NARRATION (Reported Speech)

                         NARRATION (Reported Speech)

Narration: Narration, also known as reported speech or indirect speech, refers to the way of reporting someone else’s words or thoughts. It is an essential part of English grammar, as it helps in communicating what someone said or thought in the past, without directly quoting them.

There are two types of narrations in English grammar -

1.Direct Speech

2.Indirect Speech 

1. Direct Speech :- It refers to the exact words spoken by someone, and it is represented within quotation marks ("  ").

Ex. Deepshikha said,"I am going to the store."

 2. Indirect Speech :- It refers to the reported words of someone, without using the exact words. In indirect speech, the speaker's words are change according to the rules of Narration.

Ex. Deepshikha said that she was going to the store.

Narration / Reported Speech (British & Indian English Grammar)

Narration (Reported Speech) means reporting the words of a speaker without using his/her exact words.

Types of Speech

1. Direct Speech – Exact words of the speaker are quoted.

He said, "I am happy."

2. Indirect/Reported Speech – The exact words are changed into a report.

He said that he was happy.

Direct speech has two parts. 

Example- He said,"I am hungry."

(Reporting speech): He said (Reported speech): I am hungry.

1. Reporting speech: That part of direct speech which remains outside the inverted commas("...") is called Reporting speech.

The verb used in reporting speech is called Reporting verb and the subject is called Reporter (the subject of Reporting verb) and the object is called the object of reporting verb.

Example

   Mohan said to Sohan,"I help you."

Here,

Mohan - Reporter

said to - Reporting verb

Sohan - The object of reporting verb

I help you- Reported speech

2. Reported Speech: That part of direct speech which remains inside the inverted commas("...") is called Reported speech. 

Note : Reporting verb can be used at the beginning, middle or end of the sentence.

Rules to Change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

1. General Rules

   (i) Change of Person

   (ii) Change of Tense

   (iii) Change of Other parts of speech

2. Special Rules

(Some rules are according to the kinds of Sentences)

   (i) Assertive Sentence (Statement)

   (ii) Interrogation Sentence (Question)

   (iii) Imperative Sentence (Command)

   (iv) Exclamatory Sentence (Exclamation)

   (v) Optative Sentence 

1. GENERAL RULES

(i) Change of Person (Pronouns)

Trick:

S O N

S = Subject of Reporting Verb

O = Object of Reporting Verb

N = No change (according to sense)

First Person → According to Subject

Direct: He said, "I am busy." Indirect: He said that he was busy.

Second Person → According to Object

Direct: He said to me, "You are clever." Indirect: He told me that I was clever.

Third Person → No Change

Direct: He said, "They are playing." Indirect: He said that they were playing.

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Short Trick for Person

Person Change According To

First Person Subject

Second Person Object

Third Person No Change

Remember: First → Subject, Second → Object, Third → No Change.

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(ii) Change of Tense

Rule:

If the Reporting Verb is in Past Tense (said, told, asked etc.), the tense generally changes.

Tense Change Table

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple Present Simple Past

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Present Perfect Past Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Past Past Perfect

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect No Change

Past Perfect Continuous No Change

Future (will) would

shall should/would

can could

may might

must had to

Examples

Present → Past

He said, "I play cricket." → He said that he played cricket.

Present Continuous → Past Continuous

He said, "I am playing." → He said that he was playing.

Will → Would

He said, "I will come." → He said that he would come.

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When Tense Does NOT Change

1. Universal Truth

He said, "The sun rises in the east." → He said that the sun rises in the east.

2. Historical Fact

The teacher said, "Akbar was a great king." → The teacher said that Akbar was a great king.

3. Reporting Verb in Present/Future

He says, "I am tired." → He says that he is tired.

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Short Trick for Tense

Present becomes Past

P → P

Present → Past

Will → Would

Can → Could

May → Might

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(iii) Change of Other Parts of Speech

Change of Time and Place Words

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

now then

today that day

tonight that night

yesterday the previous day

tomorrow the next day

ago before

last night the previous night

next week the following week

here there

this that

these those

thus so

Examples

He said, "I will come tomorrow." → He said that he would come the next day.

She said, "I saw him yesterday." → She said that she had seen him the previous day.

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2. SPECIAL RULES

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(i) Assertive Sentences

(Statements)

Reporting Verbs

said

said to

told

Connector

that

Structure

Said → said that Said to → told

Examples

Direct: He said, "I am honest."

Indirect: He said that he was honest.

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Direct: He said to me, "I am busy."

Indirect: He told me that he was busy.

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Trick

Statement = THAT

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(ii) Interrogative Sentences

(Questions)

Changes

1. said to → asked

2. Remove question mark

3. Use statement order

4. Use if/whether for Yes-No questions

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A. Yes/No Questions

Connector

if / whether

Example

Direct: He said to me, "Are you ready?"

Indirect: He asked me if I was ready.

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Direct: She said to him, "Do you know English?"

Indirect: She asked him whether he knew English.

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B. Wh-Questions

Use the same question word.

Example

Direct: He said to me, "Where do you live?"

Indirect: He asked me where I lived.

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Direct: She said, "Why are you crying?"

Indirect: She asked why I was crying.

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Trick

Question starts with:

Is, Are, Do, Does, Did, Have, Has etc. → Use if/whether

Question starts with:

What, Why, When, Where, Who, How → Same word remains.

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(iii) Imperative Sentences

(Orders, Requests, Advice, Commands)

Changes

Use:

to + Verb

Reporting Verbs

Meaning Reporting Verb

Order ordered

Command commanded

Request requested

Advice advised

Suggestion suggested

Warning warned

Begging begged

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Examples

Direct: He said to me, "Open the door."

Indirect: He ordered me to open the door.

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Direct: He said to me, "Please help me."

Indirect: He requested me to help him.

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Negative Imperative

Use:

not to + Verb

Direct: He said to me, "Do not waste time."

Indirect: He advised me not to waste time.

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Trick

Imperative = TO + Verb

Negative Imperative = NOT TO + Verb

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(iv) Exclamatory Sentences

(Feelings of joy, sorrow, surprise, wonder)

Changes

1. Remove exclamation mark (!)

2. Use suitable reporting verb

3. Add "that"

Reporting Verbs

Feeling Verb

Joy exclaimed with joy

Sorrow exclaimed with sorrow

Surprise exclaimed with surprise

Wonder exclaimed with wonder

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Examples

Direct: He said, "Hurrah! We have won."

Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won.

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Direct: She said, "Alas! My friend is dead."

Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that her friend was dead.

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Direct: He said, "What a beautiful flower!"

Indirect: He exclaimed with wonder that it was a very beautiful flower.

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Trick

Hurrah → Joy

Alas → Sorrow

Bravo → Praise

Oh! / What! / How! → Surprise/Wonder

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(v) Optative Sentences

(Wishes, Prayers, Curses, Blessings)

Reporting Verbs

wished

prayed

cursed

blessed

Connector

that

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Examples

Direct: He said, "May you live long!"

Indirect: He wished that I might live long.

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Direct: The old man said, "May God bless you!"

Indirect: The old man prayed that God might bless me.

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Direct: He said, "May you fail!"

Indirect: He cursed that I might fail.

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Trick

May + Subject + Verb

= Wish / Prayer / Blessing / Curse

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Master Formula (Exam Trick)

Assertive

said/told + that

Interrogative

asked + if/whether/wh-word

Imperative

ordered/requested/advised + to + V₁

Negative Imperative

advised/ordered + not to + V₁

Exclamatory

exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise + that

Optative

wished/prayed/blessed/cursed + that

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Golden Shortcut (One-Line Revision)

S-O-N Rule for Pronouns → Tense Backshift → Change Time/Place Words → Choose Reporting Verb According to Sentence Type.

This single formula helps solve almost every Narration/Reported Speech question in school, board exams, and competitive exams.