Dive into our Reported Speech Quiz! It’s a must-try for anyone wanting to get better at sharing what others have said in English.
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, lets us tell someone else’s words without quoting them exactly. It’s all about shifting tenses, pronouns, and time expressions so you can report what was said in a different context. Whether it’s telling a friend what your teacher said or relaying a conversation, mastering reported speech is key for clear and effective communication.
By taking on this quiz, you’ll practice transforming direct quotes into reported speech, enhancing your conversational and writing skills. Whether you’re learning English or just fine-tuning your grammar, these questions will help you navigate the nuances of reported speech. Let’s get started and become pros at passing on information!
1. What is reported speech?
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Explanation:
Reported speech involves paraphrasing what someone else has said or written, rather than directly quoting their exact words. It often involves changes in tense, pronouns, and other elements to fit the context of the reporting.
2. How is the tense typically changed when converting from direct to reported speech?
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Explanation:
When converting direct speech into reported speech, the tense usually shifts back. For example, present tense changes to past tense, and past tense may change to past perfect.
3. Choose the sentence that correctly converts direct speech into reported speech.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, the present tense 'am' in direct speech is typically changed to the past tense 'was'.
4. Identify the reported speech in this sentence: "He told me that he would come."
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Explanation:
'That he would come' is the part of the sentence where the direct speech has been converted into reported speech.
5. What happens to modal verbs like 'can' and 'may' in reported speech?
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Explanation:
In reported speech, modal verbs like 'can' and 'may' often change to their past forms 'could' and 'might' to reflect the shift in time.
6. Choose the correct reported speech for the following direct speech: "Will you help me?" he asked her.
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Explanation:
When converting questions into reported speech, the structure changes to a statement with 'if' or 'whether', and the tense changes as needed ('will' to 'would' in this case).
7. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "I don't like pizza," she said.
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Explanation:
The present tense 'don't like' in direct speech changes to the past tense 'didn't like' in reported speech.
8. What is typically done with time expressions when converting direct speech to reported speech?
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Explanation:
Time expressions in reported speech are often adjusted to reflect the change in time from the original statement. For example, 'today' might change to 'that day', 'tomorrow' to 'the next day', etc.
9. Choose the correct reported speech for: "I will be late," he said.
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Explanation:
The future tense 'will be' in direct speech often changes to 'would be' in reported speech.
10. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "Why are you late?" she asked.
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Explanation:
When reporting a question, the tense changes ('are' to 'was'), and the sentence structure changes from a question to a statement.
11. How is the pronoun typically changed when converting from direct to reported speech?
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Explanation:
Pronouns in reported speech are adjusted according to the perspective of the reporter. First-person pronouns in direct speech are changed based on who is reporting the speech.
12. Choose the correct reported speech for: "I have finished my homework," she said.
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Explanation:
The present perfect tense ('have finished') in direct speech is often changed to the past perfect ('had finished') in reported speech.
13. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "We are going to the park," they said.
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Explanation:
The present continuous tense ('are going') in direct speech changes to the past continuous ('were going') in reported speech.
14. What should be done with question marks when converting questions from direct to reported speech?
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Explanation:
When converting questions from direct to reported speech, the structure changes to a statement, and the question mark is replaced with a full stop.
15. Choose the correct reported speech for: "Can you help me?" she asked.
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Explanation:
When reporting questions, the sentence structure changes to a statement, and modal verbs like 'can' often change to their past forms ('could' in this case).
16. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "I'm feeling sick," he said.
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Explanation:
The present continuous tense ('I'm feeling') in direct speech is changed to the past continuous ('he was feeling') in reported speech.
17. How are commands and requests typically reported?
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Explanation:
Commands and requests in reported speech are often introduced with verbs like 'told' or 'asked', and the verb form is changed accordingly. For example, "Close the door" becomes "He told me to close the door."
18. Choose the correct reported speech for: "I'll call you later," she said.
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Explanation:
The future tense 'I'll call' in direct speech is often changed to 'she would call' in reported speech.
19. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "Don't forget to send the email," he reminded her.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, commands or requests often change to the infinitive form ('to send') and negatives are placed before the infinitive ('not to forget').
20. What is typically done with exclamations in reported speech?
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Explanation:
Exclamations in direct speech are often reported as statements, using verbs like 'exclaimed', and the exclamation mark is replaced with a full stop. For example, "What a surprise!" becomes "She exclaimed that it was a surprise."
21. Choose the correct reported speech for: "It's raining outside," he observed.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, present tense ('it's raining') is often changed to past tense ('it was raining'), especially when reporting observations or states.
22. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "We must leave now," they insisted.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, 'must' often changes to 'had to', and references to time are adjusted accordingly ('now' to 'then').
23. How are direct speech questions that start with 'what', 'where', 'when', 'who', 'why', or 'how' reported?
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Explanation:
Direct speech questions starting with question words ('what', 'where', etc.) are reported as statements using the same question words. For example, "Where are you going?" becomes "He asked where I was going."
24. Choose the correct reported speech for: "You should try harder," the coach said.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, second-person pronouns often change to first-person pronouns depending on the context ('you' to 'I'), while modal verbs like 'should' usually remain the same.
25. Identify the correct reported speech conversion for: "I'll see you tomorrow," she promised.
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Explanation:
In reported speech, future tense ('I'll see') changes to conditional ('she would see'), and time expressions are adjusted ('tomorrow' to 'the next day').