Narration ( Direct-Indirect Speech)

Direct speech gives the exact words of the speaker, in the first person. Indirect speech or reported speech gives the remarks or the speaker as quoted by someone else. Direct : He says, I have done my work. Indirect : He says that he has done his work. Narration has some specific rules for different types of sentences: (a) Statements or simple sentences (b) Interrogative sentences (c) Imperative sentences (d) Exclamatory sentences.

Rules for STATEMENTS or SIMPLE SENTENCES Reported Reported Reported Reported verb verb verb verb (say / says) is changed into (say / says ). (say to / says to) is changed into ( tell / tells ). ( said ) is changed into ( said ). (said to ) is changed into ( told ).

Note: 1. inform, reply, remind, declare etc. can be used instead of said and told to give clear meaning. 2. Present and Future tense are not changed in the past form if reported speech (indirect speech) is to be written in the same tense. 3. That is used as a conjunction when inverted commas are removed.
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4. Some changes to make reported speech in past tense. * * * * * * * * * is/am change to was Are change to were Has/have change to had Shall/will change to should/would Can change to could May change to might Does not/do not change to did not Did not change to had not +V III V II change to had +V III

Note: Tense is not changed in case of universal truth, historical truth or true even at the time of reporting. My father says The sun is a star My father says that the sun is a star. Ram said to me, I am 6 feet long. Ram told me that he is 6 feet long. Teacher said, Taj Mahal was built by Shahjahan. Teacher told that Taj Mahal was built by Shahjahan. 5) Pronoun changes according to S O N formula Ist person changes according to Subject (I, my, me, we, our, us) IInd person changes according to Object (you, your, you) IIIrd person No change (he, his, him, she, her, her, they , their , them)

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Example She says, I am in the right. She says that she is in the right.

6) Some other changes:

Here there Now then This that These those Today that day Tonight that night Yesterday the previous day Tomorrow the next day Next day the following day Age before This so Hence thence Sir/madam respectfully Yes replied in positive No replied in the negative

7) If two or more sentences are given, connect them using and added that

Some examples: Direct: She says, I am in eighth class Indirect: She says that she is in eighth class.
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Direct: He says, I am ten years old. Indirect: He says that he is ten years old. Direct: She says to me, You have done your home-work Indirect: She tells me that I have done my home-work. Direct: He says to her, You have done your home-work. Indirect: He tells her that she has done her home-work. Direct: She says, He does not work hard. Indirect: She says that he does not work hard. Direct: Everybody says, They have spoken the truth. Indirect: Every body says that they have spoken the truth. Direct: She said, I am suffering from fever. Indirect: She said that she was suffering from fever. Direct: He said, I am milking the cow. Indirect: He said that he was milking the cow. Direct: She said to me, I have seen the Zoo twice. Indirect: She told me that she had seen the Zoo twice. Direct: He said, It has been raining since morning. Indirect: He said that it had been raining since morning. Direct: She said to me, I took the breakfast in the morning. Indirect: She told me that she had taken the breakfast in the morning. Direct: He said, I was listening to the running commentary.
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Indirect: He said that he had been listening to the running commentary.

Rules for INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES Rules: 1) Reporting verb (said or said to) is changed into asked/ enquired/ wanted to know/ demanded. 2) If the sentence starts with Helping verb (do, does, did, is, am, are, was, were, had, have, had, shall, will, could) if is used instead of , . 3) If the sentence starts with WH family (who, whose, whom, when, where, which, what, why, how) it remain as it is. 4) Full stop (.) is used instead of (?) at the end. 5) Helping verb is placed after subject. 6) Delete do, does did and use proper verb form. Some examples: Direct: He said to me, Do I sing a song now? Indirect: He asked me if he sang a song then. Direct: She said to them, Does he disturb you? Indirect: She asked them if he disturbed them. Direct: They said to her, Are we wasting your time? Indirect: They asked her if they were wasting her time. Direct: We said to them, Is she making a noise? Indirect: We asked them if she was making a noise.

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Direct: He said to her, Am I reading a novel? Indirect: He asked her if he was reading a novel. Direct: She said to them, Have you revised your lesson? Indirect: She asked them if they had revised their lesson. Direct: They said to him, Has he failed again? Indirect: They asked him if he had failed again. Direct: She said to us, Did you abuse your neighbors yesterday? Indirect: She asked us if we had abused our neighbors the previous day. Direct: He said to her, Was I cheating you? Indirect: He asked her if he had been cheating her. Direct: She said to you, Were you playing a hockey match? Indirect: She asked you if you had been playing a hockey match. Direct: She said to me, Who teaches you English? Indirect: She asked me who taught me English. Direct: She said to us, Why are you disturbing us? Indirect: She asked us why we were disturbing them. Direct: He said to his mother, Why have you not washed my school dress? Indirect: He asked his mother why she had not washed his school dress. Direct: He said to them, How were you returning home? Indirect: He asked them how they had been returning home.
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Direct: Her mother said, What will you have for breakfast, Rajni? Indirect: Her mother asked Rajni what she would have for breakfast. Direct: Anil said to his sister, How did you fare in the interview? Indirect: Anil asked his sister how she had fared in the interview.

Rules for IMPERATIVE SENTENCES Rules: 1) Reporting verb is changed into requested + object + to advice / to warned / to forbade / to ordered or to command / instructed. 2) For negative sentence Not to is used. 3) Said to is changed into proposed to or suggested to if the sentence is beginning with Let 4) We/they/ should is used at the end of Let as in suggestive sentences. 5) In case of seeking permission requested to is used. Some examples Direct: I said to him, Work hard. Indirect: I advised him to work hard. Direct: The teacher said to the boys, Do not make a noise. Indirect: The teacher ordered the boys not to make a noise. Direct: I said to her, Kindly give me a lift. Indirect: I requested her to give me a lift.

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Direct: Father said to me, Avoid bad company. Indirect: Father advised me to avoid bad company. Direct: Sit down, boys, said the teacher. Indirect: The teacher ordered the boys to sit down. Direct: The General said to the soldiers, March forward and attack the foe. Indirect: The General commanded the soldiers to March forward and attack the foe. Direct: I said to my servant, Do not sit in this room. Indirect: I ordered my servant not to sit in that room. Direct: My mother said to me, Do not tell a lie. Indirect: My mother advised me not to tell a lie. Direct: Mamta said to her teacher, Please grant me leave for today only. Indirect: Mamta requested her teacher to grant her leave for that day only. Direct: She said to me, Do not go farther. Indirect: She warned me not to go farther. Direct: She said to me, Let us go to see the exhibition. Indirect: She proposed to me that we should go to see the exhibition. Direct: Rani said to the teacher, Let me go home early. Indirect: Rani requested the teacher to let her go home early.

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Note: For exclamatory Sentences, exclaimed with joy/with surprise/with sorrow is used. Some examples: Direct: The team said, Hurrah! We have won the match. Indirect: The team exclaimed with joy that they had won the match. Direct: She said, Alas! I have lost all of my ornaments. Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost all of her ornaments. Direct: He said, Sorry! I cannot lend you my scooter. Indirect: He exclaimed with regret that he could not lend him his scooter. Direct: Pooh! said he to me, You have again failed in the examination. Indirect: He exclaimed with contempt that I had again failed in the examination.

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