Reported speech exercise
This grammar exercise tests your ability to convert direct speech into indirect speech.
An example is given below.
Direct speech: ‘Do you think you know better than your father?’ asked his angry mother.
Indirect speech: The angry mother asked whether he thought that he knew better than his father.
There are ten questions in the grammar exercise. A sentence is given in direct speech and from the given options, you have to choose the one that correctly expresses the same idea in indirect speech.
Reported speech exercise for class 10
1 Kiran asked me, “Did you see the cricket match on television last night?”
a) Kiran asked me whether I saw the cricket match on television the earlier night
b) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television the previous night (correct)
c) Kiran asked me did I see the cricket match on television last night
d) Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television last night
2 David said to Anna, “Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow.”
a) David told Anna that Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow
b) David told Anna that Mona left for her native place the next day.
c) David told to Anna that Mona would be leaving for her native place tomorrow
d) David told Anna that Mona would leave for her native place the next day. (correct)
3 I said to him, “Why are you working so hard?”
a) I asked him why he was working so hard.
b) I asked him why was he working so hard.
c) I asked him why he had been working so hard.
d) I asked him why had he been working so hard.
4 He said to her, “What a cold day!”
a) He told her that it was a cold day.
b) He exclaimed that it was a cold day. (correct)
c) He exclaimed sorrowfully that it was a cold day.
d) He exclaimed that it is a very cold day
5 The tailor said to him, “Will you have the suit ready by tomorrow evening?”
a) The tailor asked him that he will have the suit ready by the next evening.
b) The tailor asked him that he would had the suit ready by the next evening.
c) The tailor asked him if he would have the suit ready by the next evening. (correct)
d) The tailor asked him if he will like to have the suit ready by the next evening.
6 He said to the interviewer, “Could you please repeat the question?”
a) He requested the interviewer if he could please repeat the question. (correct)
b) He requested the interviewer to repeat the question.
c) He requested the interviewer to repeat the question.
d) He requested the interviewer if he could repeat the question.
7 He said, “Be quiet and listen to my words.”
a) He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words. (correct)
b) He urged them and said be quiet and listen to words.
c) He said they should be quiet and listen to his words.
d) He said you should be quiet and listen to my words.
8 He said to me, “I have often told you not to play with fire.”
a) He said that he has often been telling me not to play with fire.
b) He reminded me that he had often told me not to play with fire. (correct)
c) He reminded me that he often said to me not to play with fire.
d) He said to me that he often told me not to play with fire.
9 The Captain said to his men, “Stand at ease”.
a) The Captain urged his men to stand at ease.
b) The Captain wanted his men to stand at ease.
c) The Captain told his men that they should stand at ease.
d) The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease. (correct)
10 Pawan said to me, “If I hear any news, I’ll phone you.”
a) Pawan told me that if he heard any news, he will phone me.
b) Pawan told me that if he will hear any news, he will phone me.
c) Pawan told me if he had heard any news, he would phone me.
d) Pawan told me that if he heard any news, he would phone me. (correct)
Answers
- Kiran asked me whether I had seen the cricket match on television the previous night.
- David told Anna that Mona would leave for her native place the next day.
- I asked him why he was working so hard.
- He exclaimed that it was a cold day.
- The tailor asked him if he would have the suit ready by the next evening.
- He requested the interviewer to repeat the question.
- He urged them to be quiet and listen to his words.
- He reminded me that he had often told me not to play with fire.
- The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease.
- Pawan told me that if he heard any news, he would phone me.
