Narration: Direct and Indirect

Narration: Direct & Indirect

Direct Narration: When the statement of the speaker is expressed in speaker’s words then this kind of narration is called the direct narration.

“When the actual words of the speaker are reproduced, it is called direct speech”.

Example:         He said, ‘I am going to school.’

Indirect Narration: When the audience expresses statement of the speaker in his/her own words, then this kind of narration is called indirect narration.

Example:         He said that he was going to school.

Reporting Speech: Part of the statement which is outside of the inverted comma is called the reporting speech, and verb of reporting speech is known as reporting verb 

Example:        He said, “I have lost my book.”

Reporting Speech: He Said

Reporting Verb:  Said

Reported Speech: The part of the statement which is inside the inverted comma is called the reported speech, and verb of reported speech is called reported verb.

Example: He said, “I have lost my book.”
Reported Speech: I have lost my book.
Report verb: Lost

                

Rules for changing direct narration into indirect narration:

Punctuation

Hira says, “Sita is ill.”                         

Indirect Speech:        Hira says that Sita is ill.

Naina said to Rina, “I am watching T.V.”  

Indirect Speech         Naina told Rina that she was watching.

There is no use of “….”

Conjunction: That

Jack says to Moti, “Hari is intelligent.”     

Indirect Speech:     Jack tells Moti that Hari is intelligent.

Jaya says to Sita, “She has lost her pen.”  

Indirect Speech                Jaya tells Sita that she has lost her pen.

      That works as conjunction as it joins reporting speech and reported speech.

Change of Tenses

Rule 1: If the Reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the verb in reported speech remains unchanged.

Mona says, “Indu will meet me on Monday.”
Mona says that Indu will meet her on Monday.
 Mona will say, “I like color television.”
Mona will say that she likes color television.

Rule 2: If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tenses in the reported speech are changed into corresponding past tenses.

Simple Present is changed into the Simple Past. 

Anil said, “Sunil works efficiently.”

Anil said that Sunil worked efficiently

b.      Present Continuous is changed into the Past Continuous. 

He said, “Rani is singing a nice song.”

He said that Rani was singing a nice song.

c.       Present Perfect is changed into Past Perfect.

Alok said, “The train has arrived at the platform.”

Alok said that the train had arrived at the platform.

d.      Present Perfect Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous.

She said, “Manish has been waiting since morning.”

She said that Manish had been waiting since morning.

Mohan said, “I have been working since morning.”

Mohan said that he had been working since morning.

e.    Simple Past is changed into the Past Perfect. 

Mohan said, “Sujata worked hard this year.”

Mohan said that Sujata had worked hard that year.

Neelam said, “Neelima waited for her.”

Neelam said that Neelima had waited for her.

f.      Past Continuous is changed into Past Perfect Continuous.

Rama said, “It was raining heavily.”

Rama said that it had been raining heavily.

Ram said, “All the boys were playing cricket.”

Ram said that all the boys had been playing cricket.

g.     The Past Perfect is left unchanged.
      Ashok said, “Ramesh had gone to school.”
      Ashok said that Ramesh had gone to school.

Rule 3: If the Reported Speech contains some universal truth or a Habitual fact, the Simple Present Tense in the Reported Speech is not changed into the corresponding Simple Past, but remains unchanged.

The beggar said, “Poverty is a great curse.”
The beggar said that poverty is great curse.
The boy said, ‘I brush my teeth every day.’
The boy said that he brushes his teeth every day.
The teacher said, ‘The Sun rises in the east.
The teacher said that the Sun rises in the east.

Questions:

In reporting a question in the indirect speech:

The reporting verb is changed to asked, inquired, demanded, etc…whether/if is used.

If question starts with when, what, where, how, whom and whose then conjunction if/whether are not used.

Examples:

1.      He said to me, “Do you know the way?”

       He inquired of me if I knew the way.

       The teacher said to me, “What are you doing?”

       The teacher asked me what I was doing.

 He said to me, “Do you Play football?”

 He asked me whether I played football.

 Bali said to me, “When will you return?”

 Bali asked me when I would return.

 My father said, “Where is Tom?”

 My father asked me where Tom was.

 Rekha says to Hari, “Are you thirsty?”             

 Rekha asks Hari whether he is thirsty.

Exercise:

1. Mohan Said, "I have bought a new bike."

2. The teacher said to the student, "You are late."

3. He says to me, "I will go to Mumbai."

4. Lata said to me, "I have lost my pen."

5. He said to me," I am reading."

6. I said to Mohan, "Do you remember your promise?"

7. He said to me, "Did you see my gun?"

8. He says to me, "Were you going to Patna?"

9. Teacher said to, " Are you a doctor?"

10. Mrs. Das said," I want a new car."