Competitive English (Direct and Indirect) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Convert to indirect speech: She said, "I will finish the project tomorrow."
- She said that she would finish the project the next day. (Correct answer)
- She said that she will finish the project tomorrow.
- She said that she would finish the project tomorrow.
- She said that I would finish the project the next day.
Correct answer: She said that she would finish the project the next day.
In indirect speech, 'will' changes to 'would' and 'tomorrow' changes to 'the next day.'
Question 2: Which sentence correctly uses indirect speech for: He asked, "Have you seen my keys?"
- He asked if I have seen his keys.
- He asked if I had seen his keys. (Correct answer)
- He asked whether I have seen my keys.
- He asked had I seen his keys.
Correct answer: He asked if I had seen his keys.
In indirect questions, the present perfect 'have seen' shifts to the past perfect 'had seen.'
Question 3: Identify the direct speech equivalent of: The teacher told the students that they must submit their assignments by Friday.
- The teacher said, "You must submit your assignments by Friday." (Correct answer)
- The teacher said, "They must submit their assignments by Friday."
- The teacher said, "We must submit our assignments by Friday."
- The teacher said, "You had to submit your assignments by Friday."
Correct answer: The teacher said, "You must submit your assignments by Friday."
When converting back to direct speech, 'they' reverts to 'you' and 'must' remains 'must' as it doesn't change in some contexts.
Question 4: Choose the correct indirect form of: "Don't open the window," she said to him.
- She told him not to open the window. (Correct answer)
- She told him don't open the window.
- She said him not to open the window.
- She told him to not open the window please.
Correct answer: She told him not to open the window.
Negative imperatives in indirect speech are reported with 'told + object + not + infinitive.'
Question 5: Which time expression correctly replaces 'yesterday' in indirect speech?
- The previous day / the day before (Correct answer)
- The next day
- That day
- Lately
Correct answer: The previous day / the day before
'Yesterday' in direct speech becomes 'the previous day' or 'the day before' in indirect speech.
Question 6: Select the correct reported speech: "We are leaving now," they said.
- They said that they were leaving then. (Correct answer)
- They said that they are leaving now.
- They said that we were leaving then.
- They said that they had left then.
Correct answer: They said that they were leaving then.
The present continuous 'are leaving' shifts to 'were leaving,' and 'now' changes to 'then.'
Question 7: Which sentence best converts the exclamation to indirect speech: "What a beautiful painting!" she exclaimed.
- She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting. (Correct answer)
- She exclaimed what a beautiful painting it was.
- She exclaimed what a beautiful painting.
- She said what a beautiful painting it is.
Correct answer: She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.
Exclamations are typically reported using 'exclaimed that' followed by a statement with an intensifier like 'very.'
Competitive English (Direct and Indirect) 2
Convert to indirect speech: She said, "I will finish the project tomorrow."