Exercises of Narration & Practice with Explanation

1. “I’ll have a cup of tea,” my father said, “because I’m not hungry.”

My father said that he will have a cup of tea because he wasn’t hungry.	My father said that he would have had a cup of tea because he wasn’t hungry.
My father said that he would have a cup of tea because he wasn’t hungry.	My father said that he had had a cup of tea because he wasn’t hungry.
Correct Answer: My father said that he would have a cup of tea because he wasn’t hungry.
Explanation: This sentence is in Future Tense; as rules of Narration, will is changed to would and Present Tense will be transformed into Past Tense.

2. Pamela said, “Man is mortal.”

Pamela said that man is mortal.	Pamela said that man was mortal.
Pamela said man is mortal.	None of the above
Correct Answer: Pamela said that man is mortal.
Explanation: For Universal Truth, the tense of the Indirect Narration will be the same as the Direct Narration.

3. He said to me, “How long will you stay here?”

He asked me how long I would stay here.	He asked me how long I would stay here.
He asked me how long I would stay here.	He asked me how long I would stay there.
Correct Answer: He asked me how long I would stay there.
Explanation: For Interrogative Sentences, asked will replace the reporting verb said. If there is wh-question word, it will be used in the indirect narration but in assertive structure. Here is replaced by there in Reported Speech.

4. The man said to the officer, “Please help me.”

The man told the officer to help him.	The man requested the officer to help him.
The man said to the officer to please help him.	The man requested to the officer to help.
Correct Answer: The man requested the officer to help him.
Explanation: For this Imperative Sentence, requested will replace the reporting verb said to make it indirect. And inverted comma will be changed by to.

5. Choose the correct indirect speech: She asked me, “Are you happy in your new job?”

She asked me if I was happy in my new job.	She asked me if I have been happy in my new job.
She asked me whether I am happy in my new job.	She asked me if I had been happy in my new job.
Correct Answer: She asked me if I was happy in my new job.
Explanation: For Interrogative Sentence, if is used when there is no wh-question word.

6. He remarked, “Two and two makes four.”

He remarked that two and two would make four.	He remarked that two and two made four.
He remarked that two and two makes four.	He suggested that two and two makes four.
Correct Answer: He remarked that two and two makes four.
Explanation: No change in Tense would take place if the sentence refers to something like universal truth/ habitual fact/ scientific findings.

7. “Don’t waste time”, the teacher said to the students. The indirect form of the speech?

The teacher forbade the students not to waste time.	The teacher advised the students not to waste time.
The teacher forbade the students to not waste time.	The teacher ordered the students don’t waste time.
Correct Answer: The teacher advised the students not to waste time.
Explanation: Here the Imperative Sentence focuses on the advice of the teacher. For negative sentence, not to is used for inverted comma.

8. The indirect form of the sentence: John said to his mother, “I shall go to bed now.”

John told his mother that he should go to bed now.	John told his mother that he will go to bed then.
John told his mother that he would go to bed then.	John told his mother that he will go to bed now.
Correct Answer: John told his mother that he would go to bed then.
Explanation: Shall/will is replaced by would and now by then.

9. He said to me, “Let’s go home together.

He urged me to go home with him.	He proposed to me that we should go home together.
He proposed to me to go home together.	He asked me to go home with him.
Correct Answer: He proposed to me that we should go home together.
Explanation: Indirect Structure for sentences with ‘let’s’: propose/suggest + subject + should + present form of verb + extension

10. Which one the correct narration: He said to me, “May you be happy.”

He told me that I might be happy.	He reported that I might be happy.
He said that I might be happy.	He wished that I might be happy.
Correct Answer: He wished that I might be happy.
Explanation: Rules for Optative Sentence: Subject + wish/pray + Subject of the Reported Speech + may/might + verb + extension

11. Put the following sentence into indirect narration: “You had better not leave your room unlocked”, said my friends.

Put the following sentence into indirect narration: “You had better not leave your room unlocked”, s	My friends reminded me to lock my room.
My friends warned me not to leave my room unlocked.	My friends advised me lock my room.
Correct Answer: My friends warned me not to leave my room unlocked.
Explanation:

12. The man said, “No, I refuse to confer guilt.”

The man empathically refused to confer guilt.	The man was stubborn to refuse to confer guilt.
The man refused to confer guilt.	The man told that he would not confer guilt.
Correct Answer: The man empathically refused to confer guilt.
Explanation: To emphasize the point, emphatically is used.

13. To emphasize the point, emphatically is used.

He told that he let have some milk.	He said that he had some milk.
He replied that he should have some milk.	He replied that he should have some milk.
Correct Answer: He replied that he should have some milk.
Explanation: If the Reported Speech starts with ‘let me’, Reporting verb of the Indirect speech will be ‘wished/desired’. Structure: that + subject + might + verb

14. “If you don’t keep quiet I shall punish you”, he said to her in a calm voice.

He warned her to punish if she didn’t keep quiet calmly.	He said calmly that I would punish you if you don’t calm
He warned her calmly that he would punish her if she didn’t keep quiet.	He said to her whether he would punish her.
Correct Answer: He warned her calmly that he would punish her if she didn’t keep quiet.
Explanation:

15. “Are you alone, my son?” asked a soft voice close behind me.

A soft voice asked me that what I was doing there alone.	A soft voice said to are you alone son.
A soft voice from my back asked if I was alone.	A soft voice behind me asked if I was alone.
Correct Answer: A soft voice behind me asked if I was alone.
Explanation: A soft voice is the speaker here and it addresses him as son.

16. Select the appropriate answer choice as directed for the following sentences. He said to her, “What a cold day!” –Make it indirect.

He exclaimed that it was a very cold day.	He exclaimed that it was a very cold day.
He exclaimed sorrowfully that it was a very cold day.	He exclaimed that it was a cold day.
Correct Answer: He exclaimed that it was a very cold day.
Explanation: Rules for Exclamatory Sentence: how/what is replaced by very/much/great; to eliminate exclamatory sign, the word ‘exclaimed’ is used.

17. 17. He exclaimed sadly that he was undone. –Convert the sentence to direct speech.

He said, “Ah! I am undone.”	He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
He said, “How sad! I am yet to do.”	He said, “What a pity I am undone!”
Correct Answer: He said, “Alas! I am undone.”
Explanation: In Exclamatory Sentence, ‘Alas!’ is used to express sadness of the speaker of the sentence.

18. The indirect form of: Father said to me, “May you pass the examination” is_______.

Father prayed that I might pass the examination.	Father said to me that I may pass the examination.
Father prayed that I may pass the examination.	Father said to me that I must pass the examination.
Correct Answer: Father prayed that I might pass the examination.
Explanation: For Optative Sentence, prayed/said is used; optative structure is replaced with assertive structure; may is changed to might.

19. The old man said to his son, “Fie! You are such a coward.”

The old man cried out in anger that it was shameful that his son was such a coward.	The old man exclaimed that it was shameful that he was such a coward.
The old man exclaimed that it was shameful that his son was such a coward.	The old man surprised that his son was such a coward.
Correct Answer: The old man cried out in anger that it was shameful that his son was such a coward.
Explanation: The word ‘Fie’ is used for expressing anger and shame at the same time.

20. I said to him, “If I were you, I should wait.” What does it mean?

I’m advising him to proceed.	I am recommending him to proceed.
I advised him to stop the journey.	I advised him to stop the journey.
Correct Answer: I advised him to stop the journey.
Explanation: This Direct Speech is an example 2 nd Conditional which implies an indirect implication to wait. The speaker only suggests rather than urge the listener.

Try Again

Learn English

Exercises of Narration & Practice with Explanation

More Exercise

Score Counting