NARRATION (Direct and Indirect Speech)

NARRATION (Direct and Indirect Speech)


1. What is Narration?



  • Narration means telling what someone said.

  • It is the way we report or repeat another person’s words.


There are two types of Narration:


1.     Direct Speech


2.     Indirect Speech


2. Direct Speech



  • In Direct Speech, we write the exact words of the speaker.

  • The speaker’s words are written inside quotation marks (“ ”).

  • A comma (,) is used before the quoted words.


Example: Rina said, “I am reading.” (Here we used her exact words.)


3. Indirect Speech



  • In Indirect Speech, we do not use the exact words of the speaker.

  • We change the tense, pronouns, and time words.

  • We do not use quotation marks.


Example: Rina said that she was reading.


4. How to Change Direct to Indirect Speech


(a) Remove the Quotation Marks


Example: “I am playing.” - that he was playing.


(b) Change the Tense


Direct and Indirect Speech – Tense Change Rules


If the reporting verb (said, told, asked) is in past tense,
then the verb in reported speech goes one step back in tense.


Changes (by point)



  • am / is - was

  • are - were

  • has / have - had

  • will - would

  • shall - should

  • can - could

  • may - might

  • was / were - had been


Examples:



  • He said, “I eat rice.” - He said that he ate rice.

  • She said, “I will go.” - She said that she would go.


Note: If the reporting verb is in present or future, don’t change the tense.
Example: He says, “I am happy.” - He says that he is happy.


(c) Change the Pronouns


Pronouns change according to the subject and object of the sentence.


Examples:



  • He said, “I am busy.” - He said that he was busy.

  • She said to me, “You are kind.” - She told me that I was kind.


(d) Change of Time and Place Words


When we change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech, the time and place words also change.


Changes (by point)



  • now - then

  • today - that day

  • tomorrow - the next day

  • yesterday - the previous day

  • here - there

  • this - that

  • these - those

  • tonight - that night


Examples:



  • Direct: He said, “I will go tomorrow.”

  • Indirect: He said that he would go the next day.


5. Kinds of Sentences and Their Rules


(i) Assertive Sentences (Simple statements)


Use that to join the sentence.


Examples:



  • He said, “I am fine.” - He said that he was fine.

  • She said, “I like tea.” - She said that she liked tea.


(ii) Interrogative Sentences (Questions)



  1. Use asked instead of said.

  2. Remove the question mark.

  3. Use if/whether for yes-no questions.

  4. Keep wh- words (what, where, why, etc.) as they are.


Examples:



  • She said, “Are you happy?” - She asked if I was happy.

  • He said, “Where do you live?” - He asked where I lived.


(iii) Imperative Sentences (Orders, Requests, Advice)



  1. Use verbs like told, ordered, requested, advised.

  2. Use to + verb after that.

  3. For negative commands, use not to + verb.


Examples:



  • He said, “Sit down.” - He told me to sit down.

  • She said, “Please help me.” - She requested me to help her.

  • The teacher said, “Don’t talk.” - The teacher told us not to talk.


(iv) Exclamatory Sentences (Strong Feelings)



  1. Use words like exclaimed with joy / sorrow / surprise.

  2. Remove the exclamation mark (!)

  3. Change into a simple statement.


Examples:



  • He said, “What a beautiful flower!” - He exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful flower.

  • She said, “Alas! I am lost.” - She exclaimed with sorrow that she was lost.


6. Important Reporting Verbs



  • said, told - for statements

  • asked, inquired - for questions

  • ordered, commanded - for orders

  • requested, begged, advised - for requests or advice

  • exclaimed - for emotions


Examples:


1.     He said, “I am busy.” - He said that he was busy.


2.     She said, “I will call you tomorrow.” - She said that she would call me the next day.


3.     He said, “Please open the door.” - He requested me to open the door.


4.     The teacher said, “Don’t run.” - The teacher told us not to run.


5.     She said, “What a pity!” - She exclaimed with sorrow that it was a pity.


7. Tips for Exams


Remove quotation marks.
Change tense one step back.
Change pronouns correctly.
Change time and place words.
Use correct reporting verbs.
Don’t change the meaning of the sentence.