Question & Answers – Direct & Indirect Speech Exercise

Practising questions and answers – Direct and Indirect Speech Exercise is important for candidates to ace the Verbal Ability section of any competitive exam.  

The article aims to give Direct and Indirect questions and answers that are already asked in some or the other exams and have high chances to be asked again. 

Candidates preparing for various Government exams must be aware that English is an important part of the syllabus of most of the exams like RRB, SSC, Bank, LIC, etc. 

Hence, candidates are advised to practice Direct and Indirect Speech exercise given in the article to prepare well and fetch good marks in the English Language section of these exams. 

Direct & Indirect Speech Question And Answers For General English 

Candidates will find 20 Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers on this page. Going through the given direct and indirect speech exercise, candidates will get familiarized with the variety and scope of direct and indirect speech questions asked in various government exams. 

Also, candidates will be able to download the Direct and Indirect Speech Questions and Answers in the PDF format for convenient preparation.

20 Direct And Indirect Speech Questions And Answers PDF:-Download PDF Here

Before heading towards the direct and indirect speech exercise candidates must do a quick revision of important rules for Direct and Indirect Speech in the given link. 
To ace the verbal ability section, it is important to have a clear conceptual knowledge of Direct and indirect Speech, their usage and application in the English language. Therefore, candidates can go through the video on Direct and Indirect Speech rules in the English Language given below for better understanding-

Direct And Indirect Speech Exercise

Directions For Question 1 to 20 – Given below are sentences in Direct/Indirect Speech along with four options. You are required to read the Direct and Indirect Speech questions carefully and select the option that expresses the same sentence in the reverse speech i.e. Indirect/Direct Speech:

Q.1. The designer said to her, ‘will you have the dress ready by tomorrow evening?’

1. The designer asked her if she would have the dress ready by next evening.

2. The designer asked her that she would have the dress ready by next evening.

3. The designer asked her that if she will like to have the dress by next evening.

4. The designer asked her that she will have the suit ready by next evening.

Q.2. They said, ‘Let us come in’.

1. They told that let them be allowed to come in.

2. They requested that they might be allowed to come in.

3. They said that if they are allowed to come in.

4. They requested me to let them come in.

Q.3. Reshma said to Priya, ‘Why are you sketching on the wall?’

1. Reshma asked Priya why was she sketching on the wall.

2. Reshma asked Priya why had she been sketching on the wall

3. Reshma asked Priya that why is she sketching on the wall.

4. Reshma asked Priya why she was sketching on the wall.

Q.4. ‘Jacob fell as he’d have wished’, the father said.

1. The father said that Jacob has fallen as he would have wished.

2. The father said that Jacob had fallen as he would have wished.

3. The father said that Jocob had fallen as he had wished.

4. The father said that Jacob had been fallen as he would have been wished.

Q.5. Arya said to Tara, ‘David will leave for his mother’s place tomorrow’.

1. Arya told Tara that David will leave for his mother’s place tomorrow.

2. Arys told Tara that David will leave for his mother’s place the next day.

3. Arya told Tara that David would leave for his mother’s place the next day.

4. Arya informed Tara that David would be leaving for his mother’s place the next day.

Q.6. The Professor said that nobody could solve the problem.

1. The Professor said, ‘Nobody can solve the problem’.

2. The Professor said, ’Nobody could solve the problem’

3. The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody could solve the problem’

4. The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody can solve the problem?’

Candidates willing to appear for various government exams should check the following links:

Q.7. She said, ‘Why didn’t you send a friend request to me?’

1. She asked me why had I not sent a friend request to her

2. She enquired why I had not sent a friend request to her.

3. She enquired why I did not send a friend request to her.

4. She questioned why I had not sent a friend request to her.

Q.8. The judge commanded them to call the accused in the court.

1. The Judge said, ‘Call the accused in the court’.

2. The Judge ordered, ‘Call the accused in the court’

3. The Judge command, ‘Call the accused in the court’

4. The Judge said to them, ‘Call the accused in the court’.

Q.9. The instructor asked Ronny if he was ready for the race.

1. ‘Ronny, are you ready for the race?’, the instructor asked.

2. ‘Are you ready for the race Ronny?’, the instructor asked.

3. ‘Ronny, ready for race?’ the instructor said.

4. ‘Ronny, are you ready for the race?’, said the instructor.

Q.10. Manager said to Shekher, ‘Why didn’t you attend the meeting yesterday?’

1. The manager enquired Shekhar why did not he attend the meeting the day before.

2. The manager asked Shekhar why he did not attend the meeting the previous day.

3. The manager asked Shekhar why he had not attended the meeting the day before.

4. The manager enquired Shekhar that why didn’t he attended the meeting yesterday.

Q.11. I asked my sister if she had returned the mobile phone to her friend.

1. I said to my sister, ‘have you returned the mobile phone to your friend?’

2. I said to my sister, ‘did you return the mobile phone to my friend?’

3. I said to my sister, ‘have you returned the mobile phone to my friend?’

4. I asked my sister, ‘have you return the mobile phone to your friend?’

Check out relevant links given below for assistance in the preparation of Verbal ability of competitive exams:

Q.12. She requested the interviewer to repeat the question.

1. She asked the interviewer, ‘Please repeat the question’

2. She said to the interviewer, ‘Could you please repeat the question?’

3. She requested the interviewer, ‘Please repeat the question.’

4. She asked the interviewer, ‘Could you please repeat the question?’

Q.13. ‘Be calm and listen to my speech’, She said. 

1. She said that they should be calm and listen to her speech.

2. She urged that they should be calm and listen to her speech

3. She urged them to be calm and listen to her speech.

4. She asked them to be calm and listen to her speech.

Q.14. Oreo said, ‘Alright, yes, you were right and I was wrong.’

1. Oreo admitted that I had been right and he had been wrong.

2. Oreo admitted that I was right and he was wrong.

3. Oreo admitted that I have been right and he has been wrong.

4. Oreo said that yes you were right and I was wrong.

Q.15. ‘Stand at ease’, The soldier said to his men.

1. The soldier told his men that they should stand at ease.

2. The soldier said to his men that they should stand at ease. 

3. The soldier urged his to men to stand at ease

4. The soldier commanded his men to stand at ease.

Q.16. The teacher told us that all the girls were playing in the garden.

1. The teacher said, ‘all the girls are playing in the garden.’

2. The teacher complained, ‘all the girls are playing in the garden.’

3. The teacher said, ‘all the girls were playing in the garden.’

4. The teacher said, ‘all the girls had been playing in the garden.’

Q.17. The guest said to them, ‘please give me a cup of coffee’

1. The guest said to them please give me a cup of coffee.

2. The guest requested them to give him a cup of coffee.

3. The guest asked them to give him a cup of coffee.

4. The guest requested them please give me a cup of coffee.

Candidates can also check the links given below to understand the concept of word formation in English and to learn the common words in the English Language that are asked in most of the competitive exams-

Candidates can check out the following links for practice and revision:

Q.18. ‘You shall go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night’, the guide said.

1. The guide told us that we should go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.

2. The guide told us we shall go to see the royal palace on a moonlit night.

3. The guide suggested that we should go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.

4.  The guide suggested us to go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.

Q.19. The traffic police asked the man not to park his vehicle there.

1. The traffic police told the man, ‘not to park his vehicle there.’

2. The traffic police asked the man, ‘Do not park your vehicle there.’

3. The traffic police asked the man, ‘do not park your vehicle here’

4. The traffic police told the man, ‘Do not park your vehicle here.’

Q.20. ‘Where will you be tomorrow’, She said, ‘In case I have to call you?’

1. She enquired about his whereabouts the next day in case she would have to call him.

2. She asked where he would be the next day in case she had to call him.

3. She asked him where he will be the next day in case she had to call him.

4. She said to him where he would be tomorrow in case she would have to call him. 

Practise the questions on direct and indirect speech to tackle these questions in the English section of various competitive exams with relative ease. 

Direct And Indirect Speech Exercise PDF:-Download PDF Here

Direct and indirect speech questions and answers are asked in the form of error spotting or sentence correction. Candidates can check important Sentence Correction questions in the given link.  

Video – Direct & Indirect Speech in English Grammar

English aptitude questions are less time taking and tricky than other sections. Candidates can master them with regular practice and revision. Given below are a few important English topics for reference:

For more such topics, visit the general English for competitive exams page. 

Aspirants preparing for various government exams can check concept-wise explanations of various topics covered in the syllabus of other sections of the exams.

Candidates preparing for government exams can check the latest syllabus of important examinations given below to strategize an effective study schedule:

For further queries. Details or assistance in preparation visit BYJU’S.

Below is a preview of the ‘Direct and Indirect Questions- Simplest Responses Game’ lesson plan and is automatically generated from the PDF file. While it will look close to the original, there may be formatting differences. It’s provided to allow you to view the content of the lesson plan before you download the file.

Direct and Indirect Questions- Simplest Responses Game
with small talk questions and checking/ clarifying questions

(“(Wh-) + auxiliary verb + 
subject + main verb?”)(“polite start (+ Wh-) + subject + verb”).

“D” “direct” “I”  “indirect”

–

questions which you don’t understand

–

questions which don’t know how to answer

–

questions which you don’t think need to be indirect

–

questions which you think should be indirect (but aren’t below)

 Why do some indirect questions not end with a question mark?
 How and why does the word order change between direct questions and indirect 

questions?

 When and why is “if/ whether” used in indirect questions?

“Yes No”“W,H”)

 

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

p. 1

Cards to hold up

direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect
direct indirect

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

p. 2

Mixed direct and indirect questions
 Can I check if you are over 55?
 Can I just check whether you are vegetarian?
 Did you have a good weekend?
 Did you have any problems getting here?/ Did you have any trouble finding us?
 Did you see the match/ game (between… and…) (last night)?
 Do you have (any/ many) more meetings today?
 Do you have to go (straight) back to your office (now/ after this)?
 Have you changed your hair?
 Have you come far?
 Have you finished (for today/ for the day/ for the day/ for the week)?
 Have you read any good books/ seen any good movies/… any good… recently?
 How are your family?/ How is your family?
 How has your day been/ week been/ stay been/ visit been/ trip been (so far)?
 (Long time no see). How have you been (since we last met)?
 Do you know how many employees your company has?
 Can I ask how much that coffee cost?
 How was your journey?
 How was your weekend?
 How’s business?
 How’s it going?/ How are you doing?/ How are things?/ How’s life (treating you)?
 How’s the weather (outside/ outside now/ in…/ back in…) (now)?
 How’s work?
 Is it a big company?
 Can I ask if your company is famous?
 Is your office near here?
 What are you working on (at the moment)?
 What do you do?
 I’m wondering what CRM means.
 What does IP stand for?
 What does your company/ division/ department/ section/ team do?
 Can I ask what your wife/ husband/ boyfriend/ father/ mother/… does?
 Do you know what the weather forecast is (for tonight/ for this weekend/ for…)?
 Could you tell me what your email address is?
 Can you tell me what your extension number is?
 Could I ask what your first/ middle/ family name is?
 Could I just ask what kind of sandwich/ phone/ watch/… that is? (Is it any good?)
 Do you know what time this train leaves/ arrives (at…)?
 Could you tell me where I am (on this map)?
 Do you know where are toilets are?
 Where are you based?/ Are you based near here?
 Where is your company based?
 Can I ask where your office is? 
 Which division/ department/ section/ team/… do you work in?
 Who do you work for? 

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

p. 3

Correction stage

 Are you over 55?
 Can I ask if you had a good weekend?
 I’d like to know if you had any problems getting here. 
 Could you tell me whether you saw the match?
 Do you know whether you have many more meetings today?
 I’m wondering if you have come far.
 Could I just ask how you are doing?
 How much did that coffee cost?
 Can I check how your journey was?
 Can I just check how your weekend was?
 What’s the weather forecast (for tonight)?
 What’s your email address?
 What’s your first name?
 What kind of phone is that? (Is it any good?)

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

p. 4