CBSE Class 10 English Reported Speech

There are two main ways of relating what people have said.

We can use our own words (for instance, if we don't remember exactly what was said, or if we don't want to quote or repeat the exact words)

E.g   (a) Mrs Palit greeted everybody cheerily.

       (b) I replied that I had no idea when I was going. We can report what someone thinks in a similar way.

       (c) He thought that Mahua was worried.

                                  OR

We can use the actual words, as if recorded on a tape recorder, to report what has been said.

E.g  (a) "Good morning, everybody!" said Mrs Palit.

       (b) I told my friends, “I've no idea when I'm going.”

       (c) He thought : “Mahua's worried."

It is important to remember that we come across both ways of reporting in newspapers, novels, magazines etc.

Points to note:

The exact words of the speaker quoted in Direct Speech are placed between inverted commas, and a comma or colon is placed immediately before the words quoted. The end mark could be a full stop, a question mark or an exclamatory mark depending on the meaning, context and mood expressed. The first letter within the inverted commas is capitalized.

There is no comma after Reporting Verbs like said, asked, claimed in reported speech. The end mark in Reported Speech is always a full stop.

Use of Direct Speech and Reported Speech.
 

Question. The teacher said, “You are suspended!.”
a) The teacher exclaimed that I am suspended
b) The teacher exclaimed to me to suspend
c) The teacher informed me that I was suspended
d) The teacher exclaimed that I was suspended

Answer : D

Question. He said, “Let us have dinner here.”
a) He proposed that we had dinner there.
b) He asked if we wished to have dinner there.
c) He said that we should have dinner there.
d) He said that we had dinner there.

Answer : A

Question. Richard said, “I must attend the meeting.”
a) Richard said that he had to attend the meeting.
b) Richard said that it was must that he attend the meeting.
c) Richard said if he must attend the meeting.
d) Richard said that he would attend the meeting.

Answer : A

Question. The suspect said, “I am not guilty!”
a) The suspect exclaimed that he was innocent.
b) The suspect shouted that he was not guilty.
c) The suspect exclaimed that he was not guilty.
d) The suspect said that he has been found not guilty.

Answer : C

Question. Maria said, “Please lend me a pen.”
a) Maria ordered me to lend a pen.
b) Maria begged me to lend her a pen.
c) Maria asked if I could lend her pen.
d) Maria requested me to lend her a pen.

Answer : D

Question. The boss said, “Call him right now.”
a) The boss shouted and said to call him right then.
b) The boss ordered me to call him quickly.
c) The boss told me to call him now.
d) The boss ordered me to call him right then.

Answer : D

Question. Peter said that he would definitely come.
a) Peter asked, “Should I come?”
b) Peter said, “I will definitely come.”
c) Peter said, “I would definitely go.”
d) Peter said, “I shall go.”

Answer : B

Question. The warden said that she was in charge.
a) The warden said, “I am in charge.”
b) The warden said,”I shall be in charge.”
c) The warden said, “I have been in charge.”
d) The warden said, “I would be in charge.”

Answer : A

Question. Samuel exclaimed with joy that they had won.
a) Samuel said, “Alas! We have won.”
b) Samuel said, “We have won.”
c) Samuel said, “Hurrah! We have won.”
d) Samuel said, “We did win.”

Answer : C

Question. He asked me not to worry.
a) He said, “He should not worry.”
b) He said, “Oh! Don’t worry.”
c) He said, “You do not worry.”
d) He said, “You should not worry.”

Answer : C

Question. He said to his wife that they should buy a new car.
a) He said to his wife, “We shall buy a new car.”
b) He said, “Wife, let us buy a new car.”
c) He said to his wife, “We can buy a new car.”
d) He tells his wife, “We may buy a new car.”

Answer : A

Question. Anthony said that I should definitely visit there.
a) Anthony said, “You shall definitely visit here.”
b) Anthony said, “You should definitely visit there.”
c) Anthony said, “You may visit there once.”
d) Anthony said, “Everyone should definitely visit there.”

Answer : B

Question. Vidushi said, “We went for a summer trip.”
a) Vidushi said that they went for a summer trip.
b) Vidushi said that they were on a summer trip.
c) Vidushi said that they had gone for a summer trip.
d) Vidushi said they went for a summer trip.

Answer : C

Question. “Alas! It can’t be this bad.” He said
a) He exclaimed with sorrow that that couldn’t be that bad
b) He grieved that it couldn’t be that bad.
c) He said that it was really that bad.
d) He said with sorrow that that was bad.

Answer : A

Question. The student said, “Ma’am, please extend the deadline.”
a) The student asked the teacher to extend the deadline.
b) The student said if the teacher would extend the deadline.
c) The student requested ma’am to extend the deadline.
d) The student said that ma’am should extend the deadline.

Answer : C

Question. He said, “How much is left to do?”
a) He asked how much had been left to do.
b) He asked how much had been left to be done.
c) He asked how much was left to be done.
d) He asked how much was still left.

Answer : C

Question. Julia said, “I can not attend your wedding.”
a) Julia said that she might not attend our wedding.
b) Julia said that she could not attend our wedding.
c) Julia said that she can not attend our wedding.
d) Julia said that she wished she could attend our wedding.

Answer : B

Question. She said, “You have been late. Everybody’s here already.”
a) She said that I had been late and everybody was there already.
b) She said that I was late and that everyone was there already.
c) She said I got late so that everybody was there already.
d) She said that I am late and everybody got there already.

Answer : A

Question. He told the peon to inform the manager.
a) He said to the peon, “Inform the manager.”
b) He said, “The peon must inform the manager.”
c) He said to the peon, “Manager should be informed,”
d) He said to me, “The peon shall inform the manager.”

Answer : A

Question. The chairman said that it was his pleasure to be there that evening.
a) The chairman said, “It is my pleasure to be here that evening.”
b) The chairman said, “It is my pleasure to be here this evening.”
c) The chairman said, “It was my pleasure to be there this evening.”
d) The chairman said, “It had been my pleasure to be here this evening.”

Answer : B

Question. The reporter confirmed that that news was fake.
a) The reporter said, “This news has been fake.”
b) The reporter said, “This news is fake.”
c) The reporter said, “The news was fake.”
d) The reporter said, “That news is fake.”

Answer : B

Question. The coach asked us if we had any doubts.
a) The coach said, “Has anyone have doubts?”
b) The coach said to us, “Any doubts?”
c) The coach said to us, “Do you have any doubts?”
d) The coach said, “Would you have doubts?”

Answer : C

Question. He asked me whether you were ready or he should wait.
a) He said to me, “Is she ready or shall I wait?”
b) He said, “Are you ready or should I wait?”
c) He said to me, “Are you ready or shall I wait?”
d) He said, “Are you ready or not?”

Answer : A

Question. Ravi said, “The concert ended yesterday.”
a) Ravi said that the concert had ended yesterday.
b) Ravi said that the concert ended the day before.
c) Ravi said that the concert had ended the previous day.
d) Ravi said that the concert ended already.

Answer : C

Question. David said, “Can we go tomorrow?”
a) David said if we can go tomorrow.
b) David asked if we could go the following day.
c) David asked if we could go tomorrow.
d) David said whether we could go tomorrow.

Answer : B

Please refer to the link below - CBSE Class 10 English Reported Speech