Question 1

The manager said that the report (A) is ready / (B) was ready / (C) has been ready / (D) had been ready for submission. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb ('said'), a present state of being must backshift to simple past. 'Is ready' (present state) becomes 'was ready' (past state) to maintain temporal consistency. The state of readiness, as reported from a past perspective, is expressed in simple past tense.

Question 2

The teacher told the students that they (A) must submit / (B) had to submit / (C) have to submit / (D) would have to submit their assignments on time. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb ('told'), modal verbs must also shift appropriately. 'Must' (present obligation) becomes 'would have to' (past obligation) to maintain consistency with the past tense reporting context. This reflects the original obligation as it was understood at the time of speaking.

Question 3

He asked me whether I (A) will attend / (B) would attend / (C) am attending / (D) have attended the meeting tomorrow. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is past ('asked'), future intentions must be expressed using 'would' (conditional past) rather than 'will' (simple future). This maintains the temporal perspective of the original question as it was asked in the past.

Question 4

She said that she (A) has completed / (B) had completed / (C) will complete / (D) completes the project by noon. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in past tense ('said'), the reported clause must shift to a past tense form. Since the original direct speech was 'I have completed the project by noon' (present perfect indicating a completed action with present relevance), it must become past perfect ('had completed') in indirect speech to maintain the temporal relationship.

Question 5

He told me that he (A) is going / (B) was going / (C) goes / (D) has gone to the market and (A) will buy / (B) would buy / (C) buys / (D) has bought some groceries.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb 'told', both verbs must shift to past tense. The original direct speech 'I am going to the market and will buy groceries' becomes 'he was going to the market and would buy groceries' to maintain consistency with the past reporting verb.

Question 6

She said that she (A) has completed / (B) had completed / (C) will complete / (D) completes the project before the deadline.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in past tense ('said'), the reported clause must shift to a past tense form. Since the original direct speech would be 'I have completed the project,' the indirect form requires past perfect 'had completed' to maintain the time relationship and show that the action was completed before the deadline.

Question 7

The teacher asked the students whether they (A) will submit / (B) would submit / (C) have submitted / (D) are submitting their assignments on time.

Accepted Answer

When a question in past tense is converted to indirect speech, the auxiliary verb must also shift to past. The original direct question 'Will you submit?' becomes 'would submit' in indirect form because the reporting verb 'asked' is in past tense, requiring the conditional 'would' instead of 'will'.

Question 8

The manager said that the employees (A) have worked / (B) had worked / (C) work / (D) are working very hard and (A) deserve / (B) deserved / (C) have deserved / (D) will deserve a bonus.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb 'said', both verbs must shift to past tense. The original direct speech 'The employees have worked very hard and deserve a bonus' becomes 'the employees had worked very hard and deserved a bonus' to maintain consistency with the past reporting verb.

Question 9

She asked him whether he (A) has seen / (B) had seen / (C) is seeing / (D) will see the film that everyone was talking about.

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb 'asked', the verb in the reported clause must shift to past tense. The original direct question 'Have you seen the film?' becomes 'whether he had seen the film' because the reporting verb 'asked' is in past tense, requiring past perfect instead of present perfect.

Question 10

The teacher said that the students (A) have completed / (B) had completed / (C) completed / (D) were completing their assignments on time. No error

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in past tense ('said'), the reported speech must shift to a corresponding past tense. Since the original direct speech would be 'The students have completed their assignments,' the indirect form requires past perfect ('had completed') to maintain tense consistency and show that the completion occurred before the moment of reporting.

Question 11

The teacher said that the students (A) have completed / (B) had completed / (C) completed / (D) were completing their assignments before the deadline, and she (E) was / (F) is / (G) were / (H) has been satisfied with their progress. No error

Accepted Answer

This question tests the sequence of tenses in indirect speech. When reporting a past statement, the tense in the reported clause must shift backward relative to the reporting verb. Since 'said' is in simple past, the action of completing assignments (which occurred before the saying) must be in past perfect ('had completed'), not present perfect or simple past. The second clause uses 'was' (simple past) correctly because it describes the teacher's state at the time of speaking in the past.

Question 12

The witness stated that the accused (A) has been / (B) had been / (C) was / (D) is being at the crime scene when the incident (A) occurred / (B) has occurred / (C) was occurring / (D) would occur, and he (A) insists / (B) insisted / (C) will insist / (D) would insist that he (A) saw / (B) has seen / (C) had seen / (D) would see the perpetrator clearly. No error

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb ('stated'), all reported clauses require past tense. The first blank requires 'had been' (past perfect continuous, for a state ongoing at a past moment). The second blank requires 'occurred' (simple past, for a completed action). The third blank requires 'insisted' (simple past, for the reporting verb in indirect speech). The fourth blank requires 'saw' (simple past, for a completed action). The correct answer is (B) for the first blank, (A) for the second blank, (B) for the third blank, and (A) for the fourth blank. Treating this as a single-answer question focusing on the first blank, the answer is (B) 'had been'.

Question 13

She said that she (A) has completed / (B) had completed / (C) will complete / (D) completes the project before he arrived. No error

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in past tense ('said'), the reported speech must shift to a past tense. Since 'before he arrived' indicates an action completed prior to another past action, past perfect ('had completed') is required. Option B is correct.

Question 14

The manager enquired whether the employees (A) have submitted / (B) had submitted / (C) are submitting / (D) were submitting their reports on time, and she added that she (A) expects / (B) expected / (C) will expect / (D) would expect them to be more punctual. No error

Accepted Answer

In indirect speech with a past reporting verb ('enquired' and 'added'), both reported clauses require past tense. The first blank requires 'had submitted' (past perfect, for a completed action), and the second blank requires 'expected' (simple past, for a state/expectation at that past moment). The correct answer is (B) for the first blank and (B) for the second blank. Treating this as a single-answer question, the answer is (B) for both blanks.

SSC CPO Direct & Indirect Speech

Direct & Indirect Speech— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Direct & Indirect Speech — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Direct & Indirect Speech