Reported Speech – Statements MCQs Quiz | Class 9
This multiple-choice quiz for Class 9 Communicative English (Code 101) students covers the Grammar unit on Reported Speech – Statements. It specifically tests your understanding of key concepts like statement conversion and tense shift rules. Attempt all questions, submit your answers to see your score, and download the PDF for a detailed review.
Understanding Reported Speech: Statements
Reported Speech, also known as Indirect Speech, is how we report what someone else said without using their exact words. When we convert a direct statement into reported speech, we typically make changes to tenses, pronouns, and words indicating time and place.
Key Changes in Statement Conversion
There are three primary changes to consider when converting direct speech to reported speech:
- Tense Shift: The tense of the verb in the direct speech usually shifts back one step into the past.
- Pronoun Change: Pronouns (like I, you, we, my, your) change depending on the speaker and the person being reported to.
- Adverbial Change: Words indicating time and place (like now, today, here, tomorrow) are changed to reflect the shift in time and location.
1. Tense Shift Rules
The most common rule is the “backshift” of tenses. Here is a table summarizing the main changes:
| Direct Speech Tense | Reported Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present (e.g., “I work”) | Simple Past (e.g., he worked) |
| Present Continuous (e.g., “I am working”) | Past Continuous (e.g., he was working) |
| Present Perfect (e.g., “I have worked”) | Past Perfect (e.g., he had worked) |
| Simple Past (e.g., “I worked”) | Past Perfect (e.g., he had worked) |
| Future (will) (e.g., “I will work”) | Conditional (would) (e.g., he would work) |
| Can / May | Could / Might |
Exception: If the direct speech states a universal truth or a habitual fact, the tense does not change. For example, He said, “The sun rises in the east.” becomes He said that the sun rises in the east.
2. Pronoun and Adverb Changes
- Pronouns: First-person pronouns (I, we, me, us, my, our) change according to the subject of the reporting verb. Second-person pronouns (you, your) change according to the object of the reporting verb.
- Reporting Verbs: ‘said’ is often used, but if it is followed by an object (the person spoken to), it changes to ‘told’. The conjunction ‘that’ is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech.
- Adverbs:
- now → then
- today → that day
- yesterday → the previous day / the day before
- tomorrow → the next day / the following day
- here → there
- this → that
- these → those
Quick Revision Points
- Always shift the tense back, unless it’s a universal truth.
- Change pronouns logically based on the speaker and listener.
- Update adverbs of time and place.
- Use ‘that’ to introduce the reported statement.
- Change ‘said to’ to ‘told’.
Extra Practice Questions
Test your knowledge with these additional questions:
- Direct: My friend said, “I am leaving for Delhi today.”
Which is the correct reported speech?
a) My friend said that he was leaving for Delhi that day.
b) My friend said that I am leaving for Delhi today.
c) My friend said that he is leaving for Delhi that day. - Direct: The manager said, “I will check the files tomorrow.”
Which is the correct reported speech?
a) The manager said that he will check the files the next day.
b) The manager said that he would check the files tomorrow.
c) The manager said that he would check the files the next day. - Direct: She said to me, “You can use my pen.”
Which is the correct reported speech?
a) She told me that I could use her pen.
b) She said to me that you can use her pen.
c) She told me that I can use her pen. - Direct: He said, “I saw a movie yesterday.”
Which is the correct reported speech?
a) He said that he saw a movie the previous day.
b) He said that he had seen a movie the previous day.
c) He said that he had seen a movie yesterday. - Direct: The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
Which is the correct reported speech?
a) The teacher said that honesty was the best policy.
b) The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
c) The teacher said that honesty had been the best policy.
