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Question 1. Which of the following correctly distinguishes direct speech from indirect speech? A) Direct speech uses quotation marks; indirect speech does not. B) Direct speech always uses past tense; indirect speech uses present tense. C) Direct speech changes pronouns; indirect speech keeps them unchanged. D) Direct speech never includes a reporting verb. Answer: A Explanation: Direct speech reproduces the speaker’s exact words and is enclosed in quotation marks, whereas indirect speech paraphrases the content without quotation marks. Question 2. In the sentence “She said, ‘I am tired.’”, which part is the reporting clause? A) She said B) I am tired C) ‘I am tired.’ D) She Answer: A Explanation: The reporting clause identifies the speaker and contains the reporting verb (“said”). Question 3. When the reporting verb is in the past, which conjunction is most commonly used to introduce the reported clause? A) because
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B) that C) although D) unless Answer: B Explanation: “That” is the usual complementizer introducing an indirect statement after a past-tense reporting verb. Question 4. Which of the following sentences shows correct optional omission of “that”? A) He told me that he will come tomorrow. B) He told me he will come tomorrow. C) He told me that he will come tomorrow, that. D) He told me that, he will come tomorrow. Answer: B Explanation: In informal English the word “that” can be omitted after a reporting verb, as shown in option B. Question 5. In backshifting, “Present Simple” changes to which tense in the reported clause? A) Past Simple B) Present Perfect C) Past Perfect D) Future Simple Answer: A Explanation: When the reporting verb is past, a present simple verb normally shifts back one tense to past simple.
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C) He told me I had finished the work. D) He told me I have finished the work. Answer: B Explanation: Present perfect shifts to past perfect after a past reporting verb. Question 9. Which sentence is an exception to backshifting because it states a universal truth? A) She said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. B) She said that she was tired. C) She said that she would travel tomorrow. D) She said that she had left. Answer: A Explanation: Universal facts (e.g., scientific truths) are not backshifted; the present simple remains present simple. Question 10. Identify the correct backshift for “Past Simple → ?” A) Past Continuous B) Past Perfect C) Present Simple D) Future Simple Answer: B Explanation: Past simple ordinarily changes to past perfect in reported speech when the reporting verb is past.
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Question 11. Which of the following correctly reports the sentence “They were playing football when it started to rain.” A) They said they were playing football when it started to rain. B) They said they had been playing football when it started to rain. C) They said they had been playing football when it had started to rain. D) They said they played football when it started to rain. Answer: B Explanation: Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous; the subordinate clause retains past simple because it is a simultaneous event. Question 12. Which modal verb does NOT change when converting direct to indirect speech? A) Will B) Can C) Must (as deduction) D) Shall Answer: C Explanation: “Must” used for logical deduction (e.g., “He must be home”) stays unchanged; it does not shift to “had to”. Question 13. Convert the direct speech “She will come tomorrow.” to indirect speech after “He said”. A) He said she would come tomorrow. B) He said she will come tomorrow.
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Question 16. Choose the correct possessive adjective change for “my” in indirect speech. A) my → his/her/its B) my → yours C) my → our D) my → theirs Answer: A Explanation: Possessive adjectives shift to match the perspective of the reporter: “my” becomes “his”, “her”, or “its”. Question 17. Which demonstrative correctly changes “this” to its indirect-speech counterpart? A) this → these B) this → that C) this → here D) this → there Answer: B Explanation: “This” (near the speaker) changes to “that” (far from the speaker) in reported speech. Question 18. The time expression “today” is replaced by which phrase in indirect speech? A) tomorrow B) that day C) yesterday D) now
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Answer: B Explanation: “Today” shifts to “that day” when reporting after a past verb. Question 19. Convert “He said, ‘I will meet you here tomorrow.’” into indirect speech. A) He said he would meet me there the next day. B) He said he will meet me here tomorrow. C) He said he would meet me here tomorrow. D) He said he would meet me there tomorrow. Answer: A Explanation: “Will” → “would”; “here” → “there”; “tomorrow” → “the next day”. Question 20. Which of the following correctly reports a yes/no question? Direct: “Did you finish the report?” A) He asked if I finished the report. B) He asked whether I finished the report. C) He asked that I finished the report. D) He asked I finished the report? Answer: B Explanation: Yes/no questions are introduced by “if” or “whether” and retain statement order.
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C) She warned him not being late. D) She warned him to not be late. Answer: A Explanation: Negative commands use “not + to-infinitive”. Question 24. Identify the correct indirect version of “They begged, ‘Please help us.’” A) They begged me to help them. B) They begged me that help them. C) They begged that I help them. D) They begged me helping them. Answer: A Explanation: “Please” is dropped; the verb “beg” takes the pattern “object + to-infinitive”. Question 25. Which verb is NOT typically used to report an advice? A) advise B) warn C) suggest D) order Answer: D Explanation: “Order” conveys a command, not advice.
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Question 26. Convert the suggestion “She said, ‘Let’s go to the museum.’” into indirect speech. A) She suggested we go to the museum. B) She suggested that we go to the museum. C) She suggested that we should go to the museum. D) All of the above are acceptable. Answer: D Explanation: Suggestions can be reported with “suggest + –ing”, “suggest that + subjunctive”, or “suggest that + should”. Question 27. Which of the following correctly uses the gerund pattern for reporting a suggestion? A) He suggested to go home early. B) He suggested going home early. C) He suggested that go home early. D) He suggested we to go home early. Answer: B Explanation: “Suggest” is followed by a gerund when no “that-clause” is used. Question 28. In the sentence “She offered to drive us to the airport,” what is the reported-speech structure? A) Verb + object + that + infinitive B) Verb + object + to-infinitive C) Verb + that + infinitive
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Question 31. Which of the following sentences correctly retains the original tense because the reported content is still true? A) He said that water boils at 100°C. B) He said that water boiled at 100°C. C) He said that water had boiled at 100°C. D) He said that water will boil at 100°C. Answer: A Explanation: Scientific facts are not backshifted; the present simple stays present simple. Question 32. Choose the correct indirect version of “She will have finished the project by next week.” A) She said she would have finished the project by the following week. B) She said she will have finished the project by next week. C) She said she would have finished the project by next week. D) She said she would have finished the project by the next week. Answer: A Explanation: “Will have” → “would have”; “next week” → “the following week”. Question 33. Which of the following correctly reports the modal “must” when it expresses obligation? A) He said he must go. → He said he had to go. B) He said he must go. → He said he must go. C) He said he must go. → He said he would have to go.
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D) He said he must go. → He said he ought to go. Answer: A Explanation: When “must” indicates obligation, it changes to “had to” in past reporting. Question 34. Identify the correct indirect speech for “You may leave now.” A) He said I could leave then. B) He said I may leave now. C) He said I might leave now. D) He said I could leave now. Answer: A Explanation: “May” → “could”; “now” → “then”. Question 35. In indirect speech, the adverb “here” usually changes to which word? A) there B) this C) that D) elsewhere Answer: A Explanation: “Here” (near the speaker) shifts to “there” (far from the reporter). Question 36. Which sentence correctly reports the phrase “I have been waiting for two hours” after a past reporting verb?
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Explanation: Requests are reported with “verb + object + to-infinitive” (e.g., “asked me to help”). Question 39. Identify the correct indirect version of the question “How long have you lived here?” A) He asked how long I have lived there. B) He asked how long I had lived there. C) He asked how long I lived there. D) He asked how long I have been living there. Answer: B Explanation: Present perfect shifts to past perfect; “here” → “there”. Question 40. Which of the following sentences correctly reports a future-time clause? Direct: “I will call you when I arrive.” A) He said he would call me when he arrived. B) He said he will call me when he arrives. C) He said he would call me when he will arrive. D) He said he would call me when he would arrive. Answer: A Explanation: “Will” → “would”; “arrive” (present simple) backshifts to past simple. Question 41. Which reporting verb best conveys a speaker’s admission of guilt?
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A) confess B) deny C) claim D) assert Answer: A Explanation: “Confess” specifically indicates admission. Question 42. Choose the correct indirect speech for “She whispered, ‘I love you.’” A) She whispered that she loved me. B) She whispered she loved me. C) She whispered that I love her. D) She whispered that she loves me. Answer: B Explanation: “Whispered” is a reporting verb; “that” can be omitted; pronoun shifts from “I” to “she”. Question 43. Which of these sentences correctly reports a past perfect statement? Direct: “They had finished the work before noon.” A) He said they finished the work before noon. B) He said they had finished the work before noon. C) He said they have finished the work before noon. D) He said they would have finished the work before noon. Answer: B
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B) will have been working C) would be working D) had been working Answer: A Explanation: “Will have been + -ing” backshifts to “would have been + -ing”. Question 47. Which sentence shows the correct use of “that-clause” after the verb “suggest”? A) She suggested that we should go early. B) She suggested that we go early. C) Both A and B are correct. D) Neither A nor B is correct. Answer: C Explanation: Both “should go” and the subjunctive “go” are acceptable after “suggest that”. Question 48. In indirect speech, the phrase “the day before” replaces which original time expression? A) yesterday B) today C) tomorrow D) now Answer: A Explanation: “Yesterday” shifts to “the day before” when reporting after a past verb.
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Question 49. Which of the following is the correct indirect form of “Do you understand?” A) He asked if I understood. B) He asked whether I understand. C) He asked if I understand. D) He asked whether I understood. Answer: D Explanation: Yes/no questions backshift verb; “understand” → “understood”; both “if” and “whether” are possible, but “understood” is required. Question 50. Choose the sentence that correctly reports a past habitual action. Direct: “He used to jog every morning.” A) She said he used to jog every morning. B) She said he used jog every morning. C) She said he would jog every morning. D) She said he had used to jog every morning. Answer: A Explanation: “Used to” is a static expression of past habit and does not change. Question 51. Which reporting verb conveys a speaker’s complaint? A) complain
