Narration - Indirect to Direct Rules

Rules of changing Passage Narration (Indirect to Direct)

The conversion of Indirect to Direct Speech generally presents no special difficulties.

Follow all the rules which we learned for changing the Direct to Indirect Speech in reverse for changing Indirect to Direct Speech.

Narration change from Indirect to direct speech follows the reverse rules of changing the narration from Direct to Indirect speech.  So, if you attentively learn the rules of narration change from Direct to Indirect, it would be easy to change narration from Indirect to Direct speech.

Rule 1

To convert indirect speech to direct speech, we have to add punctuation marks at proper places. 

Reported clause of the sentence should be put inside a quotation mark. A comma also have to be added. e.g.

Indirect: Ratan said that he was drinking tea.

Direct: Ratan said, “I am drinking tea.”

Rule 2

In case of changing narration from indirect to direct speech, conjunction such as that, if, whether, should be omitted. e.g.

Indirect: Mohit asked if I was okay. 

Direct: Mohit  said, “Are you okay?”

Here the conjunction ‘if’ is omitted. 

Rule 3

While changing indirect to direct speech, the tense of the sentence changes. The tense of the reported clause is restored to the tense in which the original speaker has spoken the words. e.g.

Indirect: Priyanka  said that she liked reading books.

Direct: Priyanka said, “I like reading books.”

Rule 4

 In this case, the sentence does not always ends with full stop. While changing indirect to direct speech, the ending punctuation mark depends on the type of sentence. It can be an exclamatory mark in case of exclamatory sentence or a question mark in case of interrogative sentence. e.g.

Indirect: Bipasha asked Rakesh what he was doing. 

Direct: Bipasha said to Rakesh, “What are you doing?”

Indirect: She exclaimed with horror that the sight was very horrible.

Direct: She said, “What a horrible sight!”

Rule 5

Pronouns, time, place also changes accordingly from indirect to direct. e.g.

Indirect: Father told me to go home then.

Direct: Father said, “Go home now.”

Here ‘then’ changes to ‘now’.

Indirect: Rupa said that she read poetry.

Direct: Rupa said, “I read poetry.”

 ‘She’ pronoun is replaced by ‘I’.

Examples:

• Indirect: Clinton asked John to go with him.

• Direct: Clinton said to John, “Come with me."

• Indirect: The stranger asked Alice where he lived.

• Direct: The stranger said to Alice, ‘where do you live?’

• Indirect: An old mouse asked who would bell the cat.

• Direct: An old mouse said, “Who will bell the cat?"

• Indirect: Ram said to his mother that he would be late that night.

• Direct: Ram said to his mother, “I will be late today night

Follow all the rules which we learned for changing the Direct to Indirect Speech in reverse for changing Indirect to Direct Speech.

Examples- Indirect to Direct

1. Jerry told the listener that she looked a little bit like his mother especially in the dark by the fire. With disappointment, she told that he had been only four when he had gone there. Being surprised, she asked if he had remembered how she had looked all those years. He said that his mother lived in Mannville.

2. The monster called the great king of the genies and said that he would never again disobey him (G). Hearing those words, the fishermen became brave and told the monster to tell him (f) why he (M) had been locked up in the vase. Then the giant angrily looked at him and told the fishermen to speak to him (M) more politely, otherwise he (M) would kill him (F). The fisherman asked why he would kill him.

3. The old man told his sons to listen to him that a great treasure lied hidden in the land. He added that he was going to leave that to them. The sons wanted to know how they would find it. The old man replied that they must dig the land for it.

4. The Mayor asked the piper if he (p) had killed the rates. The Piper replied in the affirmative that he had. Then he (P) told the Mayor to give him (P) the promised money. The Mayor exclaimed in wonder that it was very funny. He added that they could not give him (P) so much money and told him to take only fifty.

5. I asked Sumon how he (S) was that day. Sumon replied that he(S) was very nervous for the coming examination. I again asked him if he (S) had not taken enough preparation for that. Sumon again replied in the affirmative that he had but he was in a fix and requested that he might read then.

6. I asked Jerry if he had seen his mother. Jerry replied that he saw her every summer and added that she sent for him. I had wanted to cry out and asked why he was you not with her and also asked how she could let him go away again. He said that she went up there from Manville whenever she could and added that she did not have a job then.

7. Addressing Jim as darling Della cried and forbade him to look at her that way. Then she said that she had her hair cut off and sold that because she could not have lived through Christmas without giving him a present. She also said that she just had to do that and told Jim to say Merry Christmas and proposed that they should be happy.

8. The Merchant asked the youth where he(y) was going. The youth replied that he (y) had been coming to see him (m). Again the merchant asked him (y) what he wanted. The youth said that he(y) wanted to earn his (y) bread by the labour of his (y) hands. The merchant again asked the boy if he (Y) really wanted to work. The youth replied in the affirmative that if he (M) had any. Then the merchantordered the youth to follow him (M) and to carry a box from a ship to his (m) house. The youth said that he (Y) did not see how he (Y) could do that.

9. He said that he would pay for it. He further said that he had broken it and had brought the axe down careless. I told him that no one hit accurately every time and added that the fault had been in the wood of the handle. I again told him that I would see the man from whom I had bought it.

10. A boy standing at the door, addressing him as sir asked him if he(B) might come in. Then without waiting for his (S) reply the boy entered the room andrespectfully said that he (B) had come from Palashpur with a letter from Mr. Ajit Bose. He asked smiling if he had really come from Ajit Bose. He again asked how he was. The boy replied that he was not well and added that he had been suffering from a serious illness for two years. He(S) exclaimed with grief that it was very sad and prayed that God might cure him.

11. The daughter requested her father to kindly go back home soon and said that perhaps he had forgot that that day was her birthday. Father replied in the negative and said that he had not forgot at all and further added that that day he was not going to office. The daughter asked where he was going. Father replied that he was going to buy a gift and birthday cake to celebrate her birthday ceremony. Jumping into a delight, the daughter said that then she would invite her most bosom friends. Father said that she would do it certainly (of course)

12. A cricket player said that cricket is now the most interesting game and further said that though it needs long time, a kind of uncertainty cricket and makes added it more that moreover thrilling. it’s I told a very him complicated that every game has a kind of uncertainty, not only further added that very few people of the world can understand it. The cricket player replied that I was right in some respects but for that I could not say that cricket is bored.

Key:

1. ‘You look a little bit like my mother,’ he said ‘especially in the dark by the fire.’ ‘But you were only four Jerry, when you came here. You have remembered how she looked all these years?’ ‘My mother lives in Mannville,’ he said.

2. “Great king of the genies,” called the monster. “I will never disobey you.” Hearing those words, the fisherman became very brave and said, “Tell me why you were locked up in the vase?” The giant angrily looked at the fisherman and said, “Speak to me politely or I shall kill you.” “Why should you kill me?” asked the fisherman.

3. “My sons, listen to me. A great treasure lies hidden in the land. I am going to leave it to you.” “How’ll we find it?” said the sons. “You must dig the land for it,” said the old man.

4. “Have you killed the rates?” said the Mayor. “Yes, I have, said the piper. “Give me the promised money.” “How funny!” said the Mayor, ‘We cannot give you so much money. Take only fifty.’

5. “How are you today?” I said to Sumon. “I am very nervous for the coming exam,” Sumon replied. “Haven’t you taken enough preparation for this?” I said to him again. “Yes, I have but I am in a fix. Let me read now,” said Sumon.

   
   

6. ‘Have you seen your mother, Jerry?’ ‘I see her every summer. She sends for me.’ I wanted to cry out. ‘Why are you not with her? How can she let you go away again?’ He said, ‘She comes up here from Mannville whenever she can. She does not have a job now.’

7. “Jim darling,” cried Della. “Don’t look at me this way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I could not have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. I just had to do it, say Merry Christmas, Jim and let’s be happy.”

8. “Where are you going?” said the merchant. “I was coming to see you.” “What do you want?” “To earn my bread by the labor of my hands.” “Do you really work?” said the merchant. “Yes, if you have any”. Then follow me and carry a box from a shop to my house.” “I do not see how I can do that,” said the youth.

9. “I’ll pay for it.” he said. “I broke it. I brought the axe down careless.” “But no one hits accurately every time. Jerry, Moreover, the fault was in the wood of the handle. I”ll see the man whom I have bought it from,” I told  him. 

   
   

10. “May I come in sir?” A boy standing at the door said to him. Then without waiting for his reply the boy entered the room and said, “Sir, I have come from Palaspur with a letter from Mr. Ajit Bose? How is he?” He said smiling. “He is not well. He has been suffering from a serious illness for two years.” The boy said “How sad it is! May God cure him?” he said.

11. The daughter said to her father, “Please, come back home soon.” “Perhaps you have forgot that today is my birthday.” Father said, “No, I have not forgot at all.” “Today I am not going to office.’ The daughter said, “Where are you going?” Father said, “I’m going to buy a gift and a birthday cake to celebrate’ your birthday ceremony.” Jumping into a delight the daughter said, ‘Then I shall invite my most bosom friends.” Father said, “Of course, you will do it.”

12. A cricket player said, “Cricket is now the most interesting game.” “Though it needs long time, a kind of uncertainty makes it more thrilling.” I said to him. ‘Every game has a kind of uncertainty, not only cricket.” “Moreover it’s a very complicated game.” ‘Very few people of the world can understand it.” The cricket player said, ‘You are right in some respects but for that I cannot say that cricket is bored.’