Free Direct and Indirect Speech MCQs with Answers
306 Direct and Indirect Speech MCQs from English, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
Direct speech gives a speaker’s exact words, whereas indirect speech reports the meaning without quotation marks. Questions cover reporting verbs, pronoun changes, tense backshift, time and place expressions, punctuation, and the transformation of questions, commands and requests, including cases where backshift is not required.
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306 questions · page 12 of 16
- A. Sarah tells that help Peter's sister.
- B. Sarah asked to help Peter's
- C. Sarah asked that help Peter's sister.
- D. Sarah said to help Peter's sister.
Explanation: Option D correctly transforms the direct speech into indirect speech where "said to help Peter's sister" maintains the structure of the…
Correct answer: Sarah said to help Peter's sister.- A. The teacher asked me If I have ever studied abroad.
- B. The teacher asked me If I had ever studied abroad.
- C. The teacher asked me that I had ever studied abroad.
- D. The teacher asked me If I had been ever studied abroad.
Explanation: Option B correctly uses the past perfect tense ("had ever studied") in the indirect question to reflect the past time frame of the…
Correct answer: The teacher asked me If I had ever studied abroad.- A. He thanked me.
- B. He said and thanked me.
- C. He thanks me.
- D. He thank me.
Explanation: Option A correctly conveys the meaning of "He said, 'Thank you.'" in indirect speech by using "thanked" to indicate expressing gratitude.
Correct answer: He thanked me.- A. His mother advised him to work harder because that was your last chance.
- B. His mother ask him to work harder because that was his last chance.
- C. His mother forbade him to work harder because that was his last chance.
- D. His mother advised him to work harder because that was his last chance.
Explanation: Option D correctly reflects the advice given by the mother and maintains the meaning of the original statement
Correct answer: His mother advised him to work harder because that was his last chance.- A. Andrew told his sister that he could not finish his homework, and he requested to help
- B. Andrew told his sister that he can not finish his homework, and he requested to help her.
- C. Andrew told his sister that he could not finish his homework, and he requests to help
- D. Andrew tells his sister that he could not finish his homework, and he requested to help her.
Explanation: Option A correctly changes the direct speech into indirect speech, using "told" to report the statement, adjusting the tense ("could…
Correct answer: Andrew told his sister that he could not finish his homework, and he requested to help- A. She asked respectfully if could I give her the glass on the table.
- B. She asked respectfully that I could give her the glass on the table.
- C. She asked respectfully if I could give her the glass on the table.
- D. She asked that if I could give her the glass on the table.
Explanation: Option C correctly uses "asked respectfully if" to introduce the reported question and maintains the politeness of the original request..
Correct answer: She asked respectfully if I could give her the glass on the table.- A. He told us that his dogs had not been barking at us.
- B. He told us that his dogs were not barking at us.
- C. He told us that his dogs had not been barked at us.
- D. He told to us that his dogs have not been barking at us
Explanation: The original sentence "My dogs were not barking at you" is in the simple past tense, but when reported indirectly, the tense changes to…
Correct answer: He told us that his dogs had not been barking at us.- A. She told to me that her father has been going to my house yesterday.
- B. You told him that her father had gone to your house yesterday.
- C. She told me that her father had gone to my house the previous day.
- D. She told me that her father had been going to my house the previous day.
Explanation: The original sentence is a direct quote, and option C is the most accurate indirect quote.
Correct answer: She told me that her father had gone to my house the previous day.- A. You told him that you were writing a letter to him then
- B. You told him that yes you were writing a letter to him then.
- C. You told him that you were writing a letter to him now.
- D. You told to him that you were writing a letter to him now
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Yes" is often omitted, as it's a response to a question and not essential to the main…
Correct answer: You told him that you were writing a letter to him then- A. They told us that we were preparing for the examination.
- B. They told us that you had been preparing for the examination.
- C. They told us that they had been preparing for the examination.
- D. They told us that they were preparing for the examination.
Explanation: "We" becomes "they" (the subject of the sentence).- "were preparing" becomes "had been preparing" (change from past continuous to past…
Correct answer: They told us that they had been preparing for the examination.- A. You asked him why you called him names the previous day.
- B. You asked him that why you called him names the previous day.
- C. You asked to him why he had called you names the previous day.
- D. You asked him why he had called you names the previous day
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "You" (the person spoken to) becomes "he" (the subject of the sentence).- "me" becomes…
Correct answer: You asked him why he had called you names the previous day- A. They greated respectfully.
- B. They great respectfully.
- C. They said good morning.
- D. They greated good morning.
Explanation: The original sentence is a direct quote of a greeting, and option A is the most accurate indirect report of that greeting.
Correct answer: They greated respectfully.- A. The policeman asked the boy where was he going.
- B. The policeman asked the boy where he was going.
- C. The policeman asked the boy where he was coming.
- D. The policeman asked the boy that where he was going.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "where are you going" becomes "where he was going" (change from present to past and…
Correct answer: The policeman asked the boy where he was going.- A. He exclaimed with sorrow that he is undone.
- B. He exclaimed with sorrow that he did undone.
- C. He exclaimed with sorrow that he were undone.
- D. He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Alas" is an exclamation of sorrow, so it's best to use "exclaimed with sorrow" to…
Correct answer: He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.- A. He said that he has revised those notes
- B. He said that he had revised the notes.
- C. He said that he had revised these notes.
- D. He said that he has revised these notes.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "I" becomes "he" (change from first person to third person)- "have revised" becomes…
Correct answer: He said that he had revised the notes.- A. He suggested that they should not quarrel.
- B. He suggested that they had not quarrel.
- C. He suggested that they did not quarrel.
- D. He suggested that they might not quarrel.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Let us" becomes "they" (change from first person to third person)- "not quarrel"…
Correct answer: He suggested that they should not quarrel.- A. He thanked me
- B. I thanked him
- C. He was thanked by me
- D. He thanked to me
Explanation: The original sentence is a direct quote of an expression of gratitude, and option A is the most natural and idiomatic way to report that…
Correct answer: He thanked me- A. She asked to him where Hamza lived.
- B. She asked him where did Hamza live.
- C. She asked him where Hamza lived.
- D. She asked him where Hamza lives.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Where does Hamza live?" becomes "where Hamza lived" (change from present to past)- No…
Correct answer: She asked him where Hamza lived.- A. He asked me that if he could use my phone.
- B. He asked me if he could use my phone.
- C. He asked me if he could used my phone.
- D. He asked me if he used my phone.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Can I" becomes "could he" (change from present to past and from first person to third…
Correct answer: He asked me if he could use my phone.- A. The officer ordered to the clerk to do it immediately
- B. The officer ordered the clerk do it immediately
- C. The officer orders the clerk to do it immediately
- D. The officer ordered the clerk to do it immediately.
Explanation: "Do it immediately" becomes "to do it immediately" (change from direct command to indirect order)- No need to change the word order or add…
Correct answer: The officer ordered the clerk to do it immediately.