Free Direct and Indirect Speech MCQs with Answers

1. Choose the correct form: He said that he ____ to Lahore the previous week.

• A. goes
• B. has gone
• C. had gone
• D. will go

Explanation: Reported speech shifts the tense one step back, so a past simple in the original becomes the past perfect, and the phrase the previous week confirms the earlier time. Keeping the present tense would only be correct if the reporting verb were present. This backshift is one of the most frequently tested rules in entry tests.

2. Change to indirect speech: He said, "I am reading a book."

• A. He said that he is reading a book.
• B. He said that he was reading a book.
• C. He said that I was reading a book.
• D. He said that he has been reading a book.

Explanation: The reporting verb is in the past, so the present continuous shifts back to the past continuous, and the first person pronoun changes to the third person to match the speaker being reported. Keeping is would only be correct if the reporting verb were says. Pronoun and tense must both be adjusted.

3. Change to indirect speech: She asked, "Where do you live?"

• A. She asked where do I live.
• B. She asked where I lived.
• C. She asked where did I live.
• D. She asked where I live?

Explanation: A reported question takes normal statement word order, so the auxiliary do disappears and the verb shifts back to lived. No question mark is used, since the sentence as a whole is a statement about a question. Retaining the interrogative order is the most common error here.

4. The traveler enquired to the farmer if he could tell him the way to the nearest inn.

• A. The traveler said to the farmer, "Where is the nearest inn?"
• B. The traveler said to the farmer, "Which is the way to the nearest inn?"
• C. The traveler said to the farmer, "Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?"
• D. The traveler said to the farmer, "Can you tell me where is the nearest inn?"Booking Historical Guided Tours

Explanation: The indirect question reports a request for information, so the natural direct form is, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?” Option d incorrectly retains the indirect-question order “where is.”

5. Mother said, "Where are you going? "

• A. Mother said me where I am going.
• B. Mother said to me where are you going.
• C. Mother asked where I was going.
• D. Mother asked me where I am going.

Explanation: A reported question uses statement word order, not “are you going,” and the present “are” normally backshifts to “was.” Thus, “Mother asked where I was going” is correct.

6. He said to the hotel receptionist, "Can you tell me the tariff of rooms?

• A. He asked the hotel receptionist that if he can tell him the tariff of rooms.
• B. He asked the hotel receptionist to tell him the tariff of rooms.
• C. He enquired the hotel receptionist if he can tell him the tariff of rooms.
• D. He asked the hotel receptionist if he could tell him the tariff of rooms.

Explanation: The yes-or-no question changes to an indirect question with “if,” and “can” changes to “could” after the past reporting verb “asked.” The natural construction is “asked ... if he could tell him.”

7. He said, "What a teacher you are"!

• A. He exclaimed with surprise that he is a great teacher.
• B. He exclaimed with surprise that he was a great teacher.
• C. He exclaimed with surprise that he has a great teacher.
• D. He exclaimed with surprise that he had a great teacher.Election Officer Mcqs

Explanation: The exclamation expresses surprise and praise, so “exclaimed with surprise” and “a great teacher” convey its meaning. Because the reporting verb is past, “are” normally changes to “was.”

8. He said to me, "I expect you to attend the function."

• A. He told me that he had expected me to attend the function.
• B. He told me that he expected me to attended the function.
• C. He told me that he expected me to have attended the function.
• D. He told me that he expected me to attend the function.

Explanation: After a past reporting verb, “expect” normally changes to “expected,” while the infinitive “to attend” remains unchanged. Thus, “He told me that he expected me to attend the function” is grammatically correct.

9. She said to the princess, "May you live long".

• A. She prayed for the princess that she might live long.
• B. She prayed for the princess that may she live long.
• C. She prayed for the princess that she live long.
• D. She prayed for the princess that she may live long.

Explanation: A reported blessing or wish is introduced with “prayed” and takes “might” after the past reporting verb: “She prayed that the princess might live long.” “May she” retains the direct-question-like order and is incorrect here.

10. I said to her, "Why are you sleeping"?

• A. I asked her why she was sleeping.
• B. I asked her that why she was sleeping.
• C. I asked her that why was she sleeping.
• D. None of these

Explanation: In an indirect question, the question word is followed by normal statement order: “why she was sleeping.” The conjunction “that” is not used after “asked” before a wh-question.