NDA English Narration MCQ Questions with Answers | 50 Rule-Based Direct & Indirect Speech from Previous year question Paper

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NDA Examination Practice Paper

50 Essential Narration / Speech Questions

Direct and Indirect Speech (50 MCQs)
Directions: Choose the option that correctly converts the given sentence into its corresponding Direct or Indirect speech form according to standard grammatical rules.
1. The Captain said to the soldiers, “Attack the enemy camp now.” NDA 2025
2. He said, “I have been writing this report since morning.” NDA 2025
3. The instructor said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.” NDA 2024
4. She said to me, “Where are you going for the summer vacation?” NDA 2024
5. The General said, “Bravo! You have fought exceptionally well.” NDA 2023
6. Rahul said, “I will definitely complete the project tomorrow.” NDA 2023
7. “Call the first witness,” said the judge. NDA 2022
8. The doctor said to the patient, “Take these medicines regularly.” NDA 2022
9. He said, “Alas! I am completely ruined.” NDA 2021
10. Amit said to Mohan, “Did you watch the football match last night?” NDA 2021
11. My father said to me, “Don’t waste your precious time.” NDA 2020
12. Kiran asked me, “Can you lend me your pen?” NDA 2020
13. The commander said, “Let the anchors be dropped immediately.” NDA 2019
14. He said to her, “Why didn’t you send the reply yesterday?” NDA 2019
15. She said, “Good morning, friends!” NDA 2018
16. The officer said, “Honesty is the best policy.” NDA 2018
17. He said to me, “I am going to the base camp now.” NDA 2017
18. The traveler said, “What a beautiful landscape it is!” NDA 2017
19. The teacher said to the boy, “Why were you absent from the class yesterday?” NDA 2016
20. He said, “Let us wait for the senior officer’s approval.” NDA 2016
21. The girl said, “I am glad to be here this evening.” NDA 2026 (Model Practice)
22. He said to me, “Do you know the way to the airfield?” NDA 2026 (Model Practice)
23. The captain said, “Loss of life is inevitable in wars.” NDA 2025
24. “Don’t move, absolute silence!” the sentry said to the hikers. NDA 2024
25. She said, “I bought a new vehicle yesterday.” NDA 2023
26. The lieutenant said to the sergeant, “Why hasn’t the patrol returned yet?” NDA 2023
27. He said, “May God bless you with victory!” NDA 2022
28. The prime minister said, “We shall overcome this pandemic together.” NDA 2022
29. “Are you joining the military academy next term?” she said to him. NDA 2021
30. The boy said, “Hurrah! My brother has cleared the NDA written exam.” NDA 2021
31. He said to his friend, “Please guide me through the obstacle course.” NDA 2020
32. The warden said to the cadet, “Go to your room right now.” NDA 2020
33. He said, “I like this classic military strategy.” NDA 2019
34. “Have you finished your firing practice?” the instructor said to me. NDA 2019
35. The teacher said, “Oil floats on water.” NDA 2018
36. He said, “I will be joining the naval fleet tomorrow.” NDA 2018
37. “Don’t touch the live terminal,” the technical officer said to the technicians. NDA 2017
38. She said to her mother, “I have passed the SSB interview.” NDA 2017
39. He said, “What a spectacular air display!” NDA 2016
40. The pilot said, “I am facing an engine failure right now.” NDA 2016
41. The colonel said, “Let no one cross this line without authorization.” NDA 2025
42. She said, “I am reading a book on naval history.” NDA 2024
43. The boy said, “I did my chores in the morning.” NDA 2023
44. He asked me, “Where does the commanding officer live?” NDA 2022
45. She said, “May you find peace and prosperity!” NDA 2021
46. The captain said, “We have survived the storm.” NDA 2020
47. “Do not argue with your superiors,” said the instructor. NDA 2019
48. He said, “I was planning to visit the base camp.” NDA 2018
49. She said, “The match will start on time.” NDA 2017
50. The doctor said, “The patient died last night.” NDA 2016

NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY (NDA)

Interactive Mock Test — English (Instant Feedback)

Marking Scheme: +4 for Correct | -1.33 for Incorrect

Time Spent: 00:00:00
Progress: 0 / 30 Questions
Section A: Narration (Direct & Indirect Speech)
Directions: Choose the alternative that best transforms the sentence into Indirect/Direct speech.

1. The captain said to the crew, “Anchors aweigh!” [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: This is an imperative command. “Said to” converts to “commanded”, and the imperative verb phrase shifts smoothly using the infinitive format “to weigh anchors”.

2. He said, “Let it rain ever so hard, I shall go out.” [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: “Let it rain ever so hard” represents a concessive condition. It translates structurally into “however hard it might rain”, while the future tense “shall” backshifts into “would”.

3. The teacher said, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.” [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: This sentence states a verified scientific universal fact. The tense within universal facts remains in the Simple Present (“boils”) even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.

4. “Call the first witness,” said the judge. [NDA 2019-I]

Explanation: A judge delivers court mandates, so the reporting verb shifts to “ordered”. The imperative clause introduces the infinitive framework “to call”.

5. He said, “Alas! I am undone.” [NDA 2018-II]

Explanation: The exclamation “Alas!” strictly translates to “exclaimed with sorrow”. The pronoun “I” tracks the speaker to become “he”, and “am” backshifts to “was”.

6. She said to me, “Where are you going for your holidays?” [NDA 2017-I]

Explanation: In interrogative WH-questions, the sentence structure changes from a question format to an assertive statement format (“where I was going” instead of “where was I”).

7. Kiran asked me, “Did you see the cricket match on television last night?” [NDA 2015-I]

Explanation: The internal Simple Past tense (“Did you see”) backshifts into the Past Perfect tense (“had seen”). Concurrently, the phrase “last night” updates to “the previous night”.

8. He said, “Honesty is the best policy.” [NDA 2013-I]

Explanation: Proverbs and habitual truths maintain their present tense parameters permanently. Therefore, “honesty is” remains unchanged.

9. The traveler said, “What a beautiful sight!” [NDA 2012-II]

Explanation: Exclamatory frames starting with “What a…” turn into assertive configurations using descriptors like “it was a very…”.

10. He said to his servant, “Leave the room at once.” [NDA 2011-I]

Explanation: Orders directed toward staff use the reporting verb “ordered”, connected directly with the infinitive expression “to leave”.
Section B: Conjunctions
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate conjunction pattern.

11. He had no other choice ________ to accept the terms of the settlement. [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: The adjective “other” operates as a comparative indicator and must pair with the correlative conjunction “than”.

12. Work hard ________ you should fail to qualify for the SSB interview. [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: “Lest” means “for fear that” and carries a negative meaning. It natively pairs with the modal auxiliary verb “should”.

13. Although he was severely injured in the battle, ________ he kept fighting. [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: The subordinating conjunction “Although” pairs with either a comma or the coordinating word “yet”. It should never pair with “but”.

14. Not only did he lose his reputation, ________ his entire savings. [NDA 2020-I]

Explanation: Follows standard parallel structural rules. “Not only” sets up a perfect correlative pair with “but also”.

15. He ran as fast as he could ________ he should miss the train. [NDA 2018-I]

Explanation: The secondary clause tracks a negative intent condition indicated by the auxiliary verb “should”, which requires the conjunction “lest”.
Section C: Active & Passive Voice
Directions: Transform the sentence to shift the structural voice pattern accurately.

16. The dynamic performance amazed the entire audience. [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: Certain verbs use specific prepositions in the passive voice instead of “by”. The verb “amazed” pairs with the fixed preposition “at” (*amazed at*).

17. They are painting the military barracks. [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: Present Continuous active constructions (“are painting”) translate into continuous passive structures using the auxiliary layout “are/is/am + being + V3”.

18. Has anyone informed the base commander? [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: Present Perfect questions maintain their tense using the structure “Has/Have + Subject + been + V3”.

19. Shut all the strategic gates at sunset. [NDA 2019-II]

Explanation: Imperative orders containing an object convert to the passive voice using the structure “Let + Object + be + V3”. Note that the third form of shut is “shut”.

20. The coordinates were leaked to the enemy by a mole. [NDA 2017-II]

Explanation: This sentence is given in the passive voice (“were leaked”). Converting it back to the active voice requires the Simple Past form (“leaked”).
Section D: Prepositions
Directions: Select the appropriate fixed/contextual preposition to fill the blank space.

21. The unit was completely unacquainted ________ the treacherous terrain. [NDA 2025-I]

Explanation: The adjective “unacquainted” requires the fixed preposition “with” to properly connect to an object.

22. The brave soldiers abstained ________ violating the human rights protocol. [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: Verbs expressing avoidance, such as *abstain*, *refrain*, or *prohibit*, naturally pair with the preposition “from”.

23. The commander congratulated the squadron ________ their successful mission. [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: A common error is using “congratulated for”. Grammatically, the verb *congratulate* must pair with the preposition “on”.

24. You must comply ________ the standing orders of the academy. [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: While the verb *abide* pairs with *by*, the verb *comply* always requires the fixed preposition “with”.

25. The continuous shelling resulted ________ massive damage to the enemy bunker. [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: To indicate a consequence or final outcome, the verb *result* pairs with the preposition “in”.
Section E: Synonyms
Directions: Choose the alternative nearest in meaning to the CAPITALIZED word.

26. The general gave a LUCID explanation of the strategic maneuver. [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: *Lucid* means expressed clearly or easy to understand. “Clear” is the accurate synonym.

27. The team made a METICULOUS plan before executing the commando raid. [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: *Meticulous* means showing great attention to detail or being very careful. “Detailed / Careful” is the correct choice.

28. His PERPETUAL complaints irritated the commanding officer. [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: *Perpetual* means never ending or changing, occurring repeatedly. “Continuous” matches this meaning nearest.

29. The border region remains a VOLATILE zone due to structural tensions. [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: *Volatile* describes a situation liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. “Unstable / Explosive” matches perfectly.

30. The young lieutenant showed EXEMPLARY courage under heavy firing. [NDA 2020-I]

Explanation: *Exemplary* means serving as a desirable model, representing the best of its kind. Hence, it is “Commendable”.

NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY (NDA)

Interactive Full Mock Test — English (50 MCQs)

Marking Scheme: +4 for Correct | -1.33 for Incorrect

Time Spent: 00:00:00
Progress: 0 / 50 Questions
Section A: Narration (Direct & Indirect Speech)
Directions: Select the correct alternative converting the sentence statement.

1. The officer said, “I am very busy now.” [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: Simple Present (“am”) changes to Simple Past (“was”), and the adverb “now” shifts to “then”.

2. My son said to me, “I will not disappoint you.” [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: “said to me” changes to “told me”, and the modal verb “will” changes to “would”.

3. My brother said, “I can climb this hill in less than an hour.” [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: “can” backshifts to “could”, and the demonstrative word “this” shifts to “that”.

4. “The taxi is here,” said the watchman. [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: Simple present “is” transitions to past “was”, and “here” shifts to “there”.

5. “I am proud of you,” father said to me. [NDA 2020-I]

Explanation: “said to me” map-shifts to “told me”, combined with normal tense backshifting rules.

6. The student said, “I must study hard.” [NDA 2019-II]

Explanation: Under indirect conversion parameters, “must” representing a fixed obligation converts to “had to”.

7. My brother said to me, “I was upset, but now I am fine.” [NDA 2018-I]

Explanation: Simple Past “was” changes to Past Perfect “had been”, and “now I am” converts to “then he was”.

8. He said to me, “I am ready.” [NDA 2017-II]

Explanation: “said to me” shifts to “told me”, matching the structure “he was ready”.

9. Sonia said, “You help my sister.” [NDA 2016-I]

Explanation: Present tense transitions cleanly to Simple Past tense (“helped”).

10. They said, “We cannot live without oxygen.” [NDA 2015-II]

Explanation: Universal facts and truths retain both their base pronouns and internal tenses intact.

11. John says, “I shall go there.” [NDA 2014-I]

Explanation: When the reporting verb is in the present tense (“says”), the inner statement tense does not backshift.

12. The tourist said to me, “Can you give me the directions to the temple?” [NDA 2013-II]

Explanation: Yes/No questions translate using “if”, and the sentence converts to an assertive format (“I could”).

13. Mother asked Amayra, “Have you finished your homework?” [NDA 2012-I]

Explanation: Present Perfect tense (“Have finished”) backshifts to Past Perfect tense (“had finished”).

14. “Don’t forget to bring your umbrella,” he said to her. [NDA 2011-II]

Explanation: Negative imperative advice transitions using the structural formula “advised + object + not to + verb”.

15. She said, “I will meet you at the cafe at 3 p.m.” [NDA 2010-I]

Explanation: “will” converts to “would”, and pronouns shift contextually to mirror the listener (“me”).

16. I said to Bhawna, “Have the monkeys eaten up our cauliflowers?” [NDA 2025-I]

Explanation: Present Perfect interrogative shifts using “if” into an assertive Past Perfect structure (“had eaten up”).

17. The teacher said to the boys, “Work hard if you want to pass.” [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: This structural prompt expresses teacher advice, pairing an infinitive (“to work”) with past-tense conversion (“wanted”).

18. He said, “Bravo! You have done well.” [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: The exclamation “Bravo!” converts to “applauded him, saying that”, followed by standard tense shifts.

19. The doctor said to the patient, “Take this medicine twice a day.” [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: Medical suggestions translate using “advised”, and the demonstrative “this” changes to “that”.

20. She said, “What a beautiful scene!” [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: An exclamatory structure transitions into an assertive past description using intensifiers (“was a very”).
Section B: Synonyms
Directions: Select the alternative nearest in meaning to the capitalized word.

21. The soldiers remained VIGILANT throughout the night. [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: VIGILANT means keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties; “Watchful” is its direct synonym.

22. The thief tried to CONCEAL the stolen jewels under the mattress. [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: CONCEAL means to prevent something from being seen or known; its closest meaning is “Hide”.

23. She belongs to an AFFLUENT family in the city. [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: AFFLUENT means having a great deal of money or wealth; therefore, “Rich” is the correct answer.

24. The general decided to RELINQUISH his command after the defeat. [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: RELINQUISH means to voluntarily cease to keep or claim; to “Surrender / Give up”.

25. It was a BRUTAL crime that shocked the entire community. [NDA 2020-I]

Explanation: BRUTAL denotes savagely violent, harsh, or “Cruel” behavior.
Section C: Antonyms
Directions: Select the alternative opposite in meaning to the capitalized word.

26. The witness gave a VAGUE description of the suspect. [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: VAGUE means uncertain or indefinite. Its logical opposite is “Clear”.

27. All human beings are FALLIBLE. [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: FALLIBLE means capable of making mistakes. The exact opposite is “Infallible / Perfect”.

28. The local community DENOUNCED the new government policy. [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: DENOUNCED means publicly declaring something to be wrong or evil. Its opposite is “Praised / Commended”.

29. The volcano has been DORMANT for hundreds of years. [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: DORMANT means having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down; its direct antonym is “Active”.

30. Akbar was a SAGACIOUS ruler who respected all religions. [NDA 2019-I]

Explanation: SAGACIOUS means having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; its opposite is “Foolish”.
Section D: Active & Passive Voice
Directions: Select the alternative that correctly shifts the voice structure.

31. He was given a black bow by a lady missionary. [NDA 2025-I]

Explanation: Passive Simple Past (“was given”) converts back to Active Simple Past (“gave”).

32. Someone has stolen all the confidential files from the office. [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: Active Present Perfect (“has stolen”) requires the passive continuous structure “have been stolen”.

33. Why have you not visited your sister in the hospital? [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: The interrogative phrase tracking the object “your sister” matches the singular present perfect structural rule “has… not been visited”.

34. Prem will teach the child. [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: Simple Future active “will teach” converts into passive future tense using “will be taught”.

35. The manager made the employees work overtime. [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: Active causative structures using “made” require an infinitive complement string “were made to work” in the passive voice.
Section E: Tenses
Directions: Complete the blanks using the correct grammatical tense option.

36. The victims were fruit vendors and they were going in an auto when they ________ an accident on the way. [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: Use Simple Past (“met with”) to show a sudden, specific event interrupting a continuous past action (“were going”).

37. My mother has been working hard for the last two weeks and she ________ rundown. [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: Stative verbs showing current states use the Simple Present form (“feels”) rather than continuous aspects.

38. By the time the police arrived, the thief ________ away. [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: Actions that happen before a specific point in the past use the Past Perfect tense (“had run”).

39. I ________ for you at the station since 5 o’clock this morning. [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: Time expressions starting with “since” show an action began in the past and continues now, requiring the Present Perfect Continuous tense (“have been waiting”).

40. The Earth ________ around the Sun. [NDA 2018-II]

Explanation: Universal astronomical facts use the simple present singular tense (“revolves”).
Section F: Conjunctions
Directions: Select the option that contains the correct correlative/subordinating connector pattern.

41. Scarcely had he left the room ________ the lights went out. [NDA 2024-I]

Explanation: The negative adverb “Scarcely” always pairs with the conjunction “when”.

42. He worked exceptionally hard, ________ he failed to secure the top rank. [NDA 2023-II]

Explanation: Use the adversative coordinating conjunction “yet” to connect two clauses with opposing meanings.

43. No sooner did the teacher enter the classroom ________ the students stood up. [NDA 2022-I]

Explanation: The comparative adverbial phrase “No sooner” always pairs with the conjunction “than”.

44. You must either pay the fine ________ face legal action from the council. [NDA 2021-II]

Explanation: The correlative conjunction “either” pairs with “or”.

45. She was prepared to show her hand ________ he agreed to do the same. [NDA 2020-I]

Explanation: Use “provided” as a conditional conjunction meaning “on the condition that”.
Section G: Conditional Sentences
Directions: Select the appropriate verb form for the conditional clause layout.

46. If I ________ a bird, I would fly across the oceans. [NDA 2025-I]

Explanation: Hypothetical or imaginary conditions use the subjunctive past plural form “were” for all subjects.

47. If they had played carefully, they ________ the match yesterday. [NDA 2024-II]

Explanation: Type 3 past unfulfilled conditional structures pair a “had + V3” condition with a “would have + V3” consequence.

48. If you study hard, you ________ the upcoming NDA exam. [NDA 2023-I]

Explanation: Type 1 real open conditional structures combine a Simple Present condition (“study”) with a Simple Future consequence (“will pass”).

49. Unless you ________ hard, you will not clear the physical fitness test. [NDA 2022-II]

Explanation: The conjunction “Unless” is inherently negative, so it cannot be paired with a secondary negative helper like “do not”.

50. Had I known about your arrival, I ________ you at the railway station. [NDA 2021-I]

Explanation: This inverted Type 3 past unfulfilled conditional clause (“Had I known”) requires a “would have + V3” (“would have met”) consequence phrase.

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