Introduction
Narration also known as Story Telling is the act of recounting or narrating a sequence of events which are either real or imagined. Direct and Indirect speech are two commonly used modes of Narration. When we express someone's words in our own words, it is called - "Indirect Speech" and when we express someone's words as it is, it is called - "Direct Speech".
Direct Speech: Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in the words. Example: John said, "There's a dog outside my door."
Indirect Speech: Indirect Speech, is commonly used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. Example: John said that there was a dog outside his door.
Direct Speech vs Indirect Speech: Amy said, "I saw him." (Direct Speech) = Amy said that she had seen him. (Indirect Speech)
The article Speech Practice Quiz presents the list of questions and answers that would assist the readers in learning about Direct and Indirect Speech and also would assist the aspirants to prepare for different competitive exams. Speech Practice Quiz sets are very useful for different exams such as IBPS PO, Clerk, SSC CGL, SBI PO, NIACL Assistant, NICL AO, IBPS RRB, Railways, Civil Services etc.
Quiz
Direction(1 - 10): Find out the error in each of the following sentences, if there is no error, answer is (E). Avoid punctuation mistake (if any).
1Q. (A) They /(B) said that/(C) they will go/(D) next day/(E) No error
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Would' should be used in place of 'will'. Since Reporting verb is in past, hence, the reported speech should also be in past.
2Q. (A) They said/(B) that I /(C) shall work hard/ (D) if I want to pass/ (E) no error
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Should' and 'wanted' should be used in place of 'shall' and 'want'. Since Reporting verb is in past, hence, the reported speech should also be in past.
3Q. (A) He asked her / (B) that if / (C)she was going / (D) to attend the meeting / (E) No error
Answer: Option (B)
Explanations: 'That' should not be used here, since when an interrogative the sentence is reposted, then, conjunctions 'if/whether' is used.
4Q. (A) Shweta asked Harish / (B) that what / (C) had not / (D) happened / (E) No error
Answer: Option (B)
Explanations: 'That' should not be used here, since, when an interrogative the sentence starting with 'wh' family is reported, then, no conjunction is used.
5Q. (A) Seema asked / (B) me / (C) what did I say / (D) about her / (E) No error
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'I said should be used in place of 'did I say'. Because of an interrogative form is not used in reported speech.
6Q. (A) Teacher told to / (B) me that / (C) the sun / (D) is the nearest star to the earth / (E) No error.
Answer: Option (A)
Explanations: 'To' should not be used here. Since a reporting verb (said/told) is not followed by 'to'.
7Q. (A) The Judge /(B) asked Ravi/ (C) if he knew the/(D) thief or not / (E) No error.
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Whether' should be used in place of 'if'. Since 'whether_____ or' is the correct correlative.
8Q. (A) Ramesh was telling that /(B) everyone was / (C) satisfied with/ (D) the incentive / (E) No error.
Answer: Option (A)
Explanations: 'Telling' should be followed by an object
9Q. (A) My teacher said/(B) that a bird in hand/(C) is worth two/(D) in the bush/(E) No error.
Answer: Option (E)
10Q. (A) She ordered/ (B) her son shut/ (C) the door and/(D) close the window/ (E) No error.
Answer: Option (B)
Explanations: The servant should be followed by 'to'. Since, when an imperative the sentence is reported, then, conjunction to is used.
Direction(1 - 10): Find out the error in each of the following sentences, if there is no error, answer is (E). Avoid punctuation mistake (if any).
1Q. (A) The police asked/ (B) the little boy if /(C) he knows the who/(D) killed his mother/(E) No error
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Knows' should be replaced with 'knew'. Since in reported speech'V2' (knew) is used and not v1 (knows).
2Q. (A) My father allowed/ (B) me to/(C) do whatever /(D) I want/ (E) No error.
Answer: Option (D)
Explanations: 'Wanted' should be used in place of 'want' since the past form of the verb should be used in reported speech is reporting verb is in past.
3Q. (A) The mother forbade/ (B) his son not to/(C) go outside / (D) after the dark/ (E) No error.
Answer: Option (B)
Explanations: 'Not' should not be used here. Since 'forbid' mean 'order someone does not do something'. Hence 'not' is superfluous here.
4Q. (A) She exclaimed with/ (B) sorrow that her mother/(C) died just two/ (D) months before/ (E) No error.
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Had' should be added before 'died'. Since 'Simple Past Tense' changes into 'Past Perfect Tense' in indirect speech.
5Q. (A) He requested his father/(B) to take him to/(C) the doctor as he/ (D) has very high fever/(E) No error.
Answer: Option (D)
Explanations: 'Had' should be used in place of 'has'. Since 'Simple Present Tense' Changes into 'Simple past Tense' Indirect Narration.
6Q. (A) When my teacher said that/(B) she was coming to see me the next week/(C) I wondered what problems/(D) she will have with me / (E) No error.
Answer: Option (D)
Explanations: 'Would' should be used in place of 'will'. Since in indirect speech, 'would/should' is used in place of 'will/shall'.
7Q. (A) She suggested that/ (B) I should stay at/(C) home if it rained but I do not /(D) give any answer/(E) No error.
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'Did not' should be used in place of 'does not'. Simple present Tense changes into Simple Past Tense.
8Q. (A) He asked his son why had he /(B) gone to school when/(C) he knew that there would be fewer/(D) buses on the road that day/(E) No error.
Answer: Option (A)
Explanations: 'I had' should be used in place of 'had I'. Since a sentence is reported in an assertive form and not in interrogative form.
9Q. (A) She said that you/(B) studied hard so/(C) that you may get/(D) good marks/(E) No error
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'might' should be used in place of 'may'. See Rule-4 (rules for change of helping verb)
10Q. (A) She said that she/(B) was going to temple and /(C) wanted to know that/(D) I could accompany her /(E) No error.
Answer: Option (C)
Explanations: 'That' should be changed into 'if'.