Narration
Direct and Indirect Speech
Introduction
There are two ways to express what a person says or the words spoken by someone:
Direct Speech
Indirect Speech
Suppose your classmate Mike tells you at school, “I will lend you my book.” You come home and want to tell your sister what Mike told you. You can do this in two ways:
Direct Speech: Mike said, “I will lend you my book.”
Indirect Speech: Mike said that he would lend me his book.
Reporting Verb
The verb in the first part of a sentence (such as “said,” “told,” “says”) before the statement being reported is called the reporting verb.
Examples: In the following examples, the reporting verb is “said.”
Direct Speech: He said, “I play football on weekends.”
Indirect Speech: He said that he played football on weekends.
Direct Speech: They said, “We are attending the concert.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they were attending the concert.
Reported Speech
The second part of indirect speech, which shares what a person has said, is called reported speech. For example, in the sentence, “He said that he played football on weekends,” the words “he played football on weekends” form the reported speech. This part is what was originally enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech.
Fundamental Rules for Indirect Speech
No Quotation Marks: The reported speech in indirect speech does not use quotation marks.
Use of "That": The word that is used to connect the reporting verb and the reported speech.
Pronoun Changes: The pronouns in the reported speech are often adjusted according to the subject or object of the reporting verb. Sometimes the pronoun does not change, depending on the sentence.
In the following example, the pronoun “I” in direct speech changes to “he” in indirect speech because the subject of the reporting verb is “he.”
Example:
Direct Speech: He said, “I will finish my homework.”
Indirect Speech: He said that he would finish his homework.
Direct Speech: I told her, “You are very kind.”
Indirect Speech: I told her that she was very kind. (Here, “you” changes to “she” as it refers to the person being spoken to.)
Changes in Time Expressions
When converting direct speech to indirect speech, time expressions change based on context:
Now → Then
Today → That day
Tomorrow → The next day
Yesterday → The previous day
Examples:
Direct Speech: She said, “I will see you tomorrow.”
Indirect Speech: She said that she would see me the next day.
Direct Speech: He said, “I am leaving now.”
Indirect Speech: He said that he was leaving then.
Tense Changes in Reported Speech
If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech usually changes accordingly. However, if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech remains the same.
Examples:
Direct Speech: She said, “I am going to the market.”
Indirect Speech: She said that she was going to the market. (The tense of the reported speech changes because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense.)
Direct Speech: He says, “I like chocolate.”
Indirect Speech: He says that he likes chocolate. (The tense does not change because the reporting verb "says" is in the present tense.)
Tense changes in indirect speech follow specific rules, which are outlined in the table below.
Table for Changes in Tense of Reported Speech for All Tenses
DIRECT SPEECH | INDIRECT SPEECH |
PRESENT TENSE | PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE |
She said, “I teach at a school.” | She said that she taught at a school. |
They said, “We enjoy reading books.” | They said that they enjoyed reading books. |
He said, “I cook dinner every night.” | He said that he cooked dinner every night. |
She said, “I don’t watch TV.” | She said that she didn’t watch TV. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PROGRESSIVE | |
He said, “I am reading a novel.” | He said that he was reading a novel. |
I said, “She is walking in the park.” | I said that she was walking in the park. |
She said, “They are learning French.” | She said that they were learning French. |
David said, “I am not sleeping yet.” | David said that he was not sleeping yet. |
PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT | |
She said, “I have visited Italy.” | She said that she had visited Italy. |
John said, “I have finished my homework.” | John said that he had finished his homework. |
He said, “She has cooked dinner.” | He said that she had cooked dinner. |
David said, “I have not seen the movie.” | David said that he had not seen the movie. |
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE | |
She said, “I have been studying for three hours.” | She said that she had been studying for three hours. |
David said, “He has been traveling for a week.” | David said that he had been traveling for a week. |
They said, “We have been working on this project since June.” | They said that they had been working on this project since June. |
PAST TENSE | PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT |
He said, “I watched the movie yesterday.” | He said that he had watched the movie the previous day. |
She said, “I visited my parents last weekend.” | She said that she had visited her parents the previous weekend. |
They said, “We went to the zoo.” | They said that they had gone to the zoo. |
He said to me, “You didn’t answer my call.” | He said to me that I had not answered his call. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE changes into PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE | |
He said, “I was reading the book.” | He said that he had been reading the book. |
The kids said, “We were playing soccer.” | The kids said that they had been playing soccer. |
They said, “We were watching TV.” | They said that they had been watching TV. |
She said, “I was not feeling well.” | She said that she had not been feeling well. |
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (No change in tense) | |
They said, “We had finished the task.” | They said that they had finished the task. |
He said, “I had traveled to Japan.” | He said that he had traveled to Japan. |
David said, “I had completed the assignment.” | David said that he had completed the assignment. |
She said, “I had not spoken to him.” | She said that she had not spoken to him. |
FUTURE TENSE | FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE: WILL changes into WOULD |
She said, “I will visit Paris next year.” | She said that she would visit Paris next year. |
He said, “I will start a new course.” | He said that he would start a new course. |
They said to me, “We will call you.” | They said to me that they would call me. |
She said, “I will not forget this day.” | She said that she would not forget this day. |
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE: WILL BE changes into WOULD BE | |
He said to me, “I will be studying at 6 p.m.” | He said to me that he would be studying at 6 p.m. |
David said, “I will be writing an email.” | David said that he would be writing an email. |
She said, “I will be cleaning the house.” | She said that she would be cleaning the house. |
They said, “We will not be attending the meeting.” | They said that they would not be attending the meeting. |
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: WILL HAVE changes into WOULD HAVE | |
She said, “I will have finished the report by tomorrow.” | She said that she would have finished the report by the next day. |
He said, “I will have cleaned the house by 5 p.m.” | He said that he would have cleaned the house by 5 p.m. |
David said, “I will have called my friend by then.” | David said that he would have called his friend by then. |
TENSE CHANGE IN INDIRECT SPEECH
We have observed that when the reporting verb is in the past tense, all present tenses within quotation marks will change into their corresponding past tenses in indirect speech. Let’s look at the changes for each tense:
1. Present Simple Tense → Past Simple
Direct: She said, “I speak French.”
Indirect: She said that she spoke French.
Direct: They said, “We eat lunch at noon.”
Indirect: They said that they ate lunch at noon.
2. Present Continuous Tense → Past Continuous
Direct: He said, “I am reading a book.”
Indirect: He said that he was reading a book.
Direct: She said, “They are swimming in the pool.”
Indirect: She said that they were swimming in the pool.
3. Present Perfect Tense → Past Perfect
Direct: He said, “I have lost my keys.”
Indirect: He said that he had lost his keys.
Direct: She said, “I have seen that movie.”
Indirect: She said that she had seen that movie.
4. Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: John said, “I have been working on this project for two hours.”
Indirect: John said that he had been working on that project for two hours.
Direct: She said, “I have been feeling ill all day.”
Indirect: She said that she had been feeling ill all day.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, past tenses inside the quotation marks will also change into their corresponding past tenses:
5. Past Simple → Past Perfect
Direct: He said, “I saw her at the park.”
Indirect: He said that he had seen her at the park.
Direct: They said, “We went shopping yesterday.”
Indirect: They said that they had gone shopping the previous day.
6. Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
Direct: He said, “I was cooking dinner when you called.”
Indirect: He said that he had been cooking dinner when I called.
Direct: She said, “They were watching TV.”
Indirect: She said that they had been watching TV.
7. Past Perfect → Past Perfect (No Change)
Direct: He said, “I had visited London before.”
Indirect: He said that he had visited London before.
Direct: She said, “We had already left.”
Indirect: She said that they had already left.
8. Future Simple: Will → Would
Direct: She said, “I will call you later.”
Indirect: She said that she would call me later.
Direct: He said, “I will start my new job next week.”
Indirect: He said that he would start his new job the following week.
9. Future Continuous: Will Be → Would Be
Direct: He said, “I will be traveling tomorrow.”
Indirect: He said that he would be traveling the next day.
Direct: She said, “We will be staying at a hotel.”
Indirect: She said that they would be staying at a hotel.
10. Future Perfect: Will Have → Would Have
Direct: Alice said, “I will have completed the assignment by noon.”
Indirect: Alice said that she would have completed the assignment by noon.
Direct: He said, “They will have arrived by the time you get there.”
Indirect: He said that they would have arrived by the time I got there.
Special Case: Universal Truths
The tense of the reported speech may remain unchanged if the reported speech refers to a universal truth, even when the reporting verb is in the past tense.
Direct: He said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
Indirect: He said that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (No change)
Direct: She said, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
Indirect: She said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (No change)
Additional Examples:
Direct: He said, “The moon orbits the Earth.”
Indirect: He said that the moon orbits the Earth. (No change, universal truth)
Direct: She said, “Humans need oxygen to survive.”
Indirect: She said that humans need oxygen to survive. (No change, universal truth)
Changes in Pronoun in Indirect Speech
When converting direct speech into indirect speech, pronouns are often changed depending on the subject and object of the reporting verb. Here are the key rules with examples:
1. First Person Pronouns (I, we, me, us, mine, our)
Rule: First-person pronouns in reported speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb when the reporting verb’s subject is in the third person (he, she, it, they, him, her, etc.).
Examples:
Direct speech: He said, “I am reading a book.”
Indirect speech: He said that he was reading a book.
Direct speech: They said, “We will help our friends.”
Indirect speech: They said that they would help their friends.
2. First Person Pronouns (I, we, me, us, mine, our)
Rule: First-person pronouns in reported speech remain unchanged if the reporting verb’s subject is also in the first person (I, we).
Examples:
Direct speech: I said, “I am feeling tired.”
Indirect speech: I said that I was feeling tired.
Direct speech: We said, “We have finished our homework.”
Indirect speech: We said that we had finished our homework.
3. Second Person Pronouns (you, yours)
Rule: Second-person pronouns in reported speech change according to the object of the reporting verb (the person spoken to).
Examples:
Direct speech: She said to him, “You are very kind.”
Indirect speech: She said to him that he was very kind.
Direct speech: He said to me, “You have done well.”
Indirect speech: He said to me that I had done well.
4. Third Person Pronouns (he, she, it, they, him, her, them, their)
Rule: Third-person pronouns in reported speech remain unchanged.
Examples:
Direct speech: They said, “He is coming tomorrow.”
Indirect speech: They said that he was coming the next day.
Direct speech: You said, “They will join the meeting.”
Indirect speech: You said that they would join the meeting.
Changes in Words Indicating Time and Place
Certain time and place indicators also change in indirect speech to show remoteness. Here’s how these words typically change:
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
Now | Then |
Here | There |
This | That |
These | Those |
Today | That day / The same day |
Tomorrow | The next day / The following day |
Yesterday | The previous day / The day before |
Last night | The previous night |
Last week | The previous week |
Next week | The following week |
Come | Go |
Examples:
Direct: He said, “I know this boy.”
Indirect: He said that he knew that boy.
Direct: He said to him, “You will get it today or tomorrow.”
Indirect: He told him that he would get it that day or the next day.
Direct: He said to me, “Come here.”
Indirect: He told me to go there.
Special Cases: No Change in Words Indicating Time and Place
If the words like "now," "here," "this," etc., refer to things present before the speaker at the time of reporting, no change is necessary.
Examples:
Direct: She said, “I knew this boy.”
Indirect: She said that she knew this boy.
Direct: I said, “We can never be happy here.”
Indirect: I said that we can never be happy here (in this world).
Note: The pronoun "it" remains unchanged in indirect speech and is never replaced with "that." For example:
Direct: He said, “It is raining.”
Indirect: He said that it was raining.
Indirect Speech for Interrogative Sentences
When converting interrogative (question) sentences into indirect speech, it’s important to recognize the type of question being asked. Questions can be categorized into two types:
Questions that can be answered with "Yes" or "No"
Questions that require an explanation
1. Questions That Can Be Answered with "Yes" or "No"
For these questions, use "if" or "whether" before the reported speech. The same tense change rules apply as in normal indirect speech, but the sentence will not start with an auxiliary verb. Also, the conjunction "that" is not used between the reporting verb and the reported speech in such cases. The question mark is dropped in indirect speech.
Examples:
Direct speech: He said to me, “Do you like music?”
Indirect speech: He asked me if I liked music. (Not: Did I like music)
Indirect speech (alternate): He asked me whether I liked music.
Direct speech: She said, “Will he participate in the quiz competition?”
Indirect speech: She asked if he would participate in the quiz competition.
Direct speech: I said to him, “Are you feeling well?”
Indirect speech: I asked him if he was feeling well.
Direct speech: They said to me, “Did you go to school?”
Indirect speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.
2. Questions That Cannot Be Answered with "Yes" or "No"
For questions that require an explanation, "if" or "whether" is not used. The tense of the question is changed according to normal rules for indirect speech. The sentence will not begin with an auxiliary verb, and no question mark is used.
Examples:
Direct speech: He said to me, “How are you?”
Indirect speech: He asked me how I was. (Not: How was I)
Direct speech: Teacher said to him, “What is your name?”
Indirect speech: The teacher asked him what his name was.
Direct speech: She said to him, “Why did you come late?”
Indirect speech: She asked him why he had come late.
Key Points for Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences:
"If" or "whether" is used for Yes/No questions.
No auxiliary verb is used to start the reported question.
No question mark is used in indirect speech.
The word "that" is not used between the reporting verb and the reported question.
For questions requiring an explanation, "if" or "whether" is not used, and the sentence begins directly with the question word (e.g., how, what, why).
Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences
An imperative sentence expresses a command, request, advice, or suggestion. To change such sentences into indirect speech, we use reporting verbs like "ordered," "requested," "advised," "suggested," or "forbade," depending on the nature of the imperative sentence.
Examples of Changing Imperative Sentences to Indirect Speech
Command or Request:
Direct speech: He said to me, “Close the window.”
Indirect speech: He ordered me to close the window.
Direct speech: She said, “Please wait for me.”
Indirect speech: She requested me to wait for her.
Direct speech: They said to him, “Help us with the project.”
Indirect speech: They requested him to help them with the project.
Advice or Suggestion:
Direct speech: She said to him, “You should take a break.”
Indirect speech: She advised him to take a break.
Direct speech: He said, “You ought to see a doctor.”
Indirect speech: He suggested that she ought to see a doctor.
Direct speech: The teacher said, “Study for your exams.”
Indirect speech: The teacher advised the students to study for their exams.
Negative Commands:
Direct speech: He said, “Do not touch that.”
Indirect speech: He ordered not to touch that.
Direct speech: She said to him, “Don’t forget to call me.”
Indirect speech: She reminded him not to forget to call her.
Direct speech: The coach said, “Do not give up!”
Indirect speech: The coach encouraged them not to give up.
Vocative Cases:
Direct speech: He said, “John, pass me the salt.”
Indirect speech: He asked John to pass him the salt.
Direct speech: She said, “Mary, please come here.”
Indirect speech: She requested Mary to come there.
Direct speech: The manager said, “Team, complete this task.”
Indirect speech: The manager instructed the team to complete that task.
Expressions like “please” and “sir”:
Direct speech: He said, “Please be quiet.”
Indirect speech: He kindly requested them to be quiet.
Direct speech: She said, “Sir, help me.”
Indirect speech: She requested him to help her.
Sentences Starting with "Let"
Let as a Proposal or Suggestion:
Direct speech: He said, “Let us go out for dinner.”
Indirect speech: He proposed that they should go out for dinner.
Direct speech: I said, “Let’s play a game.”
Indirect speech: I suggested that we should play a game.
Let as Permission:
Direct speech: He said, “Let him try it.”
Indirect speech: He said that he might be allowed to try it.
Direct speech: She said, “Let me help you.”
Indirect speech: She requested that she might be allowed to help him.
Notes:
Tell can be used interchangeably with the verbs mentioned when in doubt about the correct word to express requests or commands.
Vocatives (names or titles used when addressing someone) may be omitted in indirect speech or incorporated as shown in the examples.
Expressions like "please" or "sir" are generally omitted or replaced with polite terms in indirect speech.
The tense of modals such as "would," "should," "could," and "must" typically do not change in indirect speech when the introductory verb is in the past tense.
Optative Sentences
In Optative sentences, the reporting verb is changed into wish or pray, and the optative form is turned into a statement. Optative sentences express wishes, prayers, or hopes. The reporting verb depends on the nature of the optative expression.
Optative Words | Replacement for "Said" |
Good Morning! | Wished |
Good Evening! | Wished |
Good Afternoon! | Wished |
Good Night! | Bade |
Good Bye! | Bade |
Farewell! | Bade |
Would that…! | Wished |
O that…! | Wished |
O for…! | Wished |
May / May God | Prayed |
If… were (only imagination) | Wished… would |
Examples of Optative Sentences
Good Morning / Good Bye / Farewell
Direct Speech: He said, "Good morning, Aunt!"
Indirect Speech: He wished his Aunt good morning.
Direct Speech: Aman said, "Goodbye, friends!"
Indirect Speech: Aman bade his friends goodbye.
Direct Speech: Ria said, "Farewell, colleagues!"
Indirect Speech: Ria bade her colleagues farewell.
Expressions of Desire (Would that / O that / O for)
Direct Speech: Neha said to him, "Would that you were here yesterday!"
Indirect Speech: Neha wished that he had been there yesterday.
Direct Speech: He said, "O that I had the strength of a lion."
Indirect Speech: He wished that he had the strength of a lion.
Direct Speech: She said, "O for a moment of peace!"
Indirect Speech: She wished for a moment of peace.
Prayers (May / May God)
Direct Speech: He said to me, "May you have success in life."
Indirect Speech: He prayed that I might have success in life.
Direct Speech: She said, "May God bless you."
Indirect Speech: She prayed that God might bless me.
Imaginary Wishes (If... were)
Direct Speech: He said, "If I were a millionaire, I would travel the world."
Indirect Speech: He wished that he were a millionaire and could travel the world.
Exclamatory Sentences
An Exclamatory sentence expresses emotions like joy, sorrow, surprise, or wonder. When converting exclamatory sentences into indirect speech, phrases like "exclaimed with joy," "exclaimed with sorrow," or "exclaimed with wonder" are added to the reporting verb, based on the emotion expressed.
Examples of Exclamatory Sentences
Joy
Direct Speech: He said, "Hurrah! I won the game!"
Indirect Speech: He exclaimed with joy that he had won the game.
Direct Speech: She said, "Hurrah! I got the scholarship!"
Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with joy that she had received the scholarship.
Sorrow
Direct Speech: She said, "Alas! I lost the competition."
Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost the competition.
Direct Speech: He said, "Oh no! I forgot my keys."
Indirect Speech: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had forgotten his keys.
Wonder
Direct Speech: John said, "Wow! What a beautiful painting!"
Indirect Speech: John exclaimed with wonder that it was a beautiful painting.
Direct Speech: She said, "Oh! What a surprise!"
Indirect Speech: She exclaimed with wonder that it was a great surprise.
N.B. Special Cases in Exclamatory Sentences:
In exclamatory sentences, words like what, how, or who often express intensity rather than ask questions. These should be replaced with adjectives like great, very, or none in indirect speech.
Direct Speech: He said, "How brave you are!"
Indirect Speech: He told me that I was very brave.
Direct Speech: He said, "What a relief it was to hear the news!"
Indirect Speech: He said that the relief to hear the news was very great.
Indirect Speech for Sentences Having Modals
When reporting sentences with modals, present modals are generally changed to their past forms. However, some modals like "would," "could," "might," "should," and "ought to" do not change when converted to indirect speech.
1. "CAN" Changes into "COULD"
Direct speech: He said, “I can fix the computer.”
Indirect speech: He said that he could fix the computer.
Direct speech: She said, “I can solve the puzzle.”
Indirect speech: She said that she could solve the puzzle.
Direct speech: They said, “We can finish the project by tomorrow.”
Indirect speech: They said that they could finish the project by the next day.
2. "MAY" Changes into "MIGHT"
Direct speech: He said, “I may join the team next year.”
Indirect speech: He said that he might join the team the following year.
Direct speech: She said, “I may apply for the scholarship.”
Indirect speech: She said that she might apply for the scholarship.
Direct speech: They said, “We may visit the museum.”
Indirect speech: They said that they might visit the museum.
3. "MUST" Changes into "HAD TO"
Direct speech: He said, “I must submit my assignment by tonight.”
Indirect speech: He said that he had to submit his assignment by that night.
Direct speech: She said, “They must complete the task.”
Indirect speech: She said that they had to complete the task.
Direct speech: I said to him, “You must attend the meeting.”
Indirect speech: I said to him that he had to attend the meeting.
4. Modals That Do Not Change in Indirect Speech: "Would," "Could," "Might," "Should," "Ought to"
a. "Would"
Direct speech: They said, “We would travel to Europe next year.”
Indirect speech: They said that they would travel to Europe the following year.
Direct speech: He said, “I would complete the project on time.”
Indirect speech: He said that he would complete the project on time.
Direct speech: She said, “I would visit my grandparents.”
Indirect speech: She said that she would visit her grandparents.
b. "Could"
Direct speech: She said, “I could finish the assignment yesterday.”
Indirect speech: She said that she could finish the assignment the previous day.
Direct speech: They said, “We couldn’t solve the problem.”
Indirect speech: They said that they couldn’t solve the problem.
Direct speech: He said, “I could help you with that.”
Indirect speech: He said that he could help me with that.
c. "Might"
Direct speech: He said, “I might take a vacation.”
Indirect speech: He said that he might take a vacation.
Direct speech: She said, “It might snow later.”
Indirect speech: She said that it might snow later.
Direct speech: John said, “I might attend the meeting.”
Indirect speech: John said that he might attend the meeting.
d. "Should"
Direct speech: He said, “I should exercise more.”
Indirect speech: He said that he should exercise more.
Direct speech: She said, “I should help my neighbor.”
Indirect speech: She said that she should help her neighbor.
Direct speech: They said, “We should prepare for the exam.”
Indirect speech: They said that they should prepare for the exam.
e. "Ought to"
Direct speech: He said to me, “You ought to finish your work.”
Indirect speech: He said to me that I ought to finish my work.
Direct speech: She said, “I ought to study more regularly.”
Indirect speech: She said that she ought to study more regularly.
Direct speech: They said, “We ought to follow the rules.”
Indirect speech: They said that they ought to follow the rules.
Summary of Changes for Modals:
Can → Could
May → Might
Must → Had to
Would, Could, Might, Should, Ought to → No change
Chart of Transformation Structures of Narration
Sentence Category | Reporting Verb | Connecting Words | Structure of Reported Speech |
Assertive Sentence | Say/said to / Tell/told | that | Subject + Verb + Object + Extra |
Interrogative Sentence | Ask/asked / Enquire/enquired of | if/whether (verbal questions) Wh- (Wh- questions) | Subject + Verb + Object + Extra |
Imperative Sentence | Order/ordered / Request/requested / Advise/advised | to (Positive) not to (Negative) | Verb + Extra |
Optative Sentence | Pray/prayed / Wish/wished | that | Subject + Might + Verb + Object + Extra |
Exclamatory Sentence | Exclaim/exclaimed with Joy/Sorrow/Wonder | that | Subject + Verb + Very / A Very / A Great + Adjective + Extra |
Imperative (Let) | Propose/proposed (proposal) Tell/told (order) | that | Subject + Should + Verb + Extra (proposal) Subject + Might + Verb + Extra (order) |
Must | Tell/told | that | Subject + Must + Verb + Object + Extra (obligation) Subject + Had to + Verb + Object + Extra (general expression) |
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