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English Grammar - Narration: 138 MCQs with Answers

Narration - English Grammar
English Grammar - Narration

English Grammar- Narration

Learn Narration (Direct and Indirect Speech) in English Grammar with complete explanations, reporting verbs, tense changes, pronoun changes, time and place expressions, punctuation rules, sentence transformation, examples, exercises, and multiple-choice questions (MCQs). This comprehensive guide is ideal for school students and candidates preparing for HTET, CTET, TET, SSC, Banking, UPSC, NDA, CDS, and other competitive examinations.

49 min read 138 Questions

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Q21. Choose the correct indirect speech.

The captain said, "March forward!"

Right Answer: The captain ordered them to march forward.

Explanation:

This is an imperative sentence expressing a command. Since a captain has the authority to issue commands, the reporting verb changes from "said" to "ordered." Imperative sentences are converted into indirect speech by using the infinitive form of the verb preceded by "to." Therefore, "March forward!" becomes "The captain ordered them to march forward." The remaining options either use an inappropriate reporting verb or contain incorrect grammatical structures.
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Q22. Choose the correct indirect speech.

She said, "Could you open the window?"

Right Answer: She requested me to open the window.

Explanation:

Although the sentence is in the form of a question, its purpose is to make a polite request. Therefore, the reporting verb changes to "requested." The interrogative structure changes into an infinitive construction, resulting in "She requested me to open the window." The other options either change the intended meaning, omit important words, or fail to follow the correct grammatical pattern for reporting polite requests.
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Q23. Choose the correct indirect speech.

The teacher said, "Who broke this chair?"

Right Answer: The teacher asked who had broken that chair.

Explanation:

This is a WH-question beginning with "Who." In indirect speech, the question word is retained, but the sentence changes from interrogative to statement order. Since the reporting verb is in the past tense, the simple past verb "broke" changes to the past perfect form "had broken." The demonstrative adjective "this" also changes to "that." Therefore, the correct indirect speech is "The teacher asked who had broken that chair."
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Q24. Choose the correct indirect speech.

He said to me, "Why are you laughing?"

Right Answer: He asked me why I was laughing.

Explanation:

This sentence is an interrogative sentence beginning with the question word "Why." In indirect speech, the question word is retained, but the sentence changes to statement order. The present continuous tense "are laughing" changes to the past continuous tense "was laughing," and the pronoun "you" changes according to the listener. Therefore, the correct answer is "He asked me why I was laughing." The remaining options violate the rules of indirect narration.
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Q25. Choose the correct indirect speech.

She said, "I had completed the project before you arrived."

Right Answer: She said that she had completed the project before I arrived.

Explanation:

The reported speech is already in the past perfect tense, so it does not undergo any further tense change in indirect speech. Only the pronouns are changed according to the context. Thus, "I" becomes "she," and "you" becomes "I" when the statement is reported by the listener. Therefore, the correct indirect speech is "She said that she had completed the project before I arrived." The remaining options either make unnecessary tense changes or are grammatically incorrect.
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Q26. Choose the correct indirect speech.

The old man said, "Honesty is the best policy."

Right Answer: The old man said that honesty is the best policy.

Explanation:

The sentence expresses a universal truth or a proverb. When a reported statement expresses a universal truth, scientific fact, or proverb, its tense does not change in indirect speech, even if the reporting verb is in the past tense. Therefore, the present tense verb "is" remains unchanged. Hence, the correct indirect speech is "The old man said that honesty is the best policy." The remaining options either change the tense unnecessarily or are grammatically incorrect.
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Q27. Choose the correct indirect speech.

He said, "If I were rich, I would travel the world."

Right Answer: He said that if he were rich, he would travel the world.

Explanation:

The sentence expresses an unreal or imaginary condition using the second conditional. Such sentences generally do not undergo any tense change in indirect speech because the conditional form already indicates an unreal situation. The pronoun "I" changes to "he," while the verb forms "were" and "would travel" remain unchanged. Therefore, the correct indirect speech is "He said that if he were rich, he would travel the world."
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Q28. Choose the correct indirect speech.

She said, "I wish I knew the answer."

Right Answer: She said that she wished she knew the answer.

Explanation:

The expression "I wish" indicates a present unreal desire or regret. In indirect speech, the reporting verb "said" is followed by "that," while the verb "wished" and the clause "she knew the answer" remain unchanged because they already express an unreal present situation. The pronoun "I" changes to "she." Therefore, the correct answer is "She said that she wished she knew the answer." The other options either alter the meaning or contain grammatical errors.
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Q29. Choose the correct indirect speech.

The teacher said, "Work hard lest you should fail."

Right Answer: The teacher advised us to work hard lest we should fail.

Explanation:

This imperative sentence gives advice and includes the clause "lest you should fail," which expresses the purpose of the advice. In indirect speech, the reporting verb changes to "advised," and the imperative verb changes into the infinitive form "to work." The clause beginning with "lest" remains unchanged because it preserves the intended meaning. Therefore, the correct indirect speech is "The teacher advised us to work hard lest we should fail."
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Q30. Choose the correct indirect speech.

He said, "You had better consult a doctor."

Right Answer: He advised me to consult a doctor.

Explanation:

The expression "had better" is used to give advice or a strong recommendation. While changing such sentences into indirect speech, the reporting verb is changed to "advised." The expression "had better consult" is converted into the infinitive form "to consult," and the pronoun "you" changes according to the listener. Therefore, the correct indirect speech is "He advised me to consult a doctor." The remaining options are either incomplete or grammatically incorrect.
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Published: 16 July 2026 | Last Updated: 08 September 2026 |

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Deepak - Educational Content Creator

Written by Deepak

Educational Content Creator

I am an educational content creator dedicated to making learning simple, engaging, and accessible for students preparing for competitive exams. He specializes in creating high-quality study materials, including notes, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), previous year question papers, practice tests, and exam-oriented resources.

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