Direct and Indirect Speech with 20 CTET MCQs and Answers

Direct and Indirect Speech with 20 CTET MCQs and Answers

Direct and Indirect Speech Overview

Direct Speech and Indirect Speech (also called reported speech) are ways to report what someone has said.

1. Direct Speech

• In direct speech, the exact words spoken by a person are quoted. The words are placed in quotation marks.
• Example: She said, “I am going to the market.”

2. Indirect Speech

• In indirect speech, the words spoken by a person are reported without quoting the exact words. The speech is often converted into a noun clause.
• Example: She said that she was going to the market.

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Key Changes from Direct to Indirect Speech:

• Pronouns: The pronouns in direct speech are changed based on the subject of the reporting sentence.
• Example: “I am happy” → She said that she was happy.
• Tense Changes: The tense in indirect speech usually changes:
• Present simple → past simple
• Present continuous → past continuous
• Present perfect → past perfect
• Future → conditional
• Time Expressions: Words like “today,” “tomorrow,” “now,” etc., change accordingly.
• Quotation Marks: Quotation marks are removed in indirect speech.

CTET MCQs on Direct and Indirect Speech with Detailed Answers

1. Choose the correct indirect speech form: “She said, ‘I am going to school.'”

A) She said that she is going to school.
B) She said that she was going to school.
C) She said that she had gone to school.
D) She said that she will go to school.
Answer: B) She said that she was going to school.
Explanation: The present continuous tense “am going” changes to past continuous “was going.”

2. Identify the correct indirect speech: “He said, ‘I have finished my homework.'”

A) He said that he had finished his homework.
B) He said that he has finished his homework.
C) He says that he finished his homework.
D) He said that he was finishing his homework.
Answer: A) He said that he had finished his homework.
Explanation: Present perfect “have finished” changes to past perfect “had finished.”

3. Change to indirect speech: “She asked, ‘Are you coming to the party?'”

A) She asked if I was coming to the party.
B) She asked if I am coming to the party.
C) She asked that I was coming to the party.
D) She asked whether I am coming to the party.
Answer: A) She asked if I was coming to the party.
Explanation: In indirect speech, “are” changes to “was” to match the past tense.

4. Convert to direct speech: “He said that he would help me.”

A) He said, “I will help you.”
B) He said, “I would help you.”
C) He said, “I help you.”
D) He said, “I am helping you.”
Answer: A) He said, “I will help you.”
Explanation: “Would” changes to “will” in direct speech when reporting future intentions.

5. Choose the correct indirect speech: “She says, ‘I work hard every day.'”

A) She said that she worked hard every day.
B) She says that she works hard every day.
C) She said that she works hard every day.
D) She said that she had worked hard every day.
Answer: B) She says that she works hard every day.
Explanation: Present simple stays the same in indirect speech when reporting habitual actions.

6. Correct the indirect speech: “He said me that he would come soon.”

A) He told me that he would come soon.
B) He said that he would come soon.
C) He said me that he will come soon.
D) He said to me that he would come soon.
Answer: A) He told me that he would come soon.
Explanation: “Said me” should be corrected to “told me” for proper indirect speech.

7. Convert to indirect speech: “She said, ‘I can do this task.'”

A) She said that she can do this task.
B) She said that she could do this task.
C) She said that she is doing this task.
D) She says that she can do this task.
Answer: B) She said that she could do this task.
Explanation: “Can” changes to “could” in indirect speech.

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8. Change to indirect speech: “He said, ‘I am reading a book.'”

A) He said that he is reading a book.
B) He said that he was reading a book.
C) He said that he has been reading a book.
D) He said that he will read a book.
Answer: B) He said that he was reading a book.
Explanation: Present continuous “am reading” changes to past continuous “was reading.”

9. Identify the correct indirect speech: “She said, ‘I will call you tomorrow.'”

A) She said that she would call me tomorrow.
B) She said that she will call me tomorrow.
C) She says that she would call me tomorrow.
D) She said that she calls me tomorrow.
Answer: A) She said that she would call me tomorrow.
Explanation: “Will” changes to “would” in indirect speech.

10. Change to direct speech: “He told me that he was going to the market.”

A) He said, “I am going to the market.”
B) He said, “I will go to the market.”
C) He said, “I was going to the market.”
D) He said, “I go to the market.”
Answer: A) He said, “I am going to the market.”
Explanation: The direct speech reflects the present continuous tense.

11. Convert to indirect speech: “He said, ‘I have been working on this project for two hours.'”

A) He said that he had worked on this project for two hours.
B) He said that he has been working on this project for two hours.
C) He said that he had been working on this project for two hours.
D) He said that he was working on this project for two hours.
Answer: C) He said that he had been working on this project for two hours.
Explanation: Present perfect continuous “have been working” changes to past perfect continuous “had been working.”

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12. Change to indirect speech: “She said, ‘I am learning French.'”

A) She said that she was learning French.
B) She said that she has learned French.
C) She said that she is learning French.
D) She said that she learns French.
Answer: A) She said that she was learning French.
Explanation: Present continuous “am learning” changes to past continuous “was learning.”

13. Convert to indirect speech: “He said, ‘I will meet you later.'”

A) He said that he will meet me later.
B) He said that he would meet me later.
C) He said that he meets me later.
D) He says that he will meet me later.
Answer: B) He said that he would meet me later.
Explanation: “Will” changes to “would” in indirect speech.

14. Identify the error: “She said to me that she will help me.”

A) No error
B) “Said to me” should be “told me”
C) “Will” should be “would”
D) Both B and C
Answer: D) Both B and C
Explanation: “Said to me” should be “told me,” and “will” should be “would.”

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15. Change to indirect speech: “John said, ‘I am visiting my grandparents next week.'”

A) John said that he was visiting his grandparents next week.
B) John said that he would visit his grandparents next week.
C) John said that he is visiting his grandparents next week.
D) John said that he visited his grandparents next week.
Answer: B) John said that he would visit his grandparents next week.
Explanation: “Am visiting” changes to “would visit” in indirect speech.

16. Convert to direct speech: “The teacher told us that the exam was postponed.”

A) The teacher said, “The exam is postponed.”
B) The teacher said, “The exam will be postponed.”
C) The teacher said, “The exam was postponed.”
D) The teacher said, “The exam is postponed.”
Answer: C) The teacher said, “The exam was postponed.”
Explanation: The direct form mirrors the past tense used in the indirect speech.

17. Change to indirect speech: “He said, ‘I have been to the USA.'”

A) He said that he had been to the USA.
B) He said that he

has been to the USA.
C) He said that he was been to the USA.
D) He said that he had gone to the USA.
Answer: A) He said that he had been to the USA.
Explanation: Present perfect “have been” changes to past perfect “had been.”

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18. Change to indirect speech: “They said, ‘We are waiting for the bus.'”

A) They said that they were waiting for the bus.
B) They said that they are waiting for the bus.
C) They said that they have been waiting for the bus.
D) They said that they waited for the bus.
Answer: A) They said that they were waiting for the bus.
Explanation: Present continuous “are waiting” changes to past continuous “were waiting.”

19. Convert to indirect speech: “She said, ‘I have just finished my meal.'”

A) She said that she had just finished her meal.
B) She said that she just finished her meal.
C) She said that she had just finished her meal.
D) She said that she has finished her meal.
Answer: A) She said that she had just finished her meal.
Explanation: Present perfect “have finished” changes to past perfect “had finished.”

20. Choose the correct indirect speech: “He asked, ‘Where do you live?'”

A) He asked where do I live.
B) He asked where I live.
C) He asked where I lived.
D) He asked where I will live.
Answer: C) He asked where I lived.
Explanation: In indirect speech, the present tense “do” changes to past tense “lived.”

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