Q1. Direct speech: She said, “I am reading a novel.”
Which is the correct indirect form?
(a) She said that she is reading a novel.
(b) She said that she was reading a novel.
(c) She said that she has been reading a novel.
(d) She said that she read a novel.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: When the reporting verb is in past tense (“said”), the present continuous in the quoted speech changes to past continuous (“was reading”).
Q2. Direct: He told me, “I will help you tomorrow.”
Choose the correct indirect sentence.
(a) He told me that he will help me tomorrow.
(b) He told me that he would help me the next day.
(c) He told me that he helped me the next day.
(d) He told me that he has helped me tomorrow.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Future “will” becomes “would”; “tomorrow” shifts to “the next day” in indirect speech.
Q3. Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Do not make noise.”
Indirect form:
(a) The teacher told the students not to make noise.
(b) The teacher said to the students do not make noise.
(c) The teacher told the students to not make noise.
(d) The teacher said that the students do not make noise.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Imperative sentences use “to” + base verb; negative imperative uses “not to”.
Q4. Direct: “Where are you going?” asked Rahul.
Indirect:
(a) Rahul asked where I was going.
(b) Rahul asked where are you going.
(c) Rahul asked where I am going.
(d) Rahul asked where you were going.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: In indirect questions, the verb follows the subject (no inversion) and the tense backshifts: “are going” → “was going”.
Q5. Direct: She exclaimed, “What a beautiful picture!”
Indirect:
(a) She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful picture.
(b) She exclaimed that what a beautiful picture it was.
(c) She exclaimed that the picture was very beautiful.
(d) She exclaimed that the picture is very beautiful.
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Exclamatory sentences become statements; “What a beautiful picture!” → “that the picture was very beautiful”.
Q6. Direct: The manager said, “We have finished the project.”
Indirect:
(a) The manager said that we have finished the project.
(b) The manager said that they had finished the project.
(c) The manager said that we had finished the project.
(d) The manager said that we finished the project.
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Present perfect “have finished” → past perfect “had finished”; “we” stays same because subject of reporting clause is same.
Q7. Direct: “Please close the door,” she requested.
Indirect:
(a) She requested to close the door.
(b) She requested that close the door.
(c) She requested him to close the door.
(d) She requested that the door be closed.
Answer: (c)
Explanation: For polite requests, use “requested + object + to + verb”. Object is implied (“her”) → “requested me/him to close”.
Q8. Direct: He said, “I was watching TV when you called.”
Indirect:
(a) He said that he had been watching TV when I called.
(b) He said that he was watching TV when I called.
(c) He said that he watched TV when you called.
(d) He said that he has been watching TV when you called.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Past continuous “was watching” → past perfect continuous “had been watching”; “you” changes to “I” because the speaker is now the listener.
Q9. Direct: The officer ordered, “Leave the room immediately.”
Indirect:
(a) The officer ordered to leave the room immediately.
(b) The officer ordered that we leave the room immediately.
(c) The officer ordered them to leave the room immediately.
(d) The officer ordered that they should leave the room immediately.
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Orders/commands use “ordered + object + to + verb”. Object is the person being ordered.
Q10. Direct: “Why didn’t you attend the meeting?” asked the supervisor.
Indirect:
(a) The supervisor asked why I didn’t attend the meeting.
(b) The supervisor asked why you didn’t attend the meeting.
(c) The supervisor asked why I had not attended the meeting.
(d) The supervisor asked why did I not attend the meeting.
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Past simple in question → past perfect in indirect; subject‑verb order normal (no inversion); “you” → “I”.
Q11. Direct: He said, “I have lived here since 2010.”
Indirect:
(a) He said that he has lived here since 2010.
(b) He said that he had lived here since 2010.
(c) He said that he lived here since 2010.
(d) He said that he have lived here since 2010.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Present perfect → past perfect when reporting verb is past.
Q12. Direct: The child cried, “I want an ice‑cream!”
Indirect:
(a) The child cried that he wanted an ice‑cream.
(b) The child cried that he wants an ice‑cream.
(c) The child cried that he had wanted an ice‑cream.
(d) The child cried that he want an ice‑cream.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Present simple “want” → past simple “wanted”; exclamation becomes a statement.
Q13. Direct: She whispered, “Do you know the answer?”
Indirect:
(a) She whispered if I knew the answer.
(b) She whispered whether I knew the answer.
(c) She whispered that I knew the answer.
(d) She whispered do you know the answer.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Yes/No question → “whether” or “if”; backshift: “do you know” → “I knew”.
Q14. Direct: The judge declared, “The accused is guilty.”
Indirect:
(a) The judge declared that the accused is guilty.
(b) The judge declared that the accused was guilty.
(c) The judge declared that the accused had been guilty.
(d) The judge declared that the accused will be guilty.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Present simple “is” → past simple “was” after past reporting verb.
Q15. Direct: “Let’s go for a walk,” suggested Maya.
Indirect:
(a) Maya suggested that we go for a walk.
(b) Maya suggested to go for a walk.
(c) Maya suggested that we should go for a walk.
(d) Maya suggested that we went for a walk.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: “Let’s” becomes “that we” + base verb (or “should” optional).
Q16. Direct: He said, “I will have completed the report by Friday.”
Indirect:
(a) He said that he will have completed the report by Friday.
(b) He said that he would have completed the report by Friday.
(c) He said that he would complete the report by Friday.
(d) He said that he has completed the report by Friday.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Future perfect “will have completed” → conditional perfect “would have completed”.
Q17. Direct: The mother warned, “Don’t touch the hot stove.”
Indirect:
(a) The mother warned not to touch the hot stove.
(b) The mother warned him not to touch the hot stove.
(c) The mother warned that do not touch the hot stove.
(d) The mother warned to not touch the hot stove.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Negative imperative with an object: “warned + object + not to + verb”.
Q18. Direct: “How beautiful the scenery is!” said the tourist.
Indirect:
(a) The tourist said that how beautiful the scenery is.
(b) The tourist said that the scenery was very beautiful.
(c) The tourist said that the scenery is very beautiful.
(d) The tourist exclaimed that the scenery was very beautiful.
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Exclamatory becomes statement; reporting verb can stay “exclaimed”; tense backshifts: “is” → “was”.
Q19. Direct: The instructor asked, “Did you finish your assignment?”
Indirect:
(a) The instructor asked if I had finished my assignment.
(b) The instructor asked if I finished my assignment.
(c) The instructor asked whether you have finished your assignment.
(d) The instructor asked did I finish my assignment.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Yes/No question → “if/whether”; past simple → past perfect.
Q20. Direct: He said, “I am going to visit my grandparents next week.”
Indirect:
(a) He said that he is going to visit his grandparents next week.
(b) He said that he was going to visit his grandparents the following week.
(c) He said that he will be going to visit his grandparents next week.
(d) He said that he had been going to visit his grandparents the following week.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Present continuous for future (“am going to”) → past continuous (“was going to”); “next week” → “the following week”.
Q21. Direct: The captain ordered, “Fire at will!”
Indirect:
(a) The captain ordered to fire at will.
(b) The captain ordered them to fire at will.
(c) The captain ordered that they fire at will.
(d) The captain ordered firing at will.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Orders with plural subject: “ordered + them + to + verb”.
Q22. Direct: She said, “I had already left when you arrived.”
Indirect:
(a) She said that she had already left when I arrived.
(b) She said that she has already left when you arrived.
(c) She said that she had left when you had arrived.
(d) She said that she had already left when you arrived.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Past perfect stays past perfect (no further backshift); “you” → “I” because the speaker becomes the listener.
Q23. Direct: “Please sit down,” the host requested.
Indirect:
(a) The host requested to sit down.
(b) The host requested him to sit down.
(c) The host requested that sit down.
(d) The host requested sitting down.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Polite request: “requested + object + to + base verb”. Object is implied (the person being spoken to).
Q24. Direct: The teacher remarked, “You have improved a lot.”
Indirect:
(a) The teacher remarked that you have improved a lot.
(b) The teacher remarked that I had improved a lot.
(c) The teacher remarked that they had improved a lot.
(d) The teacher remarked that you had improved a lot.
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Present perfect → past perfect; second person pronoun “you” remains unchanged if the listener is same; otherwise changes accordingly. Here we assume the listener is being reported about, so “you” → “you” (no change) but verb backshifts: “have improved” → “had improved”.
Q25. Direct: He wondered, “Will she ever return?”
Indirect:
(a) He wondered if she would ever return.
(b) He wondered whether she will ever return.
(c) He wondered that she would ever return.
(d) He wondered will she ever return.
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Yes/No question → “if/whether”; future “will” → conditional “would”.
