Direct & Indirect Speech — Set 9
Questions 81–90 of 140
Convert: "I can't remember where I left my keys," he said.
Correct Answer: B. He said he couldn't remember where he had left his keys
The modal 'can't' changes to 'couldn't'. The simple past 'left' changes to past perfect 'had left'. The possessive 'my' changes to 'his'. The correct form is 'He said he couldn't remember where he had left his keys'.
"I should have been more careful," she said. Convert to indirect.
Correct Answer: A. She said she should have been more careful
The past modal construction 'should have been' generally remains unchanged in indirect speech as it already expresses a past perspective. The correct form is 'She said she should have been more careful'. For example, 'He said that he was happy' is the indirect form of 'He said: I am happy'.
Convert: "Had I known, I would have come earlier," he said.
Correct Answer: B. He said if he had known, he would have come earlier
Inverted conditionals (had I known) are often converted to 'if' form in indirect speech. The form 'He said if he had known, he would have come earlier' is a more standard representation in reported speech. Mastering this concept helps in solving grammar-based questions in competitive examinations like SSC and banking exams.
"I must confess I was wrong," she said. Report this.
Correct Answer: D. She said she had to confess she had been wrong
The modal 'must' changes to 'had to'. The past tense 'was' changes to past perfect 'had been' to reflect the reported nature. The correct form is 'She said she had to confess she had been wrong'.
Convert: "You might be right, but I doubt it," he said.
Correct Answer: B. He said I might be right, but he doubted it
The modal 'might' may remain unchanged or change depending on context. The main clause verb 'doubt' changes to 'doubted'. The pronoun 'you' changes to 'I'. The correct form is 'He said I might be right, but he doubted it'.
"I prefer tea to coffee," she said. Convert to indirect.
Correct Answer: B. She said that she preferred tea to coffee
The verb 'prefer' changes from present 'prefers' to past 'preferred' in indirect speech. The direct object and comparison remain unchanged. The correct form is 'She said that she preferred tea to coffee'.
Convert: "I hate being interrupted," he said.
Correct Answer: B. He said he hated being interrupted
The verb 'hate' changes from present 'hates' to past 'hated'. The gerund phrase 'being interrupted' remains unchanged. The correct form is 'He said he hated being interrupted'.
"I enjoy reading novels," she said. Report this.
Correct Answer: B. She said she enjoyed reading novels
The verb 'enjoy' changes from present 'enjoys' to past 'enjoyed'. The gerund object 'reading novels' remains unchanged. The correct form is 'She said she enjoyed reading novels'.
Convert: "We are planning to visit London next summer," they said.
Correct Answer: B. They said they were planning to visit London the following summer
Present continuous 'are planning' changes to past continuous 'were planning'. 'Next summer' changes to 'the following summer'. The correct form is 'They said they were planning to visit London the following summer'.
"I will definitely call you," he said. Convert to indirect.
Correct Answer: B. He said he would definitely call me
The future 'will' changes to 'would', and the pronoun 'you' changes to 'me'. The adverb 'definitely' remains unchanged. The correct form is 'He said he would definitely call me'.