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Direct And Indirect Speech - English Aptitude MCQ Questions and Answers

Direct And Indirect Speech MCQ Questions and answers or Narration Mcq questions and answers with easy and logical explanations. English Aptitude MCQ provides all type of competitive english mcq questions on Direct And Indirect Speech which is important for exams like Banking exams,IBPS,SCC,CAT,XAT,MAT etc. Page-7 section-1

Each section contains 100 MCQs on Direct and Indirect Speech .
61
He said, "I have often told you not to waste your time."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option D
Solution:
He told that he had often told him not to waste his time.
62
"If you don't keep quiet I shall shoot you, " he said to her in a calm voice.
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option C
Solution:
He warned her calmly that he would shoot her if she didn't keep quiet.
63
"Please don't go away", she said.
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option D
Solution:
She begged me not to go away.
64
Rajesh said, "I bought a car yesterday."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option D
Solution:
Rajesh said that he had bought a car the previous day.
65
He said to me, "What time do the offices close?"
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option C
Solution:
He asked me what time the offices closed.
66
He said, "The mice will play, when the cat is away."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option B
Solution:
He said that the mice would play when the cat was away.
67
He said, "I must go next week."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option C
Solution:
He said that he would have to go the following week.
68
Rajan said, "O that I were a child again!"
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option C
Solution:
Rajan strongly wished that he had been a child again.
69
He said, "I clean my teeth twice a day."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option B
Solution:
1. Understanding the sentence in direct speech:
The original sentence is: "I clean my teeth twice a day."
Here, "clean" is in the present simple tense, which is used for habitual actions or routines.

2. Identifying the reporting verb:
The reporting verb is "said", which is in the past tense. In indirect speech, the tense of the reporting verb influences whether we backshift (change) the tense in the reported clause.

3. Rules for changing tenses in indirect speech:
Normally, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, we backshift the tense of the reported verb (e.g., present → past).
However, there are exceptions. If the reported statement expresses a universal truth, fact, or a habitual action that is still true, we keep the tense as it is.

4. Applying the rule here:
The statement "I clean my teeth twice a day" describes a habitual action that is still true for the speaker at the time of reporting. Therefore, we do not need to change the verb "clean" to "cleaned".

5. Converting to indirect speech:
Remove the quotation marks.
Change "I" to "he" (as the speaker is referred to in third person).
Keep "clean" in present tense but adjust for third-person singular → "cleans".
The sentence becomes: He said that he cleans his teeth twice a day.

6. Checking other options:
Option A ("cleaned") → Incorrect, because it unnecessarily changes the tense.
Option C ("used to clean") → Incorrect, because it implies the habit is no longer true.
Option D ("is used to cleaning") → Incorrect, because it changes the meaning to showing familiarity with the action, not reporting the statement directly.

Final Answer: Option B is correct because it follows the indirect speech rule for habitual actions that remain true.
70
The employer said to the workman, "I cannot pay you higher wages."
Discuss
Answer & Solution
Answer: Option B
Solution:
The employer told the workman that he could not pay him higher wages.