CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: She said to me, 'Are you ready?' Reported speech:
A. She asked me if I was ready.
B. She asked me was I ready.
C. She said me if I am ready.
D. She asked that I was ready?
Correct Answer: A
Yes/no questions are reported with 'asked + if/whether' and statement word order.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: He said, 'I will call you tomorrow.' Reported speech:
A. He said that he would call me the next day.
B. He said that he will call me tomorrow yesterday.
C. He told that he would called me next day.
D. He said he would calls me tomorrow.
Correct Answer: A
'Will' normally becomes 'would', and 'tomorrow' may become 'the next day'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: She said, 'I have completed the work.' Reported speech:
A. She said that she had completed the work.
B. She said that she has complete the work.
C. She told that she had completed work.
D. She said she completed has the work.
Correct Answer: A
Present perfect normally backshifts to past perfect.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: He said, 'I am busy today.' Reported speech:
A. He said that he was busy that day.
B. He said that I am busy today.
C. He told that he was busy that day.
D. He said he were busy that day.
Correct Answer: A
Present 'am' normally backshifts to 'was', and 'today' may become 'that day'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
No sooner ___ the office than it started raining.
A. had we left
B. we had left
C. did we left
D. we left had
Correct Answer: A
'No sooner' at the beginning requires inversion with past perfect.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Such ___ that the meeting had to be postponed.
A. was the confusion
B. the confusion was
C. did the confusion
D. confusion was the
Correct Answer: A
Formal inversion is possible with 'Such was...that'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
So convincing ___ that everyone agreed.
A. was his argument
B. his argument was
C. did his argument
D. his argument did
Correct Answer: A
Formal inversion may follow fronted 'So + adjective'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Only then ___ the full extent of the problem.
A. we realized
B. did we realize
C. we did realized
D. realized we
Correct Answer: B
Fronted 'Only then' requires inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Scarcely ___ the announcement when questions began.
A. had he finished
B. he had finished
C. did he finished
D. he finished had
Correct Answer: A
'Scarcely' at the beginning triggers inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Hardly ___ the room when the phone rang.
A. had she entered
B. she had entered
C. did she entered
D. she entered had
Correct Answer: A
Fronted 'Hardly' uses inverted past perfect.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Little ___ that the policy would cause such debate.
A. they knew
B. did they know
C. they did knew
D. knew they
Correct Answer: B
Fronted negative 'Little' requires inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Under no circumstances ___ confidential data be disclosed.
A. should
B. should it
C. it should
D. it
Correct Answer: B
After a fronted negative phrase, inversion is required: 'should it be disclosed'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Not until Friday ___ the final list.
A. they released
B. did they release
C. they did released
D. released they
Correct Answer: B
Fronted 'Not until...' requires auxiliary inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Only after the audit ___ the mistake.
A. they discovered
B. did they discover
C. they did discovered
D. discovered they
Correct Answer: B
A fronted 'Only after...' phrase triggers inversion in the main clause.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Seldom ___ so quickly.
A. the committee decides
B. does the committee decide
C. the committee does decides
D. decides the committee
Correct Answer: B
Fronted 'Seldom' triggers inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Never ___ such a clear explanation.
A. I heard
B. have I heard
C. I have heard
D. did I heard
Correct Answer: B
Fronted negative 'Never' requires subject-auxiliary inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Were it not for the traffic, we ___ on time.
A. would arrive
B. will arrive
C. would have arrived yesterday only
D. arrived now
Correct Answer: A
This formal inverted conditional refers to a present hypothetical situation.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
If it had not rained, the match ___.
A. would continue
B. would have continued
C. will continue
D. continued tomorrow
Correct Answer: B
Third conditional expresses an unreal past result.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
He behaves as though he ___ the owner.
A. is
B. were
C. will be
D. has been tomorrow
Correct Answer: B
An unreal comparison after 'as though' commonly uses a past form.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
I would rather you ___ tomorrow instead.
A. come
B. came
C. will come
D. to come
Correct Answer: B
With a different subject after 'would rather', a past form expresses present/future preference.