SUMMARY: The chapter on Reported Speech in Class 12 English focuses on the rules and techniques for converting direct speech into indirect speech. KEY TOPICS: direct speech, indirect speech, reporting verbs, changes in pronouns, changes in tense, changes in time expressions, reporting questions, reporting commands, reporting statements, exceptions in reported speech
Choose the correct reported speech: She said 'I am happy'.
AShe said that I am happy
BShe said that she was happy
CShe said that she is happy
DShe said I was happy
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She said that she was happy
Q21 Mark
Convert: He said 'I will go tomorrow':
AHe said that he will go tomorrow
BHe said that he would go the next day
CHe said that he goes tomorrow
DHe told that he will go
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Correct answer: Option 2 — He said that he would go the next day
Q31 Mark
Reported form of 'Do you like coffee?' she asked. is:
AShe asked do you like coffee
BShe asked if I liked coffee
CShe asked that I liked coffee
DShe told if I like coffee
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She asked if I liked coffee
Q41 Mark
Reported form of 'Stop talking!' she said. is:
AShe said to stop talking
BShe told to stop talking
CShe ordered me to stop talking
DShe told that stop talking
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Correct answer: Option 3 — She ordered me to stop talking
Q51 Mark
Convert: 'Where do you live?' he asked.
AHe asked where I lived
BHe asked where do I live
CHe told where I lived
DHe asked I live where
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Correct answer: Option 1 — He asked where I lived
Q61 Mark
Reported speech of 'Don't be late!' the teacher warned us. is:
AThe teacher told not be late
BThe teacher warned us not to be late
CThe teacher said don't late
DThe teacher warned that don't be late
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Correct answer: Option 2 — The teacher warned us not to be late
Q71 Mark
Convert: 'How beautiful the rose is!' she exclaimed.
AShe exclaimed how beautiful is the rose
BShe exclaimed that the rose was very beautiful
CShe told that the rose is beautiful
DShe said how beautiful was the rose
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She exclaimed that the rose was very beautiful
Q81 Mark
Indirect form of 'May you live long!' she said. is:
AShe wished that I might live long
BShe said that I will live long
CShe told that I live long
DShe prayed I lived long
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Correct answer: Option 1 — She wished that I might live long
Q91 Mark
Convert: 'Will you help me?' he asked.
AHe asked will I help him
BHe asked if I would help him
CHe told if I help him
DHe asked that I help him
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Correct answer: Option 2 — He asked if I would help him
Q101 Mark
Reported form of 'I am writing a letter' she said. is:
AShe said that she is writing a letter
BShe said that she was writing a letter
CShe told she writes a letter
DShe said that I am writing
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She said that she was writing a letter
Q111 Mark
Convert: 'I bought this yesterday.' he said.
AHe said that he bought this yesterday
BHe said that he had bought that the previous day
CHe told that he buys this yesterday
DHe said that he had bought this yesterday
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Correct answer: Option 2 — He said that he had bought that the previous day
Q121 Mark
Reported speech of 'Let us go!' he said. is:
AHe said let us go
BHe suggested that we should go
CHe told to go
DHe said go
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Correct answer: Option 2 — He suggested that we should go
Q131 Mark
Convert: 'What a fool I am!' he said.
AHe said what a fool I am
BHe exclaimed that he was a great fool
CHe told that he was foolish
DHe said how fool he was
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Correct answer: Option 2 — He exclaimed that he was a great fool
Q141 Mark
Reported form of 'Please pass me the salt' she said. is:
AShe said please pass the salt
BShe requested me to pass the salt
CShe told pass me the salt
DShe said that pass the salt
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She requested me to pass the salt
Q151 Mark
Convert: 'I have already eaten.' she said.
AShe said that she has already eaten
BShe said that she had already eaten
CShe told already she ate
DShe said she eats already
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Correct answer: Option 2 — She said that she had already eaten
Short Answer Questions10 questions
Q163 Marks
Convert into indirect speech: He said 'I am writing a letter'.
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'He said that he was writing a letter.' Reporting verb 'said' is past so present continuous 'am writing' becomes past continuous 'was writing'; 'I' becomes 'he'.
Q173 Marks
Convert into indirect: She said 'Bring me a glass of water'.
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'She asked me to bring her a glass of water.' Imperative becomes 'asked/told/ordered + object + to + V1'; 'me' becomes 'her' from her perspective.
Q183 Marks
Convert into indirect speech: 'I will go to Mumbai tomorrow' he said.
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'He said that he would go to Mumbai the next day.' Future 'will' becomes 'would'; 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'.
Q193 Marks
Convert: 'Don't be late!' the boss warned us.
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'The boss warned us not to be late.' Negative imperative becomes 'told/warned + object + not + to + V1'.
Q203 Marks
Convert into indirect: 'How beautiful the rose is!' she exclaimed.
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'She exclaimed that the rose was very beautiful.' Exclamatory sentences use verbs like 'exclaimed/cried'; 'how' is replaced by 'very'; structure becomes a statement.
Q213 Marks
Convert: 'May you succeed in life!' she said.
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'She wished that I might succeed in life.' Optatives use 'wished/prayed/blessed'; 'may' becomes 'might'.
Q223 Marks
Convert: 'What is your name?' he asked me.
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'He asked me what my name was.' Wh-question: keep question word; statement word order; tense back-shift if reporting verb is past.
Q233 Marks
Convert: 'I have just finished my homework' she said.
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'She said that she had just finished her homework.' Present perfect 'have finished' becomes past perfect 'had finished'; 'I' becomes 'she'.
Q243 Marks
Convert: 'The teacher told us that the sun rises in the east.' Identify any back-shift exception.
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No tense back-shift. 'The sun rises in the east' is a universal truth so it remains in simple present even when reported in past tense. Universal truths and habitual facts are exceptions to the back-shift rule.
Q253 Marks
Convert into direct speech: She said that she had bought a new car the previous day.
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'She said \I bought a new car yesterday.\"' Reverse: past perfect → simple past; 'the previous day' → 'yesterday'; 'she' → 'I'."
