Thirty multiple choice questions on reported speech, the fifth topic in the Grammar track. Four previous year questions from the real AAI ATC papers are included in Section C, with an answer key at the end.
30questions
35 minsuggested time
4verified PYQs
MCQformat throughout
Score0 correct · 0 of 30 attempted
Before you begin
Formulas you will need
Key formulas
Three things change together: the tense backshifts, the pronouns shift to the reporter's point of view, and the time and place words move away Present → past · past → past perfect · will → would · shall → would · can → could now → then · today → that day · tomorrow → the next day · yesterday → the previous day · here → there Statement takes that · yes-or-no question takes if · command takes the to infinitive
How to use this worksheet. Three changes happen together, and part marks are lost by making only two — tense, pronoun and time word. The one exception is a universal truth, which never backshifts: He said that the sun rises in the east.
Section A · Level 1
Backshift, pronouns and time words
Ten questions. Learn the three changes that happen together.
Q1
In indirect speech, the inverted commas are:
Reported speech has no quotation marks. The reporting verb is joined to the words by that or by an infinitive.
Q2
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the reported verb generally:
This is the backshift rule: present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, and so on.
Q3
In indirect speech, said to is usually changed to:
Said to becomes told when a listener is mentioned. Without a listener, said stays as it is.
Q4
In reported speech, now becomes:
Words pointing to time and place shift away from the speaker: now to then, here to there.
Q5
In reported speech, tomorrow becomes:
Tomorrow becomes the next day or the following day.
Q6
In reported speech, yesterday becomes:
Yesterday becomes the previous day or the day before.
Q7
Which conjunction introduces a reported statement?
Statements are introduced by that. Yes-or-no questions use if or whether, and commands use the infinitive.
Q8
A reported yes-or-no question is introduced by:
He asked if I was ready. The word order also returns to that of a statement.
Q9
A reported command uses:
Commands and requests become an infinitive: He told me to wait.
Q10
Which reporting verb best suits a command?
Ordered, told or commanded suit an imperative. Said is too weak for a command.
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Section B · Level 2
Statements, questions, commands and exclamations
Ten questions. The sentence type decides the reporting verb.
Q11
Change to indirect speech. He said, “I am busy.”
The reporting verb is past, so am backshifts to was and I becomes he.
Q12
Change to indirect speech. She said, “I have finished my work.”
Present perfect backshifts to past perfect.
Q13
Change to indirect speech. He said, “I went to Delhi.”
The simple past backshifts to the past perfect.
Q14
Change to indirect speech. He said, “The sun rises in the east.”
A universal truth does not backshift. This is the main exception to the rule.
Q15
Change to indirect speech. She said to me, “Are you coming?”
A yes-or-no question takes asked plus if, and the word order becomes that of a statement.
Q16
Change to indirect speech. He said to her, “Where do you live?”
A wh-question keeps its question word but drops the inversion and the auxiliary do.
Q17
Change to indirect speech. The teacher said to the boys, “Stand up.”
A command becomes told + object + to + base verb.
Q18
Change to indirect speech. He said, “Please help me.”
A polite request takes requested with the infinitive.
Q19
Change to indirect speech. She said, “What a beautiful garden!”
Exclamations take exclaimed and the exclamatory structure is rewritten as a plain statement.
Q20
Change to direct speech. He said that he was ill.
Reversing the backshift turns was back into am, and he becomes I.
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Section C · Previous year questions and error correction
Straight from the AAI ATC papers
Ten questions. Four are real previous year questions.
Q21PYQ 2021 · Shift 3
Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech. He told me that he had a tough time locating my house.
Reversing the report, told me becomes said to me and my house becomes your house because the listener is being addressed directly. Option 3 drops the listener, and option 2 wrongly keeps the reporting verb in the present.
Q22PYQ 2023 · Evening
Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech. The newly elected Chief Minister said, “I plan to create more jobs for the youth of my state.”
Three changes are needed together: plan backshifts to planned, I becomes he, and my state becomes his state. Option 3 gets the pronoun right but leaves both the tense and my unchanged.
Q23PYQ 2023 · Evening
Identify the most appropriate transformation of the following sentence into direct speech. The doctor advised his patient to take complete bed rest for a week.
An infinitive in reported speech signals an original imperative, so the direct form is the plain command Take complete bed rest. Option 1 turns it into a statement and option 2 reverses the meaning entirely.
Q24PYQ 2021 · Shift 3
Select the most appropriate option expressed in indirect speech.
Only option 1 reports someone else's words, and it shows every marker of indirect speech: a reporting verb (wanted to know), backshifted tenses (wanted, grew) and no quotation marks. The other three are ordinary direct statements.
Q25
Change to indirect speech. He said, “I shall go tomorrow.”
Two shifts are needed: shall becomes would and tomorrow becomes the next day. Missing the time word is the usual half-mark error.
Q26
Change to indirect speech. She said, “I am going now.”
Am going backshifts to was going and now becomes then.
Q27
Spot the error. He asked me that I was ready.
A yes-or-no question is introduced by if or whether, never by that.
Q28
Spot the error. She told to me that she was tired.
Tell takes a direct object with no preposition: told me. Said to me would be correct with said.
Q29
Change to indirect speech. He said, “Let us go for a walk.”
Let us expresses a suggestion, so the reporting verb becomes suggested with should in the clause.
Q30
Change to indirect speech. The teacher said, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
A scientific fact never backshifts, so the present tense is kept. Compare this with question 14 — the same exception.
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Answer key
Answers
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