English

Direct and Indirect Speech: Practice Questions with Answers

30 practice questions on Direct and Indirect Speech, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.

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1. Q.1

   Change to indirect speech: She said, "I must finish this report today."

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   Answer: She said that she had to finish that report that day.

   Solution:

   1. "Must", expressing a specific one-time obligation, shifts back to "had to".
   2. "This" shifts to "that", and "today" shifts to "that day" since it’s now relative to the moment of speaking, not reporting.

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2. Q.2

   Change to indirect speech: She said, "I will finish the work tomorrow."

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   Answer: She said that she would finish the work the next day.

   Solution:

   1. "Will" shifts back to "would" since the reporting verb is past.
   2. "Tomorrow" is relative to the moment of speaking, so it becomes "the next day" in reported speech.
   3. "I" becomes "she" to match the reporting subject.

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3. Q.3

   Change to indirect speech: She asked, "Where do you live?"

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   Answer: She asked where I lived.

   Solution:

   1. A wh-question keeps its wh-word ("where") in place of "that"/"if".
   2. The word order reverts to normal statement order ("you live" instead of "do you live"), and the question mark is dropped.

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4. Q.4

   Change to indirect speech: He told me, "I can help you with this."

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   Answer: He told me that he could help me with that.

   Solution:

   1. "Can" shifts back to "could" since the reporting verb is past.
   2. "This" shifts to "that" since the speaker’s immediate context is gone in the reported version.
   3. "I" becomes "he", and "you" (the listener, "me" in the original) becomes "me".

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5. Q.5

   Change to indirect speech: He asked me, "Do you like coffee?"

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   Answer: He asked me if I liked coffee.

   Solution:

   1. A yes/no question introduces "if" or "whether" in place of "that".
   2. The word order reverts to normal statement order ("you like" instead of "do you like") — the question-style inversion disappears.
   3. "You" refers to the person being asked ("me" in the original), so it becomes "I" in the reported version.

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6. Q.6

   Change to indirect speech: He said, "I am tired."

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   Answer: He said that he was tired.

   Solution:

   1. The reporting verb "said" is past, so present simple "am" shifts back to past simple "was".
   2. "I" refers to the person who said it, so it becomes "he" in the reported version.

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7. Q.7

   Change to indirect speech: He said, "I may come to the party."

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   Answer: He said that he might come to the party.

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8. Q.8

   Change to indirect speech: She asked, "Did you complete the assignment?"

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   Answer: She asked if I had completed the assignment. (simple past shifts back to past perfect)

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9. Q.9

   Change to indirect speech: He said, "I am going to the market now."

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   Answer: He said that he was going to the market then.

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10. Q.10

    Change to indirect speech: She said, "These are my books."

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    Answer: She said that those were her books.

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11. Q.11

    Change to indirect speech: The teacher said, "The earth revolves around the sun."

    1. A The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
    2. B The teacher said that the earth revolved around the sun.
    3. C The teacher said that the earth had revolved around the sun.
    4. D The teacher said that the earth is revolving around the sun.
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    Correct answer: (A) The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.

    A universal truth or scientific fact keeps the simple present tense even in reported speech, with no tense back-shift.

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12. Q.12

    Change to indirect speech: She asked, "Isn't it a beautiful evening?"

    1. A She asked if it wasn't a beautiful evening.
    2. B She asked if it isn't a beautiful evening.
    3. C She asked that isn't it a beautiful evening.
    4. D She asked whether it beautiful evening.
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    Correct answer: (A) She asked if it wasn't a beautiful evening.

    A negative yes/no question is reported with 'if/whether,' and the verb backshifts: 'isn't' becomes 'wasn't.'

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13. Q.13

    Change to indirect speech: The teacher said, "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

    1. A The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
    2. B The teacher said that water boiled at 100 degrees Celsius.
    3. C The teacher said that water had boiled at 100 degrees Celsius.
    4. D The teacher said that water would boil at 100 degrees Celsius.
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    Correct answer: (A) The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

    A universal, timeless fact keeps its present tense even in reported speech: "water boils".

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14. Q.14

    Change to indirect speech: She asked him, "What is your name?"

    1. A She asked him what his name was.
    2. B She asked him what is his name.
    3. C She asked him what was his name.
    4. D She asked him what his name is.
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    Correct answer: (A) She asked him what his name was.

    A wh-question is reported in statement word order (subject before verb), with the verb shifting back to the past: "what his name was."

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15. Q.15

    Change to indirect speech: The teacher said, "Practice makes a man perfect."

    1. A The teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.
    2. B The teacher said that practice made a man perfect.
    3. C The teacher said that practice had made a man perfect.
    4. D The teacher told that practice makes a man perfect.
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    Correct answer: (A) The teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.

    A universal truth keeps its tense unchanged in reported speech: "practice makes a man perfect" stays in the simple present.

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16. Q.16

    Change to indirect speech: The teacher said to the students, "Submit your homework today."

    1. A The teacher told the students to submit their homework that day.
    2. B The teacher said to the students to submit their homework today.
    3. C The teacher told the students that submit their homework that day.
    4. D The teacher told the students submitting their homework that day.
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    Correct answer: (A) The teacher told the students to submit their homework that day.

    An imperative (command) becomes "told...to + base verb" instead of "said that"; "today" becomes "that day".

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17. Q.17

    Change to indirect speech: She asked him, "Why are you laughing?"

    1. A She asked him why he was laughing.
    2. B She asked him why was he laughing.
    3. C She asked him why he is laughing.
    4. D She asked him that why he was laughing.
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    Correct answer: (A) She asked him why he was laughing.

    A wh-question reverts to normal word order after the question word, with no "that" and the tense shifted back.

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18. Q.18

    Change to indirect speech: The coach said, "Never give up."

    1. A The coach advised never to give up.
    2. B The coach said never to giving up.
    3. C The coach advised to never given up.
    4. D The coach said that never give up.
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    Correct answer: (A) The coach advised never to give up.

    A negative imperative with 'never' is reported as 'advised never to' plus the base verb.

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19. Q.19

    Change to indirect speech: He said, "Don't make noise."

    1. A He told them not to make noise.
    2. B He said that don't make noise.
    3. C He told them don't make noise.
    4. D He said to not making noise.
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    Correct answer: (A) He told them not to make noise.

    A negative imperative ("Don't...") in reported speech becomes an infinitive with "not": "told them not to make noise."

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20. Q.20

    Change to indirect speech: She said, "Let's go for a walk."

    1. A She suggested that they go for a walk.
    2. B She said that let's go for a walk.
    3. C She told to go for a walk.
    4. D She said she lets go for a walk.
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    Correct answer: (A) She suggested that they go for a walk.

    A "Let's" suggestion is reported using "suggested that...," turning the proposal into a reported suggestion.

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21. Q.21

    Change to indirect speech: The doctor said to the patient, "Take this medicine twice a day."

    1. A The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine twice a day.
    2. B The doctor said to the patient to take this medicine twice a day.
    3. C The doctor advised the patient that take that medicine twice a day.
    4. D The doctor advised the patient taking that medicine twice a day.
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    Correct answer: (A) The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine twice a day.

    An instruction from a doctor is reported with 'advised...to,' and 'this' shifts to 'that.'

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22. Q.22

    Change to indirect speech: She said to me, "Thank you for your help."

    1. A She thanked me for my help.
    2. B She said thank you for my help.
    3. C She said that thank you for your help.
    4. D She told me thank you for your help.
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    Correct answer: (A) She thanked me for my help.

    An expression of thanks is reported using the verb "thanked," rather than reproducing the phrase "thank you" directly.

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23. Q.23

    Change to indirect speech: She said to him, "May I use your pen?"

    1. A She asked him if she might use his pen.
    2. B She asked him if she may use his pen.
    3. C She asked him may she use his pen.
    4. D She told him if she might use his pen.
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    Correct answer: (A) She asked him if she might use his pen.

    A permission question with "May I" is reported as a yes/no question using "if," with the modal shifting back from "may" to "might."

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24. Q.24

    Change to indirect speech: He said to me, "I was reading a novel when you called."

    1. A He told me that he had been reading a novel when I called him.
    2. B He told me that he was reading a novel when I called him.
    3. C He said to me that he had been reading a novel when I had called him.
    4. D He told me that he has been reading a novel when I called him.
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    Correct answer: (A) He told me that he had been reading a novel when I called him.

    "Said to me" becomes "told me"; past continuous "was reading" shifts back to past perfect continuous "had been reading"; and "you called" becomes "I called him".

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25. Q.25

    Change to indirect speech: He said to me, "Please help me with this."

    1. A He requested me to help him with that.
    2. B He said to help him with this.
    3. C He told me please help him with this.
    4. D He requested that please help him with this.
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    Correct answer: (A) He requested me to help him with that.

    A polite request with "Please" is reported using "requested," and "this" shifts to "that" as the reference point changes.

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26. Q.26

    Change to indirect speech: The officer said to the recruits, "Report to this office immediately."

    1. A The officer ordered the recruits to report to that office immediately.
    2. B The officer told the recruits to report to this office immediately.
    3. C The officer ordered the recruits that they report to that office immediately.
    4. D The officer said the recruits to report to that office immediately.
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    Correct answer: (A) The officer ordered the recruits to report to that office immediately.

    An imperative command reported with a tone of authority uses "ordered + object + to-infinitive", and "this" shifts to "that".

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27. Q.27

    Change to indirect speech: She exclaimed, "What a magnificent view this is!"

    1. A She exclaimed that it was a very magnificent view.
    2. B She exclaimed what a magnificent view it was.
    3. C She exclaimed that it is a magnificent view.
    4. D She exclaimed that what a magnificent view it was.
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    Correct answer: (A) She exclaimed that it was a very magnificent view.

    An exclamatory sentence starting with "What a/an" is reported as "exclaimed that it was a very + adjective + noun", dropping the exclamatory structure.

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28. Q.28

    Change to indirect speech: He asked me, "Do you like coffee?"

    1. A He asked me if I liked coffee.
    2. B He asked me that I like coffee.
    3. C He asked me do I like coffee.
    4. D He asked me if I like coffee.
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    Correct answer: (A) He asked me if I liked coffee.

    A yes/no question gains "if" instead of "that", the word order reverts to normal statement order, and the tense shifts back ("like" -> "liked").

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29. Q.29

    Change to indirect speech: She exclaimed, "What a wonderful surprise!"

    1. A She exclaimed that it was a wonderful surprise.
    2. B She exclaimed what a wonderful surprise it was.
    3. C She exclaimed that it is a wonderful surprise.
    4. D She exclaimed that what a wonderful surprise it was.
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    Correct answer: (A) She exclaimed that it was a wonderful surprise.

    An exclamatory sentence is reported as a statement: "exclaimed that it was..." with normal word order.

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30. Q.30

    Change to indirect speech: He said, "Let's plant a tree today."

    1. A He proposed that they should plant a tree that day.
    2. B He proposed that they should plant a tree today.
    3. C He suggested that they plant a tree today.
    4. D He said that they should plant a tree that day.
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    Correct answer: (A) He proposed that they should plant a tree that day.

    "Let's" introduces a proposal, reported as "proposed/suggested that + subject + should + verb", with "today" shifting to "that day".

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