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 13 of 16
- A. The teacher advised the boys work hard if they wanted to pass the exam.
- B. The teacher advised the boys to work hard if they wanted to pass the exam.
- C. The teacher advised the boys to work hard if they want to pass the exam.
- D. The teacher advised the boys to work hard that if they wanted to pass the
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Work hard" becomes "to work hard" (change from direct command to indirect advice)-…
Correct answer: The teacher advised the boys to work hard if they wanted to pass the exam.- A. The doctor politely asked the patient to go in.
- B. The doctor politely asked the patient to come on.
- C. The doctor politely asked the patient to come in
- D. The doctor politely asks the patient to come in.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Come in" becomes "to come in" (change from direct command to indirect request)-…
Correct answer: The doctor politely asked the patient to come in- A. I warned the child not to look down in the well.
- B. I warned the child not to looked down into the well.
- C. I warned the child to look down into the well.
- D. I warned the child not to look down into the well.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Do not" becomes "not to" (change from direct command to indirect warning)- No need to…
Correct answer: I warned the child not to look down into the well.- A. The stranger asked me if I will help him.
- B. The stranger asked me if could I help him.
- C. The stranger asked me if I would help him.
- D. The stranger asked me if would I help him.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Would you" becomes "I would" (change from second person to first person)- No need to…
Correct answer: The stranger asked me if I would help him.- A. Mummy tells me that she will write a letter to my father.
- B. Mummy tells to me that she will write a letter to my father.
- C. Mummy tells me that she will write a letter to her father.
- D. Mummy tells me that she will write letter to my father.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "I shall" becomes "she will" (change from first person to third person and from direct…
Correct answer: Mummy tells me that she will write a letter to my father.- A. The boy told to his friend that he waited for his parcel everyday.
- B. The boy said to his friend that he waited for his parcel everyday.
- C. The boy said to his friend that he waited for my parcel everyday.
- D. The boy told his friend that he waited for your parcel everyday.
Explanation: "I" becomes "he" (change from first person to third person)- "wait" becomes "waited" (change from present to past tense)- "your" becomes…
Correct answer: The boy said to his friend that he waited for his parcel everyday.- A. The boy asked the teacher if she would check his homework that day?
- B. The boy asked the teacher if she will check his homework that day.
- C. The boy asked the teacher that she would check his homework that day.
- D. The boy asked the teacher if she would check his homework that day.
Explanation: "Will you" becomes "if she would" (change from direct question to indirect question)- "my" becomes "his" (change from first person to…
Correct answer: The boy asked the teacher if she would check his homework that day.- A. He said that the horse died the day before.
- B. He said that the horse had died yesterday.
- C. He said that the horse had died the day before.
- D. He said that the horse had been died the day before.
Explanation: "yesterday" becomes "the day before" (change from direct speech to indirect speech, to maintain the same time relation)No need to change…
Correct answer: He said that the horse died the day before.- A. He said that the peon had rung the bell when he reached school.
- B. He said that the peon rung the bell when he reached school.
- C. He said that the peon had rung the bell when he had reached school.
- D. He said that the peon had rang the bell when he reached school.
Explanation: "I" is changed to "he" to maintain the third-person perspective.- The verb tense "had rung" remains the same, as it is already in the past…
Correct answer: He said that the peon had rung the bell when he reached school.- A. He asked how I had got into that house.
- B. He asked how had I got into that house.
- C. He asked how I had got into this house.
- D. He asked how I had got into that house?
Explanation: Here's why:- "He said" is changed to "He asked" to indicate that the original sentence was a question.- "you" is changed to "I" to…
Correct answer: He asked how I had got into that house.- A. The poor request to help them please.
- B. The poor request us to help them.
- C. The poor request to please help them.
- D. The poor request help them please.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech, we need to change the sentence structure to make it a reported request.
Correct answer: The poor request us to help them.- A. They say that they were all our Pakistani brothers.
- B. They say that they were all their Pakistani brothers.
- C. They say that they had been all their Pakistani brothers.
- D. They say that they are all our Pakistani brothers.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "They say" remains the same, as it's the reporting verb.- "They are" remains the same…
Correct answer: They say that they are all our Pakistani brothers.- A. They exclaimed with joy that it was very fine day.
- B. They exclaimed with joy that it was a very fine day.
- C. They exclaimed with joy that is a very fine day.
- D. They exclaimed with joy what a fine day it was
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "They said" becomes "They exclaimed with joy" to indicate strong emotions.- "What a…
Correct answer: They exclaimed with joy what a fine day it was- A. They wished that she were alive.
- B. They wished that she had been live.
- C. They wish that she were alive.
- D. They wished that she had been alive.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "They said" becomes "They wished" to indicate the verb of wishing.- "Would that" is a…
Correct answer: They wished that she had been alive.- A. Ali said if I had worked, I would have passed.
- B. Ali said that if I had worked, I would have passed.
- C. Ali said that if I had worked, I would pass.
- D. Ali said that if I worked, I would have passed.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "you" becomes "I" to maintain the correct pronoun perspective.- The verb tense remains…
Correct answer: Ali said that if I had worked, I would have passed.- A. Arthur said that well, it may be.
- B. Arthur said that it might be.
- C. Arthur said that well, it might be.
- D. Arthur said that it might be, well.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "Well" is an adverb that can be omitted in indirect speech, as it's not essential to…
Correct answer: Arthur said that it might be.- A. She said when she was enjoying youth she watched movies.
- B. She said that she was enjoying youth, she watched movies.
- C. She said that when she was enjoying youth, she had watched movies.
- D. She said that when she was enjoying youth she was watching movies.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "I" becomes "she" to maintain the correct pronoun perspective.- "was enjoying" remains…
Correct answer: She said that when she was enjoying youth, she had watched movies.- A. They said that they had been watching that movie.
- B. They said that they were watching that movie.
- C. They said that they had been watching the movie.
- D. They said that they watched the movie.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "They said" remains the same, as it's the reporting verb.- "They have been watching"…
Correct answer: They said that they had been watching the movie.- A. He prayed that my master may rest in heaven.
- B. He prayed that my master might rest in heaven.
- C. He prayed that his master might rest in heaven.
- D. He prayed their master might rest in heaven.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "He said to me" becomes "He prayed" to indicate the verb of wishing or praying.- "May"…
Correct answer: He prayed that my master might rest in heaven.- A. She wished that there was no ill will.
- B. She wished that there should be no ill will.
- C. She wished their should be no ill will.
- D. She wished that there should be no ill will!
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "She said" becomes "She wished" to indicate the verb of wishing.- "Let" becomes…
Correct answer: She wished that there should be no ill will.