Question 1

Reported speech (threat/warning): Convert direct speech to correct indirect/reported speech  Original direct sentence: "If you don't keep quiet I shall shoot you," he said to her in a calm voice. Preserve the conditional meaning and the calm tone; a…

Accepted Answer

Given data Direct speech: "If you don't keep quiet I shall shoot you," he said to her, ‎in a calm voice. Task: Choose the correct indirect/reported speech. Concept/Approach Rules for reporting: (1) Backshift future "shall" → "would" after a past reporting verb; (2) Convert imperative/threat into a reporting verb such as warned; (3) Change pronouns: "you" (addressed to her) → "her"; (4) Keep the conditional structure "if ... then ..."; (5) Adverb "calmly" may modify the reporting verb to preserve tone. Step-by-step transformation Reporting verb: "said to" + threat → "warned".Pronouns: "you" → "her".Tense: "shall shoot" → "would shoot".Negative: "don't keep quiet" → "didn't keep quiet".Tone: add "calmly" after the reporting verb. Option analysis (C) correctly applies all rules: "warned her calmly ... would shoot ... if she didn't keep quiet." ✅(A) Ungrammatical and illogical ("warned her to shoot").(B) Wrong pronouns/tense ("I shall" / "don't be").(D) Ungrammatical clause ("that be quiet") and wrong tense. Final Answer He warned her calmly that he would shoot her if she didn't keep quiet.

Question 2

Direct to indirect (statement): Identify the correct direct-speech equivalent  Indirect sentence given: I told him that he was not working hard. Select the option that accurately converts this to direct speech while preserving person and tense.

Accepted Answer

Given data Indirect: "I told him that he was not working hard." Concept/Approach When converting to direct speech: (1) "told him" → "said to him"; (2) Backshift reversal: "he was" → "you are" (since the addressee is "him"); (3) Keep present continuous meaning in direct speech. Option analysis (A) matches person ("you") and correct reporting verb pattern "said to". ✅(B) "told to him" is incorrect collocation.(C) Lacks the addressee.(D) Uses "He is", which does not address "him" directly. Final Answer I said to him, "You are not working hard."

Question 3

Imperative: Convert indirect command to its correct direct form  Indirect sentence: His father ordered him to go to his room and study. Reflect the imperative mood and address correctly in direct speech. Choose the correct direct sentence.

Accepted Answer

Approach Indirect "ordered him to …" converts to a direct imperative with the base verb and second-person possessive: "Go to your room and study." Why (A) is best It precisely captures the command without adding new adverbs or altering content. Options (B) and (D) add words/tones not specified; (C) introduces "right now" and "study room" not present in the original. Final Answer His father said, "Go to your room and study."

Question 4

Requests: Convert direct request into indirect/reported speech  Direct sentence: He said to his father, "Please increase my pocket-money." Maintain the sense of polite request and pronoun/time consistency. Choose the correct reported speech.

Accepted Answer

Concept Direct requests with "please" are reported with verbs like requested or asked + object + to-infinitive; pronouns shift from "my" to "his". Option analysis (C) uses the standard "requested … to + V" and correct pronoun shift ("his"). ✅(A) remains in direct form.(B) Wrong verb pattern ("pleaded his father") and pronouns.(D) Grammatically fine but less explicit about politeness; (C) is best. Final Answer He requested his father to increase his pocket-money.

Question 5

Statements: Convert indirect report to correct direct speech with pronoun/time accuracy  Indirect sentence: She said that her brother was getting married. Restore the original direct wording with correct pronoun and tense. Choose the correct direct …

Accepted Answer

Approach Backshift "was getting married" in indirect speech typically corresponds to present continuous "is getting married" in the original direct speech when the reporting verb is past. Pronoun "her" reverts to "my" because the speaker is "she". Option analysis (C) correctly uses "My" and present continuous "is getting married." ✅(A) and (B) use "Her", which is incorrect from the speaker's perspective.(D) Keeps past continuous, which is not the likely original form. Final Answer She said, "My brother is getting married."

Question 6

Questions (wh-): Convert direct question to correct indirect question form  Direct sentence: The boy said, "Who dare call you a thief?" Apply sequence of tenses, pronoun change, and question structure without a question mark. Choose the correct repo…

Accepted Answer

Rules used (1) Reporting verb for questions: "asked/enquired". (2) Word order becomes statement order (no auxiliary inversion). (3) Pronoun change: "you" → "him". (4) Modal/verb: "dare" in direct shifts to past "dared". Option analysis (A) satisfies all rules. ✅(B) Changes meaning and tense.(C) Wrong structure ("told that who").(D) Missing object ("a thief" to whom?). Final Answer The boy enquired who dared call him a thief.

Question 7

Exclamations: Convert indirect exclamation to the correct direct exclamatory sentence  Indirect sentence: She exclaimed with sorrow that was a very miserable plight. Restore the expressive direct form with "What a …!" structure. Choose the correct d…

Accepted Answer

Concept Exclamations reported with "exclaimed with sorrow" often originate from a "What a … it is!" structure. The key noun is "plight". Option analysis (D) exactly matches the noun and exclamatory construction. ✅(A) Changes the noun to "pity".(B) and (C) substitute other nouns, altering meaning. Final Answer She said, "What a miserable plight it is."

Question 8

Statements (place/time words): Convert indirect report to correct direct speech  Indirect sentence: Dhruv said that he was sick and tired of working for that company. Recover the direct form with appropriate deictic shifts ("that" → "this") and pers…

Accepted Answer

Approach Indirect "he was … for that company" suggests original direct "I am … for this company" (speaker's own company; present tense; proximal demonstrative "this"). Option analysis (A) correctly restores first person "I", present tense "am", and "this company". ✅(B) Keeps third person in direct — illogical.(C) Adds "to me", not given.(D) Changes tense/meaning to future. Final Answer Dhruv said, "I am sick and tired of working for this company."

Question 9

Yes/No questions: Convert direct question to correct indirect form with backshift  Direct sentence: "Are you alone, my son?" asked a soft voice close behind me. Report the yes/no question using "if/whether" and correct pronoun shift. Choose the corr…

Accepted Answer

Rules Yes/No questions are reported with if/whether; pronoun "you" → "I"; auxiliary inversion is removed; backshift "are" → "was" after a past reporting verb; retain the source position "behind me". Option analysis (D) applies all correctly and reads naturally. ✅(A) Wrong structure; adds "what" and "there".(B) Keeps direct-question form and lacks "if/whether".(C) Unnatural phrase "from my back". Final Answer A soft voice behind me asked if I was alone.

Question 10

Why-question: Convert direct question with "today" to correct indirect narration  Direct sentence: She said to him, "Why don't you go today?" Backshift tenses, change deictic "today" to "that day", and keep interrogative structure without inversion.…

Accepted Answer

Method (1) Reporting verb: "asked". (2) Backshift: "don't" → "did not". (3) Time word: "today" → "that day". (4) Word order: subject before verb in reported question. Option analysis (A) correctly implements all four points. ✅(B) Keeps present and wrong word order.(C) Changes a question into a negative command.(D) Fails to change "today" to "that day". Final Answer She asked him why he did not go that day.

Question 11

Direct speech reconstruction (exclamatory): Choose the correctly punctuated direct statement that matches the reported sentence.  Reported sentence: He exclaimed with joy that India had won the Sahara Cup.  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Reported (indirect) sentence: He exclaimed with joy that India had won the Sahara Cup. Task: Recover the most natural direct speech form. Concept/Approach Exclamations of joy in indirect speech ('exclaimed with joy') typically reflect an interjection like Hurrah! in direct speech. Backshift: indirect 'had won' corresponds to direct present perfect 'has won' when reporting a recent victory. Option analysis A lacks the exclamation of joy.B uses simple past ('won') which does not neatly explain the backshift to 'had won'.C changes meaning (future).D correctly includes the interjection and the present perfect: 'Hurrah! … has won.' Final Answer He said, 'Hurrah! India has won the Sahara Cup.'

Question 12

Reported speech (yes/no question): Convert the following direct question into correct indirect speech.  Direct sentence: The little girl said to her mother, 'Did the sun rise in the East?'  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Direct question: Did the sun rise in the East? Reporting verb: said to → becomes asked for questions. Concept/Approach For yes/no questions, use if/whether and normal statement word order. Past interrogative with 'did + rise' becomes simple past 'rose' in indirect speech. Option analysis B correctly uses asked + if + simple past 'rose'.A keeps 'said to' and sounds odd for a question.C has wrong structure and tense.D changes the meaning ('is in the East'). Final Answer The little girl asked her mother if the sun rose in the East.

Question 13

Reported speech (refusal/negation): Choose the best indirect statement for the cleaned direct sentence.  Direct sentence (typo corrected): The man said, 'No, I refuse to confess guilt.'  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Direct speech contains the emphatic negative 'No,' and refusal to confess. Permissible light edit: correct 'confers' → 'confess' (typo). Concept/Approach When 'No' signals emphatic refusal, an idiomatic indirect rendering is 'emphatically refused to confess'. Keep the meaning (refusal) and improve grammar. Option analysis A preserves the sense and emphasizes refusal.B changes to progressive acceptance.C flips meaning to willingness.D is unidiomatic ('denied to confess'). Final Answer The man emphatically refused to confess his guilt.

Question 14

Direct speech reconstruction (imperative/command): Choose the correct direct command that matches the reported sentence.  Reported sentence: Nita ordered her servant to bring her a cup of tea.  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Reported command uses 'ordered … to + verb'. Concept/Approach Imperatives in direct speech use the base verb form and usually retain the addressee ('said to her servant'). The pronoun should be first person 'me' to match 'her' referring to the speaker Nita. Option analysis C keeps the addressee and correct pronoun 'me'.A lacks the recipient ('her servant').B omits who is addressed.D wrongly uses 'her' (third person). Final Answer Nita said to her servant, 'Bring me a cup of tea.'

Question 15

Reported speech (past perfect in the quote): Convert the direct sentence into correct indirect speech.  Direct sentence: My cousin said, 'My room-mate had snored throughout the night.'  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Direct speech already uses past perfect: 'had snored'. Concept/Approach When the original quote is in past perfect, it normally remains past perfect in indirect speech. Also, 'said' can take a that-clause without a second object. Option analysis A preserves past perfect and grammar.B downgrades to simple past, losing the sequence.C changes meaning to future-in-the-past.D mixes present progressive and is ungrammatical for reported past. Final Answer My cousin said that her room-mate had snored throughout the night.

Question 16

Reported speech (request with 'please'): Convert the direct sentence into correct indirect speech.  Direct sentence: 'Please don't go away', she said.  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Direct speech contains 'Please' → polite request. Imperative is negative: 'don't go away'. Concept/Approach Requests with 'please' become verbs like asked/entreated/begged + object + to-infinitive. Negative imperatives become 'not to + verb'. Option analysis C follows the pattern: begged + me + not to go away.A/B/D are unidiomatic or structurally incorrect. Final Answer She begged me not to go away.

Question 17

Reported speech (embedded question/word order): Convert the direct sentence into correct indirect speech.  Direct sentence: She said to her friend, 'I know where everyone is.'  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Statement with an embedded wh-clause: 'where everyone is'. Concept/Approach In indirect speech, backshift 'know' → 'knew'. Embedded questions use statement order (subject before verb): 'where everyone was' (not 'where was everyone'). Option analysis B keeps correct word order and tense backshift.A/C/D have incorrect inversion or tense. Final Answer She told her friend that she knew where everyone was.

Change of Speech Questions