Reported Speech – Commands & Requests MCQs Quiz | Class 9
This is an interactive MCQ quiz for Class 9 students studying Communicative English (Code 101). This quiz covers the Grammar unit, specifically focusing on the topic of Reported Speech for Commands and Requests. You will practice the direct to indirect transformation of imperative sentences. After submitting your answers, you can review them and download a PDF of your answer sheet.
Understanding Reported Speech: Commands & Requests
When we want to report what someone else commanded, requested, advised, or ordered, we use indirect or reported speech. Unlike statements or questions, imperative sentences (commands and requests) do not use a conjunction like ‘that’ or ‘if’. Instead, we change the imperative verb into an infinitive (‘to’ + verb).
Key Rules for Transformation
Converting commands and requests from direct to indirect speech involves a few specific changes:
- Reporting Verb: The reporting verb ‘said’ or ‘said to’ is changed to a verb that reflects the mood of the sentence. Common reporting verbs include ordered, commanded, requested, advised, urged, forbade, warned, and asked.
- Verb Form: The main verb in the direct speech (the command or request) is changed to its infinitive form (to + base form of the verb). For example, “Go” becomes “to go”.
- Negative Commands: For negative commands that start with “Do not” or “Don’t”, we use the structure ‘not to’ + base form of the verb. The reporting verb can also be changed to ‘forbade’, in which case ‘not’ is omitted.
- Pronouns and Adverbs: Pronouns (I, you, he, she) and words denoting time and place (here, now, today, this) are changed according to the standard rules of reported speech.
Examples of Transformation
Here is a table showing how different types of imperative sentences are converted:
| Type | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Command | The teacher said to the student, “Sit down.” | The teacher ordered the student to sit down. |
| Request | She said to me, “Please help me.” | She requested me to help her. |
| Advice | My father said to me, “Work hard for your exams.” | My father advised me to work hard for my exams. |
| Negative Command | The mother said to the child, “Don’t touch the wire.” | The mother warned the child not to touch the wire. |
| Using ‘Forbade’ | The librarian said, “Do not make noise.” | The librarian forbade them to make noise. |
Quick Revision Points
- Identify if the sentence is a command, request, or advice.
- Choose an appropriate reporting verb (ordered, requested, advised, etc.).
- Replace the comma and quotation marks with ‘to’.
- Change the main verb to its infinitive form. For negative sentences, use ‘not to’.
- Change pronouns and time/place adverbs as required.
Practice Questions
Try converting these sentences into indirect speech:
- The manager said to the employee, “Finish this report by 5 PM.”
- I said to my friend, “Please wait for me.”
- The doctor said to him, “Avoid oily food.”
- The sign on the wall said, “Do not park here.”
- He said to his son, “Be polite to your elders.”
