Question

Select the best option to fill in the blank:
___________ speech is used while writing a report.

• A. Direct
• B. Reported
• C. Persuasive
• D. Informal

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Reported

A report gives a description about an incident or event that has happened. Hence, it will be in past tense.

Option B: Reported speech reports an event or action that happened. It can report something said by someone. Hence option B is correct.

Option A: Direct speech reports speech by directly quoting the words spoken by the speaker. But, a report narrates what was spoken, and is in third person point of view. It does not express firsthand information.

Option C: A report can be persuasive but it is not written in persuasive speech. Reports are not written in persuasive speech. A persuasive speech is spoken and not written. Reports are written.

Option D: Reports can be informal, such as a report written in a workplace, but it is not written in an informal speech. Informal speech is one that you use with your friends or relatives, but not in a professional environment. Informal reports still have a formal diction.

Hence options A, C and D are incorrect.