Direct & Indirect Speech

41. He said, 'Were I the Prime Minister, I would eradicate poverty.'

D. He said that if he were the Prime Minister, he would eradicate poverty.
B. He said that if he was the Prime Minister, he would eradicate poverty.
A. He said that if he had been the Prime Minister, he would have eradicated poverty.
C. He wished he were the Prime Minister to eradicate poverty.

Answer: This is an inverted second conditional (unreal present). Its structure remains unchanged in indirect speech as it expresses a hypothetical situation.

42. The old woman said, 'Alas! My only son, who was my sole support, is dead.'

C. The old woman exclaimed with sorrow that her only son, who was her sole support, had been dead.
A. The old woman exclaimed with sorrow that her only son, who was her sole support, was dead.
D. The old woman told with sorrow that her only son, who was her sole support, is dead.
B. The old woman exclaimed with sorrow that her only son, who had been her sole support, was dead.

Answer: 'Alas' is reported as 'exclaimed with sorrow'. The main clause 'is dead' changes to 'was dead'. The subordinate clause 'was my sole support' refers to a state prior to the reported speech's past, so it changes to past perfect 'had been her sole support'.

43. He said, 'I must go, but I would rather stay.'

D. He said that he had to go, but he would have rather stayed.
B. He said that he must go, but he would rather stay.
A. He said that he had to go, but he would rather have stayed.
C. He said that he had to go, but he would rather stay.

Answer: 'Must' for obligation changes to 'had to'. The expression 'would rather', which indicates preference, does not change in indirect speech.

44. The boy said, 'Thank you, sir, for your invaluable advice.'

D. The boy respectfully thanked the sir for his invaluable advice.
B. The boy thanked the sir for his invaluable advice.
A. The boy said thank you to the sir for his invaluable advice.
C. The boy told the sir that thank you for your invaluable advice.

Answer: Sentences containing 'Thank you' are reported by using the verb 'thanked'. The word 'sir' implies respect, so adding 'respectfully' makes the conversion more accurate.

45. 'Could you please tell me where the nearest ATM is?' asked the tourist.

C. The tourist requested me could I tell him where the nearest ATM is.
D. The tourist asked me to please tell him where the nearest ATM was.
A. The tourist asked me where was the nearest ATM.
B. The tourist politely asked me where the nearest ATM was.

Answer: A polite request in the form of a question ('Could you please...') is reported using 'politely asked'. The indirect question has the subject-verb order ('ATM was') and the tense changes.

46. He said, 'A man is known by the company he keeps. This is a timeless truth.'

D. He said that a man was known by the company he kept and added that that is a timeless truth.
B. He said that a man is known by the company he keeps and added that that was a timeless truth.
A. He said that a man was known by the company he kept and added that that was a timeless truth.
C. He said that a man is known by the company he keeps and added that that is a timeless truth.

Answer: The first part is a proverb or universal truth, so its tense does not change. The second part is a simple statement where 'this' becomes 'that' and 'is' becomes 'was'.

47. The boss said, 'It is time you began working on the new project.'

B. The boss said that it was time I had begun working on the new project.
A. The boss said that it was time I should begin working on the new project.
D. The boss said that it is time I began working on the new project.
C. The boss said that it was time I began working on the new project.

Answer: In the structure 'It is time + subject + simple past', the tense of the verb following the subject ('began') does not change. Only 'is' changes to 'was'.

48. 'What do you want?' she said to him. 'I have nothing to give you now.'

C. She asked him what he wanted and said that she has nothing to give him then.
D. She asked him what he wants and added that she had nothing to give him then.
B. She asked him what did he want and added that she had nothing to give him now.
A. She asked him what he wanted and added that she had nothing to give him then.

Answer: The question is reported with past tense ('wanted') and assertive word order. The statement is reported by changing present perfect ('have') to past perfect ('had'), but since 'have' here means possession, it becomes simple past 'had'. 'Now' becomes 'then'.

49. The children cried, 'Let us make a snowman before the sun comes out.'

A. The children told to make a snowman before the sun came out.
C. The children exclaimed that let us make a snowman before the sun comes out.
B. The children suggested making a snowman before the sun came out.
D. The children suggested that they should make a snowman before the sun would come out.

Answer: 'Let us' indicating a suggestion can be reported with 'suggested' followed by a gerund ('making'). The tense in the 'before' clause changes from present ('comes') to past ('came').

50. He said, 'So help me, Heaven! I will never steal again.'

B. He asked Heaven to help him so that he will never steal again.
D. He requested Heaven's help and swore that he would never steal again.
A. He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve that he would never steal again.
C. He told Heaven to help him and resolved that he would never steal again.

Answer: The expression 'So help me, Heaven!' is a form of oath. It is idiomatically reported as 'called upon Heaven to witness his resolve'. 'Will' changes to 'would'.

51. Select the most appropriate option to transform the given sentence into Reported Speech.The traffic policeman said to him, “Show me your driving licence.”

B. The traffic police demanded his driving licence.
A. The traffic police told him to show him your driving licence.
C. The traffic police requested him to show his driving licence.
D. The traffic police ordered him to show him his driving licence.

52. Change the following sentence into direct speech:He exclaimed that it was a dreadful idea.

D. He said, “what a dreadful idea it is.”
B. He said, “this is a dreadful idea.”
C. He said, “what a dreadful idea!”
A. He said, “it is dreadful idea.”

53. He said, “Alas, how foolish I have been!”

C. He exclaimed regreting his foolishness.
D. He expressed with sorrow that he has been very foolish.
B. He exclained with regret that he had been very foolish.
A. He expressed with sorrow that he had been very foolish.

54. He is the best student in his class.

B. He is not better than any other student in his class.
A. He is not the best student in his class.
D. No other student in his class is better than he.
C. No other student in his class is so good as he.

55. Choose the correct option that gives correct ‘Indirect’ form of the given sentence :He shouted, “Let me go:”

C. He shouted to them that let me go.
D. He shouted to them that let go.
B. He shouted to them to let him go.
A. He shouted to them that he should let go.

56. Choose the correct negative form of the following sentence from the given options :She is going out. .

B. She hasn't gone out.
A. She is not going out.
C. Hardly does she go out.
D. Nor she does go out.

57. Choose the correct Indirect form of the following Direct speech sentence:“We had better go”, said she getting up.

B. She said in a hurry to go.
A. She said getting up that they had better go.
C. She said we must go better.
D. She said getting up to go that it was better.

58. The Principal said to the students, “Where were you yesterday?”(Change into Indirect)

D. The Principal asked to the students where they had been yesterday?
A. The Principal told the students where were they yesterday.
C. The Principal asked the students where they were the day before.
B. The Principal asked the students where they had been the day before.

59. Choose the correct option Changing the following sentence into assertive :How childish your talks are!

C. Your talks are not childish.
A. Your talks are childish.
B. Your talks should be childish.
D. Your talks are very childish.

60. Choose the correct form of Indirect Narration for the given sentence:The lady said to the man, “Please lend me your pen.”

D. The lady asked the man politely if he could lend her his pen.
C. The lady requested the man to lend her his pen.
B. The lady told the man to lend her his pen.
A. The lady said that please lend me your pen.

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