Direct-Indirect Speech Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The correct indirect speech is The man says that coffee is ready.

The reporting verb 'says' is in the present tense. When the reporting verb is present (or future), the tense of the reported words does not change, so 'is ready' stays 'is ready'. Only the quotation marks are dropped and 'that' is added.

'The man said...' changes the reporting verb itself, which indirect speech never does. 'The man says that coffee was ready' shifts the tense back although nothing requires it. 'The man said that coffee was ready' is the correct form only if the direct speech had begun 'The man said'.

Answer: A

The reported form is The manager asked if Mira was leaving early.

When a yes-or-no question is reported, the reporting verb 'said' becomes 'asked', the question is introduced by 'if' or 'whether', the word order becomes that of a statement, and the tense moves back one step: 'is leaving' becomes 'was leaving'.

'Inquired if Mira is going to leave' keeps the present tense and changes the meaning. 'Demanded to know' adds a force the original does not have, and 'said whether' uses the wrong reporting verb for a question.

Answer: D

The answer is None of the above.

In reported speech the pronoun, tense and words of place and time all shift: I becomes he, am becomes was, here becomes there, and this evening becomes that evening. The correct form is: He said that he was glad to be there that evening.

The first option changes nothing. The second changes the pronoun and tense but keeps here this evening. The third uses exclaimed, which the plain statement does not justify, and drops the verb be. Since none is right, the last option is.

Answer: B

The correct reported form is He said that the horse had died in the night.

When the reporting verb is in the past tense (said), the simple past in the direct speech (died) moves back to the past perfect (had died). The phrase in the night is not a time word tied to the speaker's moment, like tonight, so it stays as it is.

The first option keeps died without the backshift. The third and fourth replace said with exclaimed, and the fourth adds sadly; nothing in a plain statement supports either change.

Answer: D

Correct answer: He exclaimed that it was a very cold day

An exclamation is reported with a verb of exclaiming, and the force carried by what a…! has to be preserved by an intensifier - hence a very cold day. Dropping very loses that force, told turns the exclamation into a statement, and sorrowfully adds an emotion the original does not express.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Jagdish said that they had passed by a beautiful lake when they had gone on a trip to Goa

Both verbs in the direct speech are past simple, so after a past reporting verb both move back to the past perfect: passed becomes had passed and went becomes had gone. The options that shift only one of the two leave the sentence half in each tense.

Answer: C

Correct answer: He said to me that they would hurt me

Three changes are needed at once. The reporting verb is past, so will becomes would; the pronoun you refers to the listener, who is the reporter, so it becomes me; and they is unchanged because it refers to nobody in the conversation.

Answer: D

Correct answer: My father said to me that I had to work hard

You in the direct speech refers to the speaker of the report, so it becomes I. Must has no past form of its own, so after a past reporting verb it is replaced by had to. The options keeping you leave the sentence addressed to the wrong person.

Answer: C

Correct answer: She said that her parents were going to Karachi

My belongs to the original speaker, so from the reporter's side it becomes her. The present continuous are going then moves back to were going. Keeping my would make them the reporter's parents.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Mother asked where I was going

A question is reported with asked, not said; the word order becomes that of a statement, so the auxiliary follows the subject; and the tense moves back from are going to was going. All three changes are needed together.