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 5 of 16

  • A. He asked if I liked chocolate.
  • B. He asked that I like chocolate.
  • C. He asked do I like chocolate.
  • D. He asked if I like chocolate.

Explanation: In indirect speech, yes/no questions are introduced with "if," and the present tense "like" changes to the past tense "liked".

Correct answer: He asked if I liked chocolate.
  • A. He requested to help him with this task.
  • B. He requested me to help him with that task.
  • C. He requested me help with this task.
  • D. He requested me helping him with this task.

Explanation: "Please" indicates a request, so we use "requested," the pronoun changes to "me," and "this task" becomes "that task" in indirect speech.

Correct answer: He requested me to help him with that task.
  • A. The teacher ordered to me to write my name on that paper.
  • B. The teacher ordered me to write my name on that paper.
  • C. The teacher forbade me to write my name on that paper.
  • D. The teacher asked to me to write my name on that paper.

Explanation: "The teacher ordered me to write my name on that paper." This is the correct transformation because it changes the direct speech to…

Correct answer: The teacher ordered me to write my name on that paper.
  • A. He said to me that I was a traitor.
  • B. He told me that I have been a traitor.
  • C. He called me a traitor.
  • D. He exclaimed with anger that I was a traitor.

Explanation: The correct answer is: He called me a traitor. In this case, the direct speech 'He said to me, "traitor"' involves the speaker directly…

Correct answer: He called me a traitor.
  • A. He said what the matter was.
  • B. He asked what the matter was
  • C. He enquired that what was the matter
  • D. He asked that what the matter had been

Explanation: Option (b), "He asked what the matter was," is the correct choice. This option correctly conveys the original question in indirect speech…

Correct answer: He asked what the matter was
  • A. He said that I need not wait.
  • B. He said you needed no wait.
  • C. He said that wait was not need by you
  • D. He said that you must not wait

Explanation: In the direct speech, "He said" is the reporting verb indicating that someone is conveying information or a statement.

Correct answer: He said that I need not wait.
  • A. Anum asked me whether I saw the drama on television the earlier night.
  • B. Anum asked me whether I had seen the drama on television the earlier night.
  • C. Anum asked me did I see the drama on television the last night.
  • D. Anum asked me whether I had seen the drama on television the last night.

Explanation: Interrogative sentences beginning with an auxiliary verb are changed into indirect speech using the connective if or whether.

Correct answer: Anum asked me whether I had seen the drama on television the earlier night.
  • A. She exclaimed that it is a lovely dress.
  • B. She exclaimed that it was a lovely dress.
  • C. She exclaimed that what a lovely dress it was.
  • D. She exclaimed what a lovely dress it is.

Explanation: In indirect speech, the tense of the verb usually shifts back to reflect the fact that the reporting is happening after the original…

Correct answer: She exclaimed that it was a lovely dress.
  • A. The teacher ordered Amna that she should watch her steps.
  • B. The teacher ordered Amna to watch your steps.
  • C. The teacher ordered Amna to watch her steps.
  • D. The teacher requested Amna to watch your steps.

Explanation: The correct answer is: 'The teacher ordered Amna to watch her steps.' In indirect speech, the verb 'said' is typically changed to match…

Correct answer: The teacher ordered Amna to watch her steps.
  • A. Aneela say that Shahana dia ot do her work properly.
  • B. Aneela said that Shahana was not doing her work properly.
  • C. Shahana did not do her work properly was said by Aneela.
  • D. She is not doing her work properly is what Aneela said about Shahana.

Explanation: According to the rules of converting a direct speech into indirect speech; if the reported speech has a past verb e.g., "said" in the…

Correct answer: Aneela said that Shahana was not doing her work properly.
  • A. The speaker asked the audience if they had listened to him.
  • B. The speaker asked the audience if they will listen to him.
  • C. The speaker asked the audience if they would listen to him.
  • D. The speaker asked the audience to listen to him.

Explanation: This is the correct answer. "Will" changes to "would" in indirect speech to match the past tense of "said," and "if" introduces the yes/no…

Correct answer: The speaker asked the audience if they would listen to him.
  • A. He said to me that I was a traitor.
  • B. He told me that I have been a traitor.
  • C. He called me a traitor.
  • D. He exclaimed with anger that I was a traitor.

Explanation: When transforming direct speech to indirect speech, if someone directly uses a word or term to refer to another person, we typically use…

Correct answer: He called me a traitor.
  • A. He said what the matter was.
  • B. He asked what the matter was.
  • C. He enquired that what was the matter.
  • D. He asked that what the matter had been.

Explanation: Indirect speech is a grammatical mechanism for reporting the content without directly speaking it.

Correct answer: He asked what the matter was.
  • A. She exclaimed that it is a lovely dress.
  • B. She exclaimed that it was a lovely dress.
  • C. She exclaimed that what a lovely dress it was.
  • D. She exclaimed what a lovely dress it is.

Explanation: Indirect speech is speech that tells you what someone said but does not use the person's actual words instead it is a style of…

Correct answer: She exclaimed that it was a lovely dress.
  • A. The teacher ordered Amna that She should watch her steps.
  • B. The teacher ordered Amna to watch your steps.
  • C. The teacher ordered Amna to watch her steps.
  • D. The teacher requested Amna to watch your steps.

Explanation: In indirect speech (reported speech), we typically change the verb "said" to a verb that reflects the speaker's intention or manner of…

Correct answer: The teacher ordered Amna to watch her steps.
  • A. He ordered you to pass his suit case.
  • B. He requested me to pass his suit case.
  • C. He requested me pass his suit case.
  • D. He requested you to pass his suit case.

Explanation: The sentence is a polite request, using the phrase "please" to show courtesy.

Correct answer: He requested me to pass his suit case.
  • A. How much do the tickets cost Meg asked.
  • B. Meg inquired the cost of tickets.
  • C. Meg asked how much the tickets cost?
  • D. Meg asked that how much do the tickets costs.

Explanation: The original sentence is a question asked by Meg, and the correct reporting of this sentence would be:Meg asked "how much the tickets cost?"

Correct answer: Meg asked how much the tickets cost?
  • A. He asked whether they were writing the paper.
  • B. He asked if they were writing the paper.
  • C. He asked that if they were writing the paper.
  • D. He asked if they were writing the paper?

Explanation: The correct answers are A. He asked whether they were writing the paper? and B.

Correct answer: He asked whether they were writing the paper.
  • A. He said, "I can swim under water for two hours."
  • B. He said. "I can swim under water for two hours."
  • C. He said, "I can swim under water for two hours".
  • D. He said", I can swim under water for two hours."

Explanation: He said that he could swim under water for two hours.The original sentence is a statement about someone's ability, and the correct…

Correct answer: He said, "I can swim under water for two hours."
  • A. Harry told, "May I smoke"?
  • B. Harry said, "may I smoke?"
  • C. Harry said, "May I smoke."
  • D. Harry asked, "May I smoke?"

Explanation: The original sentence is a request for permission, and the correct reported speech uses the verb "asked" followed by the exact question…

Correct answer: Harry asked, "May I smoke?"