there since morning.
- B) She told him that she was waiting for him there since morning.
- C) She told him that she had been waiting for him there since morning.
- D) She said to him that she had been waiting for him here since morning.
Answer: C) She told him that she had been waiting for him there since morning. (The reporting verb changes from "said to" to "told" — the present perfect continuous tense "have been waiting" changes to the past perfect continuous tense "had been waiting" — "you" changes to "him" — "I" changes to "she" — "here" changes to "there" as the place reference shifts in indirect speech.)
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