Direct Narration and Indirect Narration (Direct and Indirect Speech) rules

Direct Narration and Indirect Narration (Direct and Indirect Speech) rules
 Direct Narration and Indirect Narration (Direct and Indirect Speech) rules

 Direct Narration and Indirect Narration (Direct and Indirect Speech) rules





 

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

1.Ram said, “I am ill”- Direct speech

2.Ram said that he was ill. – Indirect speech.

 

Definition-

Direct Speech- When a speech is quoted in the actual words used by the speaker, it is called Direct speech or Narration.

in the examples given above, number 1 is the example of direct speech, where the actual words of Ram are quoted.

Indirect speech- When words are used by the speaker, without quoting his actual words it is called Indirect speech or Narration. Number 2 is an example of indirect speech.

 

Reported speech and Reporting verb-

In the sentence number “I am ill” is called reported speech and the verb ‘said’ is called Reporting verb.

 

HOW TO TURN DIRECT SPEECH INTO AN INDIRECT SPEECH

GENARAL RULES

ASSERTIVE SENTENCE

 

Generally, we have to make four kinds of changes-

   Changes in the Pronoun Forms.

  Changes in the Tenses.

  Changes in the Time Expressions.

  Changes in the Place Expressions.

 

N.B- We have to use ‘that’ as a conjunction in converting direct speech into indirect speech.

 

Changes in the Pronoun Forms.

 

Direct

Indirect

I

HE/SHE

ME

HIM/HER

MY

HIIS/HER

WE

THEY

US

THEM

OUR

THEIR

THIS

THAT

THESE

THOSE

 

HOW TO CHANGE THE PERSON OF PRONOUN OF DIRECT SPEECH

If there is first person (I, we, us, etc) in the reported speech it is changed into the person of the speaker.

If there is a second person in the reported speech it is changed according to the person to whom the speech is addressed.

 

Changes in the Tenses.

*  If the Reporting verb is in Present Tense or Future Tense there will be no change of the tense after converting it into an indirect speech. Let’s see some examples-

 

Ram says,” I am ill”

Ram says that he is ill.

 

We can see in both direct and indirect speech the tense remained the same.

 

*  If the Reporting verb is in Past Tense then the tense of the Reported speech changes in the following way: -

 

                  I.            Simple Present becomes Simple Past.

               II.            Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous.

            III.            Present Perfect Tense becomes Past Perfect tense.

           IV.            Simple Past Tense becomes Past Perfect Tense

              V.            Past Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous.

           VI.            “Shall” of future Tense becomes should or would.

        VII.            “Will” of Future Tense becomes should or would.

 

*   If Reported Speech is a universal truth or habitual action then even if the Reporting verb is in past tense then there will be no change of the tense in indirect speech

 

Changes in the Time Expressions.

 

DIRECT

INDIRECT

NOW

THEN

TODAY

THAT DAY

TOMORROW

THE NEXT DAY

YESTERDAY

THE PREVIOUS DAY OR THE DAY BEFORE

LAST NIGHT

THE NIGHT BEFORE OR THE PREVIOUS NIGHT

 

 

Changes in the Place Expressions.

 

DIRECT

INDIRECT

THIS

THAT

THESE

THOSE

COME

GO

THUS

SO OR IN THAT MANNER

 

 INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES OR QUESTIONS

 

 

The basic steps you need to follow to convert a direct speech with an interrogative sentence as Reported Speech are as follows: -

1.   Change the Reporting verb into Ask or Enquire.

2.   If the question can be answered either by ‘yes’ or ‘no’ we should use if or whether instead of that, as a conjunction.

3.   Change the question into an assertive sentence.

 

Now let us understand these rules with an example.

 

Example: - He said to me, “Are you ill?”

 

As we can see in the example a question is asked and it can be answered in either yes or no. so we will try to implement the above-mentioned rules here.

 

He asked me if I was ill. (Indirect speech)

 So, we can see we have used asked instead of the reported verb ‘said’. Then we have used if, instead of that as a conjunction, and finally, we have transformed the question into an assertive sentence.

 

·       We should not use if or whether if the question starts with an interrogative pronoun (what, where, who, which, when, how, etc.) in this case the interrogative word will itself work as a conjunction.

For example- He said to me, “What are you doing?”

 He asked me what I was doing.

 

 

Whether vs if

In the yes/no type of question, we can use both whether and if. But if a choice has to make, we should use whether followed by or.

 

 

Imperative Sentence

 

If the Reported Speech is Imperative Sentence, then in Indirect Speech we have to change reporting verb (says, said etc.) into order, request, advise, tell, command, ask, beg, request, pray, forbit.  We also have to use ‘to’ before the verb of the reported speech.

 

Example-

Direct Speech- He said to his servant,” come here”

Indirect Speech- He ordered his servant to come here.

When Reported Speech starts with Let

 

1.   When let expresses a request or proposal or suggestion, we have to use Should for let and change the let verb into propose or suggest.

 

Example- He said to me, “Let us go home”

 

He suggested me that we should go home.

2.   When let doesn’t express proposal, it should be changed into might or might be allowed, or into some other form according to the sense.

 

Example- He said, “let him do whatever he likes”

 

He said that he (the third person) might do whatever he likes.

 

He said, “let me come in”

He requested that he might be allowed to come in.

 

 

Optative Sentence

 

If the Reported Speech is in Optative sentence-

 

1.   Change the Reporting Verb into a wish or pray.

2.    The optative sentence should be changed into a statement.

 

Example- He said to me, “May you be happy”

He prayed that I might be happy.

 

 

  

                             


Exclamatory Sentences

 

1.      If the Reported speech is in an Exclamatory sentence, then we have to change the reporting verb to exclaim, shout cry out, confess, wish, praise, etc.

2.      Then we have to change the exclamatory Sentences to an assertive sentences according to the tense.

 

 

 

Some examples-

He said, “Alas! I am undone”

He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.

 

 

 

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