Direct and Indirect Narration

In English grammar, narration refers to the method of reporting what someone has said or thought. It is mainly categorized into two types: direct speech and indirect speech (also known as reported speech).

1. Direct Speech:

In direct speech, the speaker's exact words are quoted, enclosed in quotation marks.

Structure: Reporting verb + comma + quoted speech.

Example: He said, "I am going to the market."

2. Indirect Speech:

In indirect speech, the speaker's words are paraphrased without quotation marks. The tense and pronouns are adjusted as necessary.

Structure: Reporting verb + that (optional) + reported speech.

Example: He said that he was going to the market.

NOTE: The difference often comes down to whether the verb is transitive (takes a direct object without a preposition, like tell, ask, advise, order) or intransitive (needs a preposition like to before the object, like say, reply, propose, suggest).

Transitive Verbs with object ‘me’ in indirect	Intransitive Verbs with object ‘me’ in indirect
Tell me	Say to me
Ask me	Reply to me
Advise me	Proposed to me
Order me	Suggested to me

Key Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech:

1. Change of Pronouns, Times and Places:

Direct              Indirect

This                 That

These              Those

Here                There

Just                  Then

Today              That day

Yet                   Till then

Now                Then

Tomorrow       The next day/The following day

Yesterday        The previous day/The day before

Last night        The previous night/The night before

Ago                 Before

Come              Go

Tonight           That night

It*                    That

* ‘It’ doesn’t always change into ‘that’. It changes into 'that' when used as a demonstrative pronoun.

2. If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tenses in the reported speech remain unchanged.

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

3. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, then the tense of the reported speech should be changed as follows-

Direct                          Indirect

Present simple → Past simple

Present continuous → Past continuous

Present perfect → Past perfect

Present perfect Continuous → Past perfect Continuous

Past simple → Past perfect

Past continuous → Past perfect Continuous

4. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the following modals change their forms.

Direct                          Indirect

Shall                            Should

Will                             Would

Can                             Could

May                             Might

Must                            Had to

Kinds of Sentences

Statement or Assertive Sentence

These sentences state facts, opinions, or information and follow the formation of Subject + Verb + Object (optional) and ends with full stop.

Interrogative Sentence

These sentences ask questions and follow formation of Auxiliary + Subject + Verb + Object (optional) and ends with a question mark.

Imperative Sentence

These sentences give commands, make requests, or offer advice.

They can end with a period or an exclamation mark

They follow the formation of Verb-1 + Object (Optional) and can also be started with ‘Let’.

Normally subject is omitted in imperative sentence.

Exclamatory Sentence

These sentences express strong feelings like surprise, happiness, anger, or sadness.

They carry an exclamation mark.

Optative Sentence

An optative sentence is a type of sentence that expresses wishes, prayers, blessings, or curses.

Structure: May + Subject + Base Verb/Object/Complement.

Narration for Assertive Statement

Direct                          Indirect

Say                              Say

Say to                          Tell

Inverted Commas       That

Assertive                     Assertive

Must                            Have to (Present form)

Must                            Shall/will have to (Future)

Must                            Must (Obligation)

Examples:

Direct Speech Examples:

1. The doctor said, "You need to take this medicine twice a day. It will help you recover faster."
2. The mother said, "The kids are playing outside. They look so happy."
3. The manager said, "Our team performed exceptionally well in the project. We achieved all our goals."
4. The traveler said, "I visited the Taj Mahal last week. It was a breath-taking experience."
5. The scientist said, "We discovered a new species of insect. It thrives in extreme environments."

Indirect Speech Examples:

1. The doctor said that I needed to take the medicine twice a day and that it would help me recover faster.
2. The mother said that the kids were playing outside and that they looked very happy.
3. The manager said that their team had performed exceptionally well in the project and that they had achieved all their goals.
4. The traveler said that he had visited the Taj Mahal the previous week and that it had been a breath-taking experience.
5. The scientist said that they had discovered a new species of insect and that it thrived in extreme environments.

Narration for Interrogative Sentences

Direct              Indirect

Say/Say to      Asks/enquire of/want to know

Inverted commas        If or Whether

Interrogative               Assertive

Note: ‘If/Whether’ is not used when the reported speech starts with questioning word (W/H words) or when the reported speech is not ‘yes/no’ type.

Direct Narration Examples:

1. He asked, "What are you doing here, and why haven’t you informed me about your arrival?" 

2. She said, "Will you attend the seminar tomorrow. Are you prepared for your presentation?" 

3. They asked, "Why did you skip the meeting. Did you inform anyone about your absence?" 

4. He inquired, "Have you completed the report. When do you plan to submit it?" 

5. She asked, "Where did you go yesterday. Whom did you meet there?" 

Indirect Narration Examples:

1. He asked what I was doing there and why I hadn’t informed him about my arrival. 

2. She wondered if I would attend the seminar the next day and whether I was prepared for my presentation. 

3. They wanted to know why I had skipped the meeting and if I had informed anyone about my absence. 

4. He inquired whether I had completed the report and when I planned to submit it. 

5. She asked where I had gone the previous day and whom I had met there. 

Narration for Imperative Sentences

Direct              Indirect

Say/say to      tell, ask, order, request, beg, command, advise, forbid, propose, suggest, prescribe, promise, etc.

Inverted Commas       to

Do not                         Not to

Inverted Commas       That (Let)

Let us (suggestion)     should

Let + (other pronoun) might be allowed (Permission)

Suggestion to              Suggestion to

Proposed to                Proposed to

Direct Narration Examples:

1. The teacher said, "Complete your assignments before the deadline and ensure they are error-free." 

2. He said, "Switch off the lights when you leave the room and lock the door properly." 

3. She said, "Please help me carry these books to the library and arrange them on the shelves." 

4. The doctor said, "Take your medicines regularly and avoid junk food." 

5. He said, "Don’t forget to attend the meeting tomorrow and bring all the required documents." 

Indirect Narration Examples:

1. The teacher instructed us to complete our assignments before the deadline and ensure they were error-free. 

2. He told me to switch off the lights when I left the room and to lock the door properly. 

3. She requested me to help her carry those books to the library and arrange them on the shelves. 

4. The doctor advised me to take my medicines regularly and to avoid junk food. 

5. He reminded me not to forget to attend the meeting the next day and to bring all the required documents. 

More Examples:

Direct Narration Examples

1. The captain said, "Follow my instructions carefully and stay alert during the drill." 

2. She said, "Prepare for the exam thoroughly and revise all the important topics." 

3. The guide said, "Keep your passports ready and be on time for the check-in." 

4. He said, "Don’t waste time on unproductive activities and focus on your goals." 

5. The coach said, "Practice regularly and maintain a healthy diet to stay fit." 

Indirect Narration Examples

1. The captain instructed them to follow his instructions carefully and stay alert during the drill. 

2. She advised us to prepare for the exam thoroughly and revise all the important topics. 

3. The guide told us to keep our passports ready and to be on time for the check-in. 

4. He urged me not to waste time on unproductive activities and to focus on my goals. 

5. The coach encouraged us to practice regularly and maintain a healthy diet to stay fit.

Narration for exclamatory Sentences

Direct                          Indirect

Say (Sadness)              cry out in sorrow

Say (happiness)          exclaim with joy

Say (amazement)        exclaim with wonder

Say (Show praise/Bravo)       applauded, saying

Say (By God)               swear by God (Swore, Sworn)

Inverted Commas       That

Interjection                  Omitted

Exclamatory                Assertive

Direct Narration Examples

  "By God, I’ll never give up!" → He swore by God that he would never give up.

  "By God, that’s enough!" → He swore by God that it was enough.

1. He said, "What a beautiful day it is, and how refreshing the breeze feels!" 

2. She exclaimed, "How amazing this painting is, and what talent the artist has!" 

3. They said, "What a fantastic performance that was, and how skillful the dancers were!" 

4. He exclaimed, "How generous you are, and what a kind gesture this is!" 

5. She said, "What a surprise it is to see you here, and how delighted I am to meet you!" 

Indirect Narration Examples

1. He said what a beautiful day it was and how refreshing the breeze felt. 

2. She exclaimed how amazing that painting was and what talent the artist had. 

3. They said what a fantastic performance it had been and how skillful the dancers were. 

4. He exclaimed how generous I was and what a kind gesture it was.  

5. She said what a surprise it was to see me there and how delighted she was to meet me.

More Examples:

Direct Narration Examples

1. The child said, "How exciting this game is, and how much fun we’re having!" 

2. He exclaimed, "What a difficult situation this is, and how challenging it will be to resolve it!" 

3. She said, "How lucky we are to have witnessed such a rare event, and how memorable it is!" 

4. They exclaimed, "What a brilliant idea that is, and how well it addresses the problem!" 

5. He said, "How fast time flies, and what a pity it is that the vacation is already over!" 

Indirect Narration Examples

1. The child said how exciting that game was and how much fun they were having. 

2. He exclaimed what a difficult situation it was and how challenging it would be to resolve it. 

3. She said how lucky they were to have witnessed such a rare event and how memorable it was. 

4. They exclaimed what a brilliant idea it was and how well it addressed the problem. 

5. He said how fast time flew and what a pity it was that the vacation was already over. 

Narration for optative Sentences

Direct              Indirect

Say                  Wish (for when object)/Pray/Bless

May                 Might

Without may   Still ‘Might’

Optative          Assertive

Incorrect:

He prayed to me that I might live a long life. (wrong: people don’t pray to other people)

He wished for me that...  (awkward — better to say “He wished that...”)

Direct Narration Examples

He said, “Good Morning Mr. Barua”

He wished Mr. Barua good morning.

Arun said, “Good evening, Ramesh”.

Arun wished Ramesh good evening.

The poet said, “Goodbye, my native land”

The poet bade goodbye to his native land.

He said, “Goodbye”.

He bade me goodbye

He said, “Goodbye friends”.

He bade his friends goodbye. → preferred in contemporary usage

He bade goodbye to his friends. → grammatically correct but slightly more formal or poetic.

He said to me, “Thank You”

Indirect: He thanked me.

 More Examples:

1. He said, "May you always stay happy and achieve great success in life!" 

2. She said, "May God bless you with good health and long life!" 

3. They said, "May peace and prosperity prevail in the world!" 

4. He said, "May your dreams come true and bring you immense joy!" 

5. She said, "May you find strength in difficult times and never lose hope!" 

Indirect Narration Examples

1. He wished that I might always stay happy and achieve great success in life. 

2. She prayed that God might bless me with good health and long life. 

3. They wished that peace and prosperity might prevail in the world. 

4. He expressed his hope that my dreams might come true and bring me immense joy. 

5. She prayed that I might find strength in difficult times and never lose hope. 

More Examples:

Direct Narration Examples

1. The priest said, "May the couple be blessed with a lifetime of love and togetherness!" 

2. He said, "May the nation overcome its challenges and rise stronger!" 

3. She said, "May you always find happiness and success in everything you do!" 

4. They said, "May the future generations be more caring and responsible!" 

5. He said, "May you achieve all your goals and live a fulfilling life!" 

Indirect Narration Examples

1. The priest blessed that the couple might be blessed with a lifetime of love and togetherness. 

2. He wished that the nation might overcome its challenges and rise stronger. 

3. She hoped that I might always find happiness and success in everything I did. 

4. They wished that future generations might be more caring and responsible. 

5. He wished that I might achieve all my goals and live a fulfilling life. 

Additional Rules

Thank you

E.g.- He said to me, “Thank You”

Indirect: He thanked me.

Good morning

E.g.- He said to me, “Good morning”.

Indirect: He wished/greeted me good morning.

Good bye

E.g.- He said to them, “Good-bye, my friends!”

Indirect Speech: He bade his friends good-bye.

Previous Years Solution of HS Final Exam

HS 2000

1. He said to me, "When will you go to Delhi? I shall send my brother with you."

Ans: He asked me when I would go to Delhi and said that he would send his brother with me.

2. I asked Rita what she was doing. Rita replied that she was preparing her lesson.

Ans: I said to Rita, "What are you doing?" "I am preparing my lesson," said Rita.

HS 2001

1. Ramen said to the boy, "What's the matter? Why are you crying? Be cheerful."

Ans: Ramen asked the boy what the matter was and why he was crying. He also advised him to be cheerful.

2. My friend told me that he was very thirsty and requested me to give him a glass of water.

Ans: My friend said to me, "I am very thirsty.  Please give me a glass of water."

HS 2002

1. The boy said to the teacher, "Sir, I am weak in English and seek your advice."

"Read the text thoroughly and try to express your ideas in simple correct English," said the teacher.

Ans: The boy told the teacher respectfully that he was weak in English and sought his advice.

The teacher advised him to read the text thoroughly and try to express his ideas in simple correct English.

2. I asked my friend why he looked so sad. He replied that his father was seriously I'll and there was little hope for his recovery.

Ans: I said to my friend, "Why do you look so sad?" He said, "My father is seriously ill. There is little hope for his recovery".

HS 2003

1. "I've just bought a car," said Peter, "But it isn't insured yet. So, I cannot take you for a ride."

Ans: Peter said that he had then bought a car but it wasn't insured till then. So, he could not take me for a ride.

2. The man said that they had been there for two and a half years and that they were going to stay another six months.

Ans: The man said, "We have been here for two and a half years. We are going to stay another six months."

HS 2004

1. The traveller said to the peasant, "Can you show me the nearest inn?" "Yes", said the peasant.

Ans: The traveller asked the peasant if he could show him the nearest inn. The peasant replied that he could.

2. She said to her son that she was old and lonely and asked him if he had no pity on her loneliness.

Ans: She said to her son, "I am old and lonely. Don't you have any pity on my loneliness?"

HS 2005

1. "Nothing can be avoided," said Caesar, "Which the gods have purposed. These omens appear to everyone, not only to Caesar".

Ans: Caesar said that nothing could be avoided which the gods had purposed. He added that those omens appeared to everyone, not only to Caesar.

HS 2006

1. "Hercules", said the Goddess of virtue, "I offer myself to you because I know you are descended from the gods and that you have given proof of that by your love of virtue".

Ans: The Goddess of virtue told Hercules that she offered herself to him because she knew that he was descended from the gods he had given proof of that by his love of virtue.

2. When John asked Marry whether she would help him, she replied that she would.

Ans: When John said to Marry, "Will you help me?" Marry said, "Yes, I will".

HS 2007

1. He said, "I do not wish to see any of you. Go away."

Ans: He said (or told them) that he did not wish to see any of them and asked them to go away.

2. The traveller asked the peasant if he could tell him the way to the nearest inn. The peasant replied that he could.

Ans: The traveller said to the peasant, "Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?" "Yes", said the peasant.

HS 2008

1. "Rashmi" Karan said, "I have a very important matter to discuss with you today, so you must give me your attention".

Ans: Karan told Rashmi that he had a very important matter to discuss with her that day and so she had to give him her attention.

2. The teacher ordered Joe to stand up and asked him why he had not prepared his lesson. He also told him that he would write to his (Joe's) father.

Ans: The teacher said to Joe, "Stand up. Why haven't you prepared your lesson? I shall write to your father".

HS 2009

1. Rohit said to his friends, "Let us go and help the flood affected people."

Ans: Rohit suggested to his friends that they should go and help the flood affected people.

2. I asked Priyam what she was doing. Priyam replied that she was preparing her lessons.

Ans: I said to Priyam, "What are you doing?" "I am preparing my lessons", said Priyam.

HS 2010

1. I said to him, "How long will you stay?" He replied, "for five days."

Ans: I asked him how long he would stay. He replied that he would stay for five days.

2. The boy humbly requested the teacher to excuse him and promised that he would never do so again.

Ans: The boy said to the teacher, "Sir, please excuse me. I will never do so again."

HS 2011

1. Rajmi asked her friends if they were ready to go with her. They wanted to know what her intention was.

Ans: Rajmi said to her friends, "Are you ready to go with me?" "What is your intention?", said they.

2. The boy requested that he might be allowed to get in. But the teacher said, "No".

Ans: The boy said, "Let me get in please." But the teacher forbade him to get in.

HS Exam 2013

1. "Why aren't you wearing chappals?" I ask one boy. "My mother did not bring them down from the shelf", he answers simply.

Ans: I ask one boy why he isn't wearing chappals. He answers simply that his mother didn't bring them down from the shelf.

2. One day Mukesh told me that he would be a motor mechanic and leave Firozabad. I asked him if he knew anything about cars.

Ans: One day Mukesh said to me, "I shall be a motor mechanic and leave Firozabad." I said to him, "Do you know anything about cars?"

HS Exam 2014

1. The lady said to the salesman, "What is the price of this Barbie doll?" The salesman said to her, "It is a bit expensive. But I can give it to you at a 20 percent discount."

Ans: The lady asked the salesman what the price of that Barbie doll was. The salesman replied her that it was a bit expensive but he could give it to her at a 20 percent discount.

2. One day Mohan told me that he would become a doctor and leave Assam. I asked him if he knew anything about medicine.

Ans: One day Mohan said to me, "I shall become a doctor and leave Assam." I said to him, "Do you know anything about medicine?"

HS Exam 2015

1. "Where do you go every Sunday?" I asked the girl. She replied, "I go to the church".

Ans: I asked the girl where she went/goes every Sunday. She replied that she went/goes to the church."

2. The teacher asked Rumi if she had read the Bible. She replied that she hadn't.

Ans: The teacher said to Rumi, "Have you read the Bible?" She said, "No, I haven't."

HS 2016

1. "How long do you have to wait for your train?" the woman asked me. "About an hour," I replied.

Ans: The woman asked me how long I had to wait for my train. I replied that I had to wait about an hour.

2. I asked Ranjan where Neena lived. Ranjan replied regretfully that he didn't know.

Ans: I said to Ranjan, "Where does Neena live?" Ranjan said, "Sorry, I don't know."

HS 2017

1. The boy said to the teacher, "Sir, I am weak in English and seek your advice." "Read the text thoroughly and try to express your ideas in simple correct English." said the  teacher.

Ans: The boy told the teacher that he was weak in English and sought his advice. The teacher advised him to read the text thoroughly and try to express his ideas in simple correct English.

2. My friend told me that he was very thirsty and requested me to give him a glass of water.

Ans: My friend said to me, "I am very thirsty. Please give me a glass of water."

HS 2018

1. The speaker said, "I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for giving me a kind hearing. When I arrived here yesterday, I did not believe that I might meet so large a gathering."

Addressing them/the audience as ladies and gentlemen, the speaker thanked them for giving him a kind hearing. He also said that when he had arrived there the previous day, he had not believed that he might meet so large a gathering

2. His mother exclaimed in sorrow that she had not a bit of bread to give him and that he had eaten up all the provisions she had in the house the previous day.

Ans: His mother said, "Alas! I have not a bit of bread to give you. You ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday."

HS 2019

1. Reena said to the boy, "What's the matter? Why are you crying? Be cheerful."

Ans: Reena asked the boy what the matter was and why he was crying. She also advised him to be cheerful.

2. The customer inquired if he could get a garden roller in that shop. The assistant respectfully replied that he would get it in the hardware department.

Ans: The customer said, "Can I get a garden roller in this shop?" The assistant said, "Sir, you will get it in the hardware department."

HS 2020

1. Alexander said to Porus, "How do you desire to be treated?" He answered, "Like a king."

Ans: Alexander asked Porus how he desired to be treated. He answered that he desired to be treated like a king.

2. The boys exclaimed in joy that they had all passed the test and that they would celebrate their success the next day.

Ans: The boys said, "Hurrah! We have all passed the test. We shall celebrate our success tomorrow."

HS 2022

1. "Why aren't you wearing shoes?" the teacher asks the girl. "My mother did not bring them down from the shelf", she answers simply,

Ans: The teacher asks the girl why she isn't wearing shoes. She answers simply that her mother didn't bring them down from the shelf.

2. I asked my friend why he looked so sad. He replied that his father was seriously ill and there was little hope for his recovery.

Ans: I said to my friend, "Why do you look so sad?" He said, "My father is seriously ill. There is little hope for his recovery".

3. My friend said to me, "1 am very thirsty. Please give me a glass of water.

Ans: My friend told me that he was very thirsty and requested me to give him a glass of water.

4. Reena asked the boy what the matter was and why he was crying. She also advised him to be cheerful.

Ans: Reena said to the boy, "What's the matter? Why are you crying? Be cheerful."

HS 2023

1. The gentleman said to the salesman, “What is the price of this Dictionary?" The salesman said to him, "It is a bit expensive. But I can give it to you at a 10 per cent discount".

Ans: The gentleman asked the salesman what the price of that Dictionary was. The salesman told him that it was a bit expensive but he could give it to him at a 10 percent discount.

2. I asked the old lady where Professor Sarmah lived. The lady replied regretfully that she didn't know.

Ans: I said to the old lady, “Where does professor Sarmah live?”. The lady replied, “Sorry, I don’t know”.

3. The girl said to the teacher, "Madam, I am weak in English and seek your advice." The teacher said, "Read the text thoroughly and try to express your ideas in simple correct English."

Ans: The girl told the teacher politely that she was weak in English and sought her advice. The teacher advised her to read the text thoroughly and try to express her ideas in simple correct English.

4. "Let's buy some milk and prepare milkshake for us", said Aruna. "The milkshake we're drinking is now utterly tasteless."

Ans: Aruna proposed that they should buy some milk and prepare milkshake for them. She also added that the milkshake they were drinking was then utterly tasteless.

HS 2024

1. M. Hamel said, "My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine."

Ans: Addressing the students as his children, M. Hamel told them that that was the last lesson he would give them and said that the order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools" of Alsace and Lorraine."

2. Aditi asked Raju if his sister was at home. Raju replied that she was not. She had gone shopping with their mother.

Ans: Aditi said to Raju, “Is your sister at home?”. Raju replied “She is not. She has gone shopping with our mother”.

3. He said to me, "How long will you stay here?" I replied that I would stay for a week.

Ans: He asked me how long I would stay there. I replied, “ I shall stay for a week”.

HS 2025

1. He said to the boys, "Let us start at once, otherwise we may miss the train"

Ans: He suggested to the boys that they should start at once, otherwise they might miss the train.

2. Bimal told Gopal that he was the first boy in the class and he would remain so till he left the school.

Ans: Bimal said to Gopal, “I am the first boy in the class. I shall remain so till I leave the school”.

3. Macbeth asked his wife whether she heard a noise. She said to him, "Go back and wash your hands".

Ans: Macbeth said to his wife, “Do you hear a noise?”. She told him to go back and wash his hands.

Additional Important Questions:

1. The traveller said, "Can you tell the way to the nearest inn?" "Yes", said the peasant.

Ans: The traveller asked the peasant if he could tell him the way to the nearest inn. The peasant replied that he could.

2. Ramen told his brother not to run in the sun. The brother replied that he would be coming soon.

Ans: Ramen said to his brother, "Do not run in the sun." The brother said, "I shall be coming soon."

3. The teacher said to the student, "Why are you silent? Speak out. Can't you hear?"

Ans: The teacher asked the student why he was silent. He asked him to speak out. He again asked him if he couldn't hear.

4. "I want to work for you," I said to Anil. "Can you cook?" Anil asked me.

Ans: I told Anil that I wanted to work for him. Anil asked me if I could cook.

5. "Boys," said the teacher to the students, "I shall never forget the love that you have given me". "Sir, you deserve it for the sacrifices you have made for our society", said the students.

Ans: Addressing the students as boys, the teacher told them that he would never forget the love they had given him. The students replied respectfully that he deserved it for the sacrifices he made for their society.

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