Direct/Indirect Speech

Ladakh Police Sub-Inspector · English · 77 practice questions with answers and explanations: 40 Easy, 36 Medium, 1 Hard.

Sample questions

Sample Easy question 1

Change to indirect speech: He said to me, "Where do you live?"

  1. He said me where I lived.
  2. He asked me where did I live.
  3. He asked me where I lived.
  4. He asked me where you lived.
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Answer: C. A wh- question is reported with 'asked' and normal word order: 'where I lived'.

Sample Easy question 2

Change to indirect speech: She said to him, "Do you like tea?"

  1. She asked him if he liked tea.
  2. She said him if he liked tea.
  3. She asked him that he liked tea.
  4. She asked him did he like tea.
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Answer: A. A yes/no question uses 'asked + if/whether' with statement order.

Sample Easy question 3

Change to indirect speech: The teacher said to Ravi, "What is your name?"

  1. The teacher asked Ravi what his name was.
  2. The teacher asked Ravi what your name was.
  3. The teacher said Ravi what his name was.
  4. The teacher asked Ravi what was his name.
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Answer: A. Statement order and backshift: 'what his name was'.

Sample Medium question 4

Change to indirect speech: He said, "I am going to Delhi tomorrow."

  1. He said that he was going to Delhi tomorrow.
  2. He said that he is going to Delhi tomorrow.
  3. He said that I was going to Delhi the next day.
  4. He said that he was going to Delhi the next day.
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Answer: D. 'Tomorrow' → 'the next day'; 'am going' → 'was going'.

Sample Medium question 5

Change to indirect speech: He said to me, "Can you drive a car?"

  1. He asked me if you could drive a car.
  2. He asked me if I could drive a car.
  3. He asked me that I can drive a car.
  4. He asked me can I drive a car.
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Answer: B. 'Can' → 'could'; 'you' → 'I'.

Sample Medium question 6

Change to indirect speech: The captain said to the soldiers, "March forward."

  1. The captain told the soldiers marching forward.
  2. The captain commanded the soldiers to march forward.
  3. The captain said the soldiers that march forward.
  4. The captain commanded that the soldiers marched forward.
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Answer: B. A command is reported with 'commanded + object + to + verb'.

Sample Hard question 7

Change to indirect speech: The lawyer said, "If the accused had been careful, he would have escaped."

  1. The lawyer said that if the accused had been careful, he would have escaped.
  2. The lawyer said that if the accused has been careful, he would have escaped.
  3. The lawyer said that if the accused was careful, he would escape.
  4. The lawyer said that if the accused had been careful, he will have escaped.
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Answer: A. A past unreal condition (past perfect) is already as far back as it goes and stays unchanged.

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