There are two ways of reporting what someone has said: direct speech and indirect speech. Both have their own set of rules that need to be followed in order to report speech correctly.
Take this Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises Quiz to test your knowledge on how to change direct speech into indirect speech.
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Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises Quiz
Question 1: Choose the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect speech:
He said to them, “Don’t make a noise.”
(A) He told them that don’t make noise.
(B) He told them not to make noise.
(C) He told them not make a noise.
(D) He asked them not to make a noise.
Question 2: Turn into indirect speech:
She says, “I am very sorry for this.”
(A) She tell that she is very sorry for that.
(B) She says that she is very sorry for that.
(C) She tell that she is very sorry for this.
(D) She says that she is very sorry for this.
Question 3: Turn into Indirect Speech.
He said to me, “I must go now.”
(A) He told me that he would go then.
(B) He told me that he had to go then.
(C) He said me that he must go then.
(D) He told me that he would have to go then.
Question 4: Identify the correct reported speech from the given alternatives:
He said, “I must go home at once.”
(A) He said that he had to go home then.
(B) He said that he must go home then and there.
(C) He said that he must have gone home at once.
(D) He said that he had to go home at once.
Question 5: Identify the correct reported speech from the given alternatives:
Miss Ragini said to me, “Put these pencil shavings in the dustbin.”
(A) Miss Ragini said to me to put these pencil shavings in the dustbin.
(B) Miss Ragini ordered me to put these pencil shavings in the dustbin.
(C) Miss Ragini asked me to put those pencil shavings in the dustbin.
(D) Miss Ragini told me to put those pencil shavings in the dustbin.
Question 6: Identify the correct reported speech from the given alternatives:
She said, “oh dear! I have just missed the bus.”
(A) She said with regret that she had just missed the bus.
(B) She exclaimed that she has just missed the bus.
(C) She regretted that she just missed the bus.
(D) She narrated that she just missed the bus.
Question 7: Which option is correct for the Direct Sentence:
Manu said, “Let us go for a walk.”
(A) Manu proposed that they should go for a walk.
(B) Manu requested that they should go to walk.
(C) Manu ordered that they must go for a walk.
(D) Manu reminded that they would go for a walk.
Question 8: Change these sentences into Direct Speech:
He said that the train was coming.
(A) He said, “The train is coming.”
(B) He said, “The train had come”
(C) He said, “The train has come.”
(D) He said, “The train had been coming”
Question 9: Change these sentences into Direct Speech:
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
(A) The teacher says, “The sun rises in the east.”
(B) The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
(C) The teacher says, “The sun rose in the east.”
(D) The teacher said, “The sun rose in the east.”
Question 10: Change this sentence into correct Reported Speech:
He said to me, “What are you doing?”
(A) He asked me what I was doing.
(B) He said to me what I were doing.
(C) He told me what I was doing.
(D) He asked me what you were doing.
Question 11: Change this sentence into correct Reported Speech:
He said to him, “Is not your name Ram?”
(A) He asked him if his name was Ram.
(B) He inquired whether his name was not Ram.
(C) He said to him if his name was not Ram.
(D) He narrated him if name was not Ram.
Question 12: Change the following sentence into Indirect Speech.
Ram said, “The horse died in the night.”
(A) Ram said that the horse died in the night.
(B) Ram said that the horse had died in the night.
(C) Ram said that the horse was died in the night.
(D) Ram said that the horse was dead in the night.
Question 13: Change the following sentence into Indirect Speech.
The prince said, “It gives me great pleasure to be there this evening.”
(A) The prince said that it gives him great pleasure to be there this evening.
(B) The prince said that it gave him great pleasure to be there this evening.
(C) The prince said that it gives him great pleasure to be there that evening.
(D) The prince said that it gave him great pleasure to be there that evening.
Question 14: Choose the correct Direct Speech.
He said that he had to go home at once.
(A) He said, “I must go home at once.”
(B) He said, “I may go home at once.”
(C) He said, “I might go home at once.”
(D) He said, “I would go home at once.”
Question 15: Choose the correct Direct Speech.
“Would you mind passing a salt?” I said to him.
(A) I asked to him if he would mind passing the salt.
(B) I ordered him if he will mind passing the salt.
(C) I asked him if he will mind passing the salt.
(D) I asked him if he would mind passing the salt.
Question 16: Change the following Direct Speech into correct reported Speech and mark your option from among choices.
He said, “Ram has not turned up yet.”
(A) He said that Ram had not turned up yet.
(B) He said that Ram has not turned up yet.
(C) He said that Ram was not turned up yet.
(D) He said that Ram had not turned up then.
Question 17: Change the following Direct Speech into correct reported Speech and mark your option from among choices.
Shyam said, “the teacher left an hour ago”
(A) Shyam said that the teacher had left an hour ago.
(B) Shyam said that the teacher left an hour ago.
(C) Shyam said that the teacher had left an hour before.
(D) Shyam said that the teacher had left an hour ahead.
Question 18: In the question a sentence has been given in Reported Speech. You have to choose correct option for its Direct Speech.
The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
(A) The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
(B) The teacher said, “The sun rose in the east.”
(C) The teacher said, “The sun will rise in the east.”
(D) The teacher asked, “The sun has risen in the east.”
Question 19: Change the following sentences into reported Speech.
I said to her, ‘He is a good boy.’
(A) I told her that he is a good boy.
(B) I told her that he was a good boy.
(C) I asked her that he is a good boy.
(D) I asked her that he was a good boy.
Question 20: Transform to Indirect Speech:
The interviewer said to Mahesh, “congratulations! Wish you success in life.”
(A) The interviewer wished congratulations and success in life to Mahesh.
(B) The interviewer said congratulations to Mahesh and wished him success in life.
(C) The interviewer congratulated Mahesh and wished him success in life.
(D) The interviewer congratulated Mahesh and said with you success in life.
Question 21: My mother said, “Health is wealth” – Turn into Indirect form.
(A) My mother said that health is wealth.
(B) My mother told that health was wealth.
(C) My mother said that health was wealth.
(D) My mother told that health is wealth.
Question 22: He said “I shall go as soon as it is possible.” Turn into Indirect speech.
(A) He said that he should go as soon as that was possible.
(B) He said that he would go as soon as it was possible.
(C) He said that he shall go as soon as it is possible.
(D) He said that he will go as soon that was possible.
Question 23: “Are you alone, my son?” asked a soft voice close behind me.
(A) A soft voice asked that what best what I was doing there alone.
(B) A soft voice said to me are you alone son.
(C) A soft voice behind me asked If I was alone.
(D) A soft voice from my back asked if I was alone.
Question 24: Convert in to Indirect Speech:
He said: “Honesty is the best policy.”
(A) He said that honesty is the best policy.
(B) He said that honesty was the best policy.
(C) He said honesty had been the best policy.
(D) He asked me if honesty is the best policy.
Question 25: Convert into Indirect Speech:
He said: “Honesty is the best policy.”
(A) He said that honesty is the best policy.
(B) He said that honesty was the best policy.
(C) He said honesty had been the best policy.
(D) He asked me if honesty is the best policy.
Question 26: Change the Speech:
Kiran asked me, “Did you see the cricket match on television last night?”
(A) Kiran asked me whether I saw the cricket match on television the earlier night.
(B) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television the earlier night.
(C) Kiran asked me did I see the cricket match on television the last night.
(D) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television the last night.
Question 27: A sentence has been given in Direct Speech, select the appropriate option which best expresses the same in Indirect Speech.
She said to me, “Have you finished your work”?
(A) She asked me if I had finished my work.
(B) She asked me if I have finished my work.
(C) She asked me if she had finished her work.
(D) She asked me if she had finished my work.
Question 28: Gabbar said “I do not wish to see any of you; go away.” (Turn into Indirect Speech)
(A) Gabbar told that he doesn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to go away.
(B) Gabber told that he didn’t wish to see them of them and ordered to go.
(C) Gabber told that he didn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to go away.
(D) Gabber told that he didn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to went away.
Question 29: Give Direct to Indirect Speech: I said to him, “Why are you working so hard?”
(A) I asked him why was he working so hard.
(B) I asked him why had he been working so hard.
(C) I asked him why he was working so hard.
(D) I asked why he had been working so hard.
Question 30: My hour has come, thought he “Let me meet death like a man.”
(Turn into Indirect Speech)
(A) He thought his hour has come and he should meet death like a man.
(B) He thought that his hour has come and he will meet death like a man.
(C) He thought his hour had come and he should meet death like a man.
(D) He thought his hour had come and he can meet death like a man.
Question 31: Change into a Indirect Speech. Raj said Rahul, “You are good player of football.”
(A) Raj told Rahul that he was a good player of football.
(B) Raj told Rahul that he were a good player of football.
(C) Raj told Rahul that he would a good player of football.
(D) Raj told Rahul that he could be a good player of football.
Question 32: He said to me, “Are you going with me now?”
Which of the following is the correct Indirect narration of this sentence?
(A) He told me for going with him at that time.
(B) He said to me where was I going.
(C) He inquired about my going with him then.
(D) He asked me If I was going with him then.
Question 33: “The teacher said that he might be allowed to go home.”
This is the Indirect narration of ____________ .
(A) The teacher said to me, “I may allow you to go home.”
(B) The teacher said, “Let him go home.”
(C) The teacher proposed, “Allow me to go home.”
(D) “You may be allowed to go home,” said the teacher.
Question 34: Gabbar said “I do not wish to see any of you; go away.” (Turn into Indirect speech)
(A) Gabbar told that he doesn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to go away.
(B) Gabbar told that he didn’t wish to see them of them and ordered to go away.
(C) Gabbar told that he didn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to go away.
(D) Gabbar told that he didn’t wish to see any of them and ordered to went away.
Question 35: Convert into Indirect Speech. He said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
(A) He said that honesty is the best policy.
(B) He said that honesty was the best policy.
(C) He said honesty had been the best policy.
(D) He asked me if honesty is the best policy.
Question 36: My teacher often says to me: “If you don’t work hard, you will fail. (Turn into Indirect speech)
(A) My teacher often says to me that I may fail if I don’t work hard.
(B) My teacher often says to me that I can fail if I don’t work hard.
(C) My teacher often says to me that if I didn’t work hard, I will fail.
(D) My teacher often says to me that I will fail if I don’t work hard.
Question 37: Eknath said to the woman. “How can I convince your son, not to eat jaggery, when myself is also fond of eating jaggery?”
(Turn into Indirect Speech)
(A) Eknath asked the woman how he can convince her son not to eat jaggery when he himself is also fond of jaggery.
(B) EKnath asked the woman how he would convince her son not to eat jaggery when he himself is also fond of jaggery.
(C) Eknath asked the woman how can he convince her son not to eat jaggery when he himself is also fond of jaggery.
(D) Eknath asked the woman how he could convince her son not to eat jaggery when he himself was also fond of jaggery.
Question 38: My hour has come, thought he, “Let me meet death like a man.”
(Turn into Indirect Speech)
(A) He thought his hour has come and he should meet death like a man.
(B) He thought that his hour has come and he will meet death like a man.
(C) He thought his hour had come and he should meet death like a man.
(D) He thought his hour had come and he can meet death like a man.
Question 39: Convert the following sentence into Indirect Speech :
Alpa said : “How clever I am!”
(A) Alpa exclaimed that she was very clever.
(B) Alpa asked that I am very clever.
(C) Alpa said that how clever I am.
(D) Alpa told that I am very clever.
Question 40: Change the given sentence to Indirect. ‘Drive carefully!’ Ram said to me.
(A) Ram said to me drive carefully.
(B) Ram ordered me drive carefully.
(C) Ram told me to drive carefully.
(D) None of the above