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 8 of 16
- 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 teacher said that it was time they go to work.
- B. The teacher said that it is time they went to work.
- C. The teacher said that it was time they went to work.
- D. The teacher told that it was time they had gone to work.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "It is time" becomes "it was time" (change from present to past)- "we" becomes "they"…
Correct answer: The teacher said that it was time they went to work.- 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. The father asked my sons, listen to my words carefully.
- B. The father asked his sons to listen to his words carefully.
- C. The father asked the sons to listened to his words carefully.
- D. The father asked his sons to listen his words carefully.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech:- "said" becomes "asked" to indicate the father's request or instruction.- "My" becomes…
Correct answer: The father asked his sons to listen to his words carefully.- 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.- 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 exam.
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: The correct answer is Option B: The boy said to his friend that he waited for his parcel everyday.
Correct answer: The boy said to his friend that he waited for his parcel everyday.