Reported Speech Question Answers | DAV Class 7 English Practice Book Chapter 8 Solutions

Are you looking for DAV Class 7 English Practice Book Chapter 8 Solutions? You are in the right place! In this article, we provide complete, step-by-step solutions for Unit 8: Reported Speech with all worksheets (Worksheet 1 to Worksheet 9) and Do It Yourself exercises fully solved according to the prescribed DAV CAE textbook curriculum.

DAV Class 7 English Practice Book Unit 8: Reported Speech – Complete Solutions

Worksheet 1

Read the following conversation between Pranoy and Rohit:

‘The sports day is on the 23rd of this month,’ said Pranoy.
‘I can hardly wait for the day,’ exclaimed Rohit.
‘I am nervous about the races,’ said Pranoy.
‘You should not worry as you will be the champion again,’ said Rohit.
‘That will not be true because I am out of practice,’ said Pranoy.

The words actually spoken are given in inverted commas. The same conversation is given below in the reported form. However, some words are missing from it. Fill in the blanks by selecting an appropriate word from the Aid Box that follows it. The first one has been done as an example:

Aid Box: regretted, warned, replied, threatened, confessed, reminded, assured, apologised, reported

Completed Paragraph:
Pranoy reported excitedly that the sports day was on the 23rd of that month. Rohit replied that he could hardly wait for the day. Pranoy confessed that he was nervous about the races. However, Rohit assured him that he should not worry as he would be the champion again, but Pranoy regretted that would not be true because he was out of practice.

Remember: The words that you have filled in the blanks are reporting verbs. Sometimes it is not necessary to report everything that is said word by word. Hence, reporting verbs are used to summarise what was communicated.
• Direct speech is what the speaker actually says.
• Indirect speech is reporting it from the narrator’s point of view.

Worksheet 2

Refer to the conversation again and list the words that have been changed:

Worksheet 3

Look at the words in the blurbs in Column A. Imagine this is what your partner has whispered in your ear. You have to tell the rest of the class what he/she has told you, using the reporting verb given below the blurb. Write what you will say in Column B. One has been done for you:

Worksheet 4

Now actually ask your partner to whisper a sentence in your ear and report what he/she said. Then whisper a different sentence in your partner’s ear and he/she should report what you said. Refer to the reporting verbs given in Worksheet 1:

1. Direct: ‘I am sorry for being late.’
Reported: He apologised for being late.

2. Direct: ‘Don’t forget to submit your project tomorrow.’
Reported: She reminded me to submit my project the next day.

3. Direct: ‘I won’t disclose your secret to anyone.’
Reported: He promised that he would not disclose my secret to anyone.

4. Direct: ‘Why don’t we visit the science museum this Sunday?’
Reported: She suggested visiting the science museum that Sunday.

Remember:
• The reporting verb is usually in the past tense.
• In reported speech, words denoting first person (I, my, me, mine, myself, we, our, us, ours, ourselves) change according to the subject, and words denoting second person (you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves) change according to the object.
• Demonstrators change: ‘this’ into ‘that’, ‘now’ into ‘then’, ‘here’ into ‘there’, ‘tomorrow’ into ‘the next day’, ‘yesterday’ into ‘the previous day’.

Worksheet 5

Work with your partner and write the direct questions for each of the reported ones given below. One has been done for you:

1. Shireen asked her mother where her water bottle was.
Direct: Shireen said to her mother, ‘Where is my water bottle?’

2. He asked when they would be moving out.
Direct: He said, ‘When will we be moving out?’ (or: ‘When will you be moving out?’)

3. The teacher asked the students why they were making a noise.
Direct: The teacher said to the students, ‘Why are you making a noise?’

4. The children asked their mother if (whether) they could go out and play.
Direct: The children said to their mother, ‘Can we go out and play?’

5. Mrs Raghavan asked Sunanda how she had prepared that dish.
Direct: Mrs Raghavan said to Sunanda, ‘How did you prepare this dish?’

6. They asked us if (whether) our team had won.
Direct: They said to us, ‘Did your team win?’ (or: ‘Has your team won?’)

7. He wondered which room he should sleep in.
Direct: He said, ‘Which room should I sleep in?’

8. The coach asked Sonia (whether) if it was her turn.
Direct: The coach said to Sonia, ‘Is it your turn?’

Remember: When questions are reported—
• Indirect questions beginning with auxiliary verbs are introduced by ‘if’ or ‘whether’.
• Indirect ‘wh-questions’ are introduced by the ‘wh-word’ which begins the question in direct speech.
• Word order is inverted to normal assertive statement order: e.g. ‘Why are you making a noise?’ becomes ‘Why they were making a noise.’

Worksheet 6

Report the following questions using ‘if/whether’, ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘which’, as appropriate:

1. ‘Where is the library?’
Sonali asked the peon where the library was.

2. ‘Is it raining?’
My mother asked me if it was raining. (or: whether it was raining)

3. ‘Why didn’t you come to school yesterday?’
She asked him why he hadn’t come to school the previous day.

4. ‘Which car should I buy?’
The customer asked the dealer which car he should buy.

5. ‘Have you been to the Shopping Plaza?’
Sonali asked Mandira if she had been to the Shopping Plaza.

6. ‘How many of you have not done the homework?’
The teacher asked the students how many of them had not done the homework.

7. ‘Can I take a day off?’
He asked his boss if he could take a day off.

Worksheet 7

Read the following dialogues taken from the Sub-unit ‘A Handful of Almonds’ of the Unit ‘Achievers’ in the My English Reader (C-VII). Then complete the summary given below:

‘Are you sure you want to do it?’ said the teacher.
Nani said, ‘I want to try.’
* * *
‘Papa, I have given my name for the elocution competition,’ announced Nani to his father in the evening.
‘What are you going to speak on?’ said his father.
‘I don’t know as it is going to be an extempore,’ said Nani.

Completed Summary:
The teacher asked Nani if he was sure he wanted to do it, to which Nani replied that he wanted to try. In the evening, Nani told his father that he had given his name for the elocution competition. His father enquired what he was going to speak on. Nani answered that he did not know as it was going to be an extempore.

Worksheet 8

Imagine your brother Rohan and his friend had gone to a shopping complex when Prateek got kidnapped. Later the police interviewed Rohan and based on the clues he had given them, they were able to nab the kidnappers and save Prateek. First read Rohan’s conversation with the police, then complete the letter given on page 101:

Police Inspector: Where were you when Prateek was kidnapped?
Rohan: I am very fond of ice cream, so I had gone to get some more of it for both of us.
Police Inspector: Did you see the kidnappers?
Rohan: I saw two persons. I think there were only two of them.
Police Inspector: What did they look like?
Rohan: One of them was tall, about six feet, and the other was of average height. The shorter one was wearing a hat and was in a black shirt. The taller one was in blue.
Police Inspector: Did you notice the vehicle they took Prateek in?
Rohan: It was a white Maruti car. I also remember the number. It was CH01K 3911.
Police Inspector: Thank you, Rohan. You have been a great help.

Completed Letter:

Room No. 12
Nehru Hostel
ABC School
January 20, 20__

Dear Mom and Dad,

Guess what! Prateek has been saved and the kidnappers have been nabbed, all because of Rohan’s courage and alertness. Just yesterday, the police interviewed Rohan. The first thing the police inspector asked him was where he had been when Prateek was kidnapped. Rohan answered that he was very fond of ice cream, so he had gone to get some more of it for both of them. Next, the inspector asked him if he had seen the kidnappers. Rohan replied that he had seen two persons and added that he thought there had been only two of them. When the inspector asked him what they looked like, Rohan told him that one of them was tall, about six feet, and the other was of average height. The shorter one was wearing a hat and was in a black shirt, while the taller one was in blue. Further, the inspector enquired if he had noticed the vehicle they took Prateek in. Rohan promptly reported that it was a white Maruti car and that he also remembered the number, which was CH01K 3911. The inspector thanked Rohan and said that he had been a great help. We are all proud of Rohan!

Yours lovingly,
Aniket

Worksheet 9

Read the following sentences and note the use of commas, inverted commas and capital letters:
• Nancy said, ‘Take the book with you.’
• ‘This is my favourite skirt,’ said Shiela.
• Robin shouted, ‘Where did you hide the dog?’
• ‘Will you get some sugar,’ said mother, ‘or should I get it myself?’

Now punctuate the following sentences and write them in the space provided:

1. how do I solve this problem Nikhil said to his teacher
Answer: ‘How do I solve this problem?’ Nikhil said to his teacher.

2. the tourist exclaimed what a beautiful monument
Answer: The tourist exclaimed, ‘What a beautiful monument!’

3. she asked is that me and started to cry
Answer: She asked, ‘Is that me?’ and started to cry.

4. I am very worried about my father’s health said Kareena
Answer: ‘I am very worried about my father’s health,’ said Kareena.

5. where can I get some pastries asked the man at the counter
Answer: ‘Where can I get some pastries?’ asked the man at the counter.

6. if you have the time Shiela said will you help me with my homework
Answer: ‘If you have the time,’ Shiela said, ‘will you help me with my homework?’

7. my dear sister whispered Sasha if you don’t give me your chocolate I will let out your secret
Answer: ‘My dear sister,’ whispered Sasha, ‘if you don’t give me your chocolate, I will let out your secret.’

8. where are my shoes Fatima said to her brother I cannot find them anywhere
Answer: ‘Where are my shoes?’ Fatima said to her brother. ‘I cannot find them anywhere.’
(Also acceptable: ‘Where are my shoes?’ Fatima said to her brother, ‘I cannot find them anywhere.’)

Do It Yourself

1. Read the following conversation between Roohi and Meena. Then complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the blank spaces:

Roohi: There’s an exciting magic show in the town.
Meena: Where is it being held?
Roohi: At plaza. Would you like to go for it?
Meena: Is anyone going to see it?
Roohi: Malini and I are going tomorrow.
Meena: Can I join you?
Roohi: You must join us. We’ll have fun.
Meena: Who will get the tickets?
Roohi: I’ll ask my brother to arrange them.

Completed Paragraph:
Roohi told Meena that there was an exciting magic show in the town. Meena asked her where it was being held. Roohi told her it was at the Plaza and enquired if she would like to go for it. Meena asked Roohi if anyone was going to see it. Roohi told her that Malini and she were going to see it the next day. Meena asked if she could join them. Roohi was delighted to hear this. She insisted that she must join them. She was sure that they would have fun. Meena asked her who would get the tickets. Roohi said she would ask her brother to arrange them.

2. Read the conversation given below and complete it in any suitable way:

Mother: Why don’t you clean your room?
Son: (a) Mother, please let it be as it is. I feel comfortable this way.
Mother: But how can you find anything in this mess?
Son: (b) Don’t worry, Mom, I know where everything is kept.
Mother: Look at your shoes lying on the floor!
Son: I’ve kept my shoes here because I am about to go for a jog.
Mother: (c) And why is your school bag lying unpacked on the table?
Son: I need that too. I’m doing my homework.
Mother: Make sure you put the bag in the right place when you leave the room.
Son: (d) Yes, Mom, I will put it away as soon as I finish my work. I’m getting late now.
Mother: (e) Alright, but make sure to tidy up your room this evening.
Son: Please don’t touch anything, otherwise I won’t be able to find my things.