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English: Direct & Indirect Speech MCQs — English

33 multiple-choice questions on English: Direct & Indirect Speech from English, each with the correct answer and, where available, a teacher's explanation. Read through them to revise the chapter, then practise the same questions one by one to test yourself.

1. She said to me, "Please lend me your pen."

  1. She requested me to lend me her pen.
  2. She said me to lend her my pen.
  3. She requested me to lend her my pen.
  4. She requested that lend her my pen.

Answer: C) She requested me to lend her my pen.

Explanation: Requests → requested + object + to + V1. Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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2. The captain said to the soldiers, "Fire!"

  1. The captain said the soldiers to fire.
  2. The captain requested the soldiers fire.
  3. The captain ordered that soldiers fire.
  4. The captain ordered the soldiers to fire.

Answer: D) The captain ordered the soldiers to fire.

Explanation: Order → ordered + object + to + V1. Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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3. She said to me, "Where do you live?"

  1. She asked me that where I lived.
  2. She asked me where did I live.
  3. She asked me where I lived.
  4. She asked me where do I live.

Answer: C) She asked me where I lived.

Explanation: Wh-question → asked + wh-word + statement order (no "do"). Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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4. The teacher said, "Don't make a noise."

  1. The teacher forbade us not to make a noise.
  2. The teacher told us to not making a noise.
  3. The teacher told us don't make a noise.
  4. The teacher told us not to make a noise.

Answer: D) The teacher told us not to make a noise.

Explanation: Negative command → not to + V1 ("forbade" already contains "not"). Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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5. He said to me, "Are you ill?"

  1. He asked me if I am ill.
  2. He told me if I was ill.
  3. He asked me was I ill.
  4. He asked me if I was ill.

Answer: D) He asked me if I was ill.

Explanation: Yes/no question → asked + if + statement order. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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6. She said, "I can swim."

  1. She said that she could swam.
  2. She said that she could swim.
  3. She said that she can swim.
  4. She told that she could swim.

Answer: B) She said that she could swim.

Explanation: can → could. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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7. The teacher said, "Did you do your homework?"

  1. The teacher asked whether I did my homework.
  2. The teacher asked whether I had done my homework.
  3. The teacher asked did I do my homework.
  4. The teacher told whether I had done my homework.

Answer: B) The teacher asked whether I had done my homework.

Explanation: Past simple → past perfect in reported questions. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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8. She said, "What a beautiful view!"

  1. She asked what a beautiful view it was.
  2. She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful view.
  3. She exclaimed what a beautiful view it is.
  4. She said that what a beautiful view.

Answer: B) She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful view.

Explanation: "What a…!" → exclaimed that it was a very… Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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9. He said to me, "Shut the door."

  1. He ordered me that I should shut the door.
  2. He told me shut the door.
  3. He ordered me that shut the door.
  4. He ordered me to shut the door.

Answer: D) He ordered me to shut the door.

Explanation: Commands → ordered/told + object + to + V1. Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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10. She said to him, "Will you come with me?"

  1. She asked him if he will come with me.
  2. She asked him if he would go with her.
  3. She told him if he would come with her.
  4. She asked him would he come with her.

Answer: B) She asked him if he would go with her.

Explanation: will → would; "come with me" → "go/come with her". Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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11. My mother said, "May you live long!"

  1. My mother prayed that I might live long.
  2. My mother said that may I live long.
  3. My mother prayed that you may live long.
  4. My mother wished me to live long may.

Answer: A) My mother prayed that I might live long.

Explanation: Wishes/prayers → prayed that + might. Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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12. He said to me, "I am going to Quetta today."

  1. He told me that I was going to Quetta that day.
  2. He told me that he is going to Quetta today.
  3. He told me that he was going to Quetta that day.
  4. He said me that he was going to Quetta that day.

Answer: C) He told me that he was going to Quetta that day.

Explanation: today → that day; is going → was going. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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13. He said to me, "Why are you late?"

  1. He asked me why was I late.
  2. He told me why I was late.
  3. He asked me why I am late.
  4. He asked me why I was late.

Answer: D) He asked me why I was late.

Explanation: Wh-question in statement order. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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14. He said, "I have finished my work."

  1. He told that he had finished his work.
  2. He said that he had finished his work.
  3. He said that he finished my work.
  4. He said that he has finished his work.

Answer: B) He said that he had finished his work.

Explanation: Present perfect → past perfect. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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15. He said, "What are you doing?"

  1. He asked what I am doing.
  2. He asked what I was doing.
  3. He told what I was doing.
  4. He asked what was I doing.

Answer: B) He asked what I was doing.

Explanation: Statement order and past continuous. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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16. They said, "We are going to Lahore now."

  1. They said that they were going to Lahore then.
  2. They said that we were going to Lahore now.
  3. They told that they were going to Lahore then.
  4. They said that they are going to Lahore then.

Answer: A) They said that they were going to Lahore then.

Explanation: is/are going → was/were going; now → then. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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17. He said, "Let us go for a walk."

  1. He suggested let us go for a walk.
  2. He ordered us to go for a walk.
  3. He suggested that we should go for a walk.
  4. He said that let us go for a walk.

Answer: C) He suggested that we should go for a walk.

Explanation: "Let us" (suggestion) → suggested that we should… Direct & Indirect Speech · Commands & exclamations

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18. "How old are you?" she asked me.

  1. She asked me how old was I.
  2. She asked me how old I was.
  3. She asked me that how old I was.
  4. She asked me how old I am.

Answer: B) She asked me how old I was.

Explanation: Wh-question with statement order. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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19. She said to me, "I will help you."

  1. She told me that she would help me.
  2. She said me that she will help me.
  3. She told me that I would help her.
  4. She told to me that she would help me.

Answer: A) She told me that she would help me.

Explanation: "Said to" → "told"; will → would; pronouns change. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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20. He said, "I am busy."

  1. He said that he is busy.
  2. He said that he was busy.
  3. He said that I was busy.
  4. He told that he was busy.

Answer: B) He said that he was busy.

Explanation: Present → past; "I" → "he". Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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21. The teacher said, "The earth moves round the sun."

  1. The teacher said that the earth moved round the sun.
  2. The teacher said that the earth had moved round the sun.
  3. The teacher told that the earth moves round the sun.
  4. The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Answer: D) The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Explanation: A universal truth keeps the present tense. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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22. "I don't like coffee," he said.

  1. He said that he didn't like coffee.
  2. He told that he didn't like coffee.
  3. He said that he doesn't liked coffee.
  4. He said that I didn't like coffee.

Answer: A) He said that he didn't like coffee.

Explanation: Negative present → negative past. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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23. She said, "I met him yesterday."

  1. She said that she had met him the previous day.
  2. She said that she has met him the day before.
  3. She said that she met him yesterday.
  4. She told that she had met him the previous day.

Answer: A) She said that she had met him the previous day.

Explanation: Past → past perfect; yesterday → the previous day. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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24. "Can you help me?" she asked.

  1. She asked could I help her.
  2. She asked if I could help her.
  3. She asked if I can help her.
  4. She asked that I could help her.

Answer: B) She asked if I could help her.

Explanation: can → could; if + statement order. Direct & Indirect Speech · Questions

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25. He says, "I am tired."

  1. He said that he was tired.
  2. He says that he was tired.
  3. He says that he is tired.
  4. He says that I am tired.

Answer: C) He says that he is tired.

Explanation: Present reporting verb – tense does not change. Direct & Indirect Speech · Statements

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