CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What does “once in a blue moon” mean?
A. Every month
B. At night
C. Very rarely
D. Very suddenly
Correct Answer: C
The idiom means something happens extremely infrequently.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What does “beat around the bush” mean?
A. Attack someone indirectly
B. Work in a garden
C. Avoid the main point
D. Speak very loudly
Correct Answer: C
To beat around the bush is to avoid saying what one really means.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What does the idiom “a blessing in disguise” mean?
A. A hidden punishment
B. An obvious misfortune
C. A religious ceremony
D. Something that seems bad but proves beneficial
Correct Answer: D
The idiom describes an apparently unfortunate event that later produces a good result.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: The teacher said, "Water boils at 100°C."
A. The teacher said water is boiling at 100°C.
B. The teacher said that water boils at 100°C.
C. The teacher said that water boiled at 100°C.
D. The teacher told that water had boiled at 100°C.
Correct Answer: B
Scientific facts and universal truths retain the present tense.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: He said, "If I were rich, I would help the poor."
A. He said that if he were rich, he would help the poor.
B. He told that if I was rich, I would help the poor.
C. He said that if he is rich, he will help the poor.
D. He said that if he had been rich, he would have helped the poor.
Correct Answer: A
A hypothetical second conditional may remain unchanged apart from pronouns.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: The mother said, "Children, be quiet."
A. The mother told the children to be quiet.
B. The mother said the children that they were quiet.
C. The mother told to the children be quiet.
D. The mother asked that children be quiet.
Correct Answer: A
An imperative uses 'told + object + to-infinitive'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: The judge said to the prisoner, "Do not leave the city."
A. The judge asked the prisoner not leaving the city.
B. The judge told that do not leave the city.
C. The judge ordered the prisoner not to leave the city.
D. The judge said that the prisoner did not leave.
Correct Answer: C
A negative order uses 'ordered + object + not to-infinitive'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "Congratulations!"
A. He congratulated me.
B. He wished that I congratulated him.
C. He thanked me.
D. He said me congratulations.
Correct Answer: A
A congratulatory expression is reported with 'congratulated'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: She said to me, "Thank you."
A. She told me thank you.
B. She requested me.
C. She thanked me.
D. She said that she thanked me.
Correct Answer: C
Expressions of thanks are reported with the verb 'thanked'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "Good morning."
A. He told me that it was morning.
B. He said me good morning that day.
C. He wished me good morning.
D. He asked me whether the morning was good.
Correct Answer: C
Greetings can be reported with 'wished' or 'greeted'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: She said, "How clever you are!"
A. She exclaimed that I was very clever.
B. She exclaimed whether I was clever.
C. She asked how clever was I.
D. She said that how clever I am.
Correct Answer: A
The exclamation is changed into a statement with 'very'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: He said, "Who has broken the window?"
A. He asked who had the window broken.
B. He asked who has broken the window.
C. He asked who had broken the window.
D. He said that who had broken the window.
Correct Answer: C
The question word remains; present perfect changes to past perfect.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Change into indirect speech: She said to him, "Have you finished the work?"
A. She asked him that he finished the work.
B. She said him if he has finished the work.
C. She asked him whether he had finished the work.
D. She told him that had he finished the work.
Correct Answer: C
Present perfect in a question changes to past perfect and uses statement word order.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Choose the correct direct form: The teacher ordered the boys to sit down.
A. The teacher said to the boys, "Sit down."
B. The teacher asked the boys, "Did you sit down?"
C. The teacher said, "The boys sat down."
D. The teacher told, "Sitting down."
Correct Answer: A
An order reported with 'to-infinitive' returns to an imperative in direct speech.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Choose the correct direct form: She asked me if I liked tea.
A. She said, "Did I like tea?"
B. She told me, "You like tea."
C. She said to me, "Do you like tea?"
D. She asked, "I like tea?"
Correct Answer: C
A reported yes/no question changes back to an interrogative with an auxiliary.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Choose the correct direct form: He said that he was ill.
A. He said, "I am ill."
B. He said, "He was ill."
C. He told, "I am ill."
D. He said, "I was ill yesterday."
Correct Answer: A
In direct speech, the speaker refers to himself as 'I' and present tense may be restored.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A. He said me that he was busy.
B. He told that he was busy.
C. He asked that he was busy.
D. He said that he was busy.
Correct Answer: D
'Said that' is correct without a direct object.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Which reporting verb is correct? The teacher ___ the students that the test was difficult.
A. asked
B. said
C. exclaimed
D. told
Correct Answer: D
'Tell' takes an object: told the students. 'Said' would require 'to the students'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Choose the correct indirect form: He said to me, "I met your brother."
A. He said me that he met your brother.
B. He told me that he had met my brother.
C. He told me that I had met his brother.
D. He asked me whether he met my brother.
Correct Answer: B
'Said to' becomes 'told'; past simple changes to past perfect; 'your' becomes 'my'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Direct and Indirect Narration
Choose the correct indirect form: She said, "These books are mine."
A. She told that those books had been her.
B. She said that these books are mine.
C. She said that those books were mine.
D. She said that those books were hers.
Correct Answer: D
'These' changes to 'those'; 'mine' changes according to the speaker.