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Chapter No 17

Direct and Indirect Narration

A speech can be reported in different ways. The reporter may either use actual words of a speaker or he
may convey substance of his speech in his own words .the first is called “Direct Narration” and the second
is called “ Indirect Narration “ .
1 The statement that is outside the quotation marks is called “Reporting Speech”.
2 The statement that is inside the quotation marks is called “Reported Speech”.

Subjective Personal Objective Personal Possessive Reflexive

Pronoun Pronoun / Pronoun Pronoun
Nominative Accusative
I Me Mine Myself
We Us Ours Ourselves
You You Yours Yourself
He Him His Himself
She Her Hers Herself
They Them Theirs Themselves

Change in the pronoun:

1. The pronoun of the second person in the reported speech are changed according to the persons of
the subject reporting speech.
2. The pronoun of the first person in the reported speech are changed according to the persons of the
object reporting speech.
3. No change occurs with the pronoun of the third person.
Change in the Verbs:
1 If the verb in the reporting speech is present or future no change will occur with the verb of the
reported speech.
2 If the verb in the reporting speech in past the following change will be made
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Reported speech Indirect Form

1 Present Indefinite 1 Past Indefinite
2 Present Continuous 2 Past Continuous
3 Present Perfect 3 Past Perfect
4 Present perfect continuous 4 Past t perfect continuous
5 Past Indefinite 5 Past Indefinite
6 Past continuous 6 Past continuous
7 Past Perfect 7 Past Perfect
8 Future Indefinite shall/ will 8 Would
9 Can 9 Could
10 May 10 Might
11 Is are ,am 11 was / were
12 Was /Were 12 Had Been
These word yes, now, well, altogether, are deleted in the reported speech
Sir madam is changed into respectfully.
Good day / good morning is changed into greeted.
Good noon/ good evening / good night remain the same.
 Must in direct speech become “Had to” in indirect speech when the introductory verb is in the past
tense.
 He said “I must go “(Direct)
 He said that he had to go (Indirect).
 But “Must “remains unchanged when it expresses a permanent general obligation.
 He said” Children must respect their teachers” (Direct)
 He said that children must respect their teacher (Indirect)
Rule No 1
If the reporting verb is in the past tense the reported speech must be changed into the past indefinite, the
past perfect, and the past perfect continuous tense as the case may be.
Example
1 Direct: He said “I am a professor”.
Indirect: He said that he was a professor.
2 Direct: He said “I have won the match”
Indirect: He said that he had won the match.
3 Direct: He said “I took the examination”
Indirect: He said that he had taken the examination.
4 Direct: He said “I am playing football”
Indirect: He said that he was playing football.
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Rule No 2
If the reported speech expresses a universal truth the verb remains unchanged, as “
1 Direct: He said “The sun rises in the east”.
Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east.
2 Direct: He said” Time and tide waits for none “.
Indirect: He said that time and tide waits for none.
Rule No 3
If the reported verb is the present or future tense the tense of the reported speech remains unchanged.
1 Direct: He says “I pray daily”
Indirect: He says that he prays daily.
2 Direct: He says “I have done my duty “
Indirect: He says that he has done his duty.
Rule No 4
The person of the pronoun in the reported speech should correspond to the original person and the sense
of the original speech as:
1 Direct: Zaheer said “I am a fool”
Indirect: Zaheer said that he was a fool.
2 Direct: Zaheer said to me, “You are a fool”
Indirect: Zaheer told me that I was a fool.
3 Direct: Zaheer said to her “You are a fool”
Indirect: Zaheer told her that she was a fool.
When a direct narration is changed into indirect Narration there will be following changes:
This That
These Those
Here There
Now Then
Sir/Madam Respectfully
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day
Yesterday The previous day
Tonight That night
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Ago Before
Thus So
Hence Thence
Come Go
Hither Thither
Henceforth Thenceforth
At present Fort the time being
Just Now Just then

1 Direct: He said, "1 shall do this work now

Indirect: He said that he would do that work then.
2 Direct She said, "I live here".
Indirect: She said that she lived there
3 Direct: You Said to me “I met you years ago
indirect: You told me that you had met me years before.

EXERCISE
1 Emaan said that she loved Pakistan,
2 Ashen said that he was a native of Iran,
3 Abdullah said to them that they were cheating him.
4 You said to me that l had been very kind to him.
5 She said to us that she had been teaching my sister since the previous day.
6 You said to him that she would be there the next day.
7 You said to her that you had returned from Quetta to that place the previous day.
8 He said to her respectfully served her in that house.
9 Salman said to them that those boys had served her in that house for six years.
10 The old man Said that history repeats itself.
11 she said to us that she had paid the rent of that house.
12 Ematn said to him that she had been learning those verses from the Holy Quran by heart.
13 He said that Christmas conies out once a year.
14 The teacher said to the students that he would give them a test in English the following day.
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Assertive Sentences:
 While changing the Assertive sentences, from Direct Speech to indirect Speech, we use that after
removing the quotation marks.
 The pronoun will be changed as mentioned before.
1 Direct She said 1o my son, “You are only wasting her time".
Indirect: She said to my son that he was only wasting her time.
2 Direct: She said, “ I did not go to school yesterday”.
Indirect: She said that she had not gone to school the previous day.
3. Direct: The lion Said to the fox, "Many animals come here".
Indirect: The lion said to the fox That many animals came there.
4 Direct: she said to me, “I shall look after my brother.”
Indirect: She said to me that she would look after her brother.

EXERCISE
1.Amna said to me, "every cock Fights best in its own dung-hill”.
2. She said to the doctor that she would be going to Murree the next day.
3. He said to me that he had not received my telegram the previous day.
4. We said to him respectfully that we were sorry for what we had done.
5. She said, "| have spoken the truth to you now”
6. They said to us that it was not their fault.
7. You said to us that you had been waiting for us the previous day.
8.The villager said that wolves may lose their teeth but not their nature.
9.We knew that the earth moves around the sun.
10. Mother said to us, those who dig a pit for others fall themselves into it.
11.She said to me, "I shall write a letter to your mother tomorrow.
12.Malaika said to him, Sir, l left my pen here on this table yesterday”
13. My daughter," said the mother, “You have spoken the truth in this matter.”
14. She said to me positively that she would return my book the following day.
15.You said to him, "All is well that ends well”.
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Interrogatory Sentences:
A) The Reported Speech is preceded by such words as asked, demanded, inquired, and question.
B) That" is not used as a conjunction.
C)The Indirect Speech Is not in the interrogative form, 1.e. the verb-comes after the subject as in an
Assertive sentence.
D)In single interrogative sentences " I will be used in place of quotation marks, there will be no Use of
THAT interrogative sentences.
Examples:
1 Direct: He said to me, "Are you my friend”.
Indirect: He asked me it was his friend.
2 Direct: She said to me, "Have you taken tea?
Indirect: She asked me if I had taken lea.
3 Direct: You said to him, “what is your name?
Indirect: You asked him what his name was.
4 Direct: You said to me, “why are you sad today?
Indirect: You asked me why I was sad that day.

EXERCISE
1.He said to us, "Have you solved these sums?”
2.Said to her, “Why was your baby weeping yesterday?”
3.He asked me where my mother was going the previous day.
4.You said to him. "What did Faisal say here in your ear?”
5.She said to them, "is not virtue its own reward?”
6.I said to the postman, “Is there any letter for me today?”
7. Where are you going now “I said to my servant”.
8.The policeman enquired of him why he did not observe the traffic rules.
9.She Asked her teacher very respectfully why he was angry with her.
10 Father said to him, “Why have you beaten he servant now?
11.We enquired of our neighbor why our house had been locked.
12 I enquired of the servant whether he had told me the truth about that accident.
13. She said to her, "What was your sister saying to you yesterday?
14 I asked the carpenter ” why he had not completed his work the previous day.
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15. You said to him, did it rain here yesterday?”

Imperative Sentences:
(a) There is no subject in the imperative sentences.
(b) When an imperative sentence is changed from Direct to indirect Speech to is used place of quotation
marks.
(c) In case of command or request or exclamation, the: reporting verb should express the sense in clear
words.
(d) According to the situation, the following words are used, ordered, advised, requested, suggested,
forbade, asked, directed and urged.
Example:
1 Direct: The master said to the slave” Be off I do not want you”.
Indirect: The master ordered the slave to be off as he did not want him.
2 Direct: I said to him, "Do not betray your friends"
Indirect: I advised him not to betray his friends,
3. Direct: He said to us, Keep quiet over here'.
Indirect: He directed us to keep quiet over there.

EXERCISE
1.You said to them, "Be quiet at home over here.
2.He said to us, "Let the ladies pass first."
3 I advised them to play a tale game like true Muslims.
4 He requested us to company him to the airport.
5. You forbade them to go to the pictures.
6.I said to him,” Post this letter on your way home"
7. You said to them, "Do not quarrel with your neighbors”
8.She advised him to respect his elders.
9. He said to them, "Do not call me names."
10. I warned him to be very careful in future,
1l. I forbade my brother to depend on guess papers for success in the examination.
12.She asked the servant to iron her clothes.
13. He advised us to treat our younger brothers and sisters with kindness.
14. “Fire at the mob," said the magistrate to policemen,
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15. I said to him, “Respect those Who respect you”.

Exclamatory Sentences:
a) In Exclamatory Sentences, he Order of the words must be changed in the Affirmative, as:
b) According to the situation, the following changes can be made:
Exclaimed with Joy
Exclaimed with sorrow
Exclaimed with wonder
Examples:
1. Direct: The beggar said to me, "May you enjoy a long life”.
Indirect: The beggar prayed that I might enjoy a long life.
2. Direct: He said, "Alas! My mother is dead."
Indirect; He exclaimed with sorrow that his mother was dead,
3 Direct: He said, "I wish I were a king!
Indirect: He expressed a wish that he were a king,
4. Direct: The boy said, "Hurrah! what a beautiful flower it is",
Indirect: The boy exclaimed with delight that it was a very beautiful flower,

EXERCSE
1.He said, "Aha! My brother will perform the Hajj tomorrow”
2.She said, “What a beautiful carpet you have bought”.
3. He exclaimed with joy that he would leave for Medina the following day.
4.They exclaimed with sorrow that their shop had been looted by those bad character.
5. He said “Hurrah! “My college has won the match by two goals.
6. She exclaimed with grief that her uncle had died.
7.She exclaimed with wonder that their neighbor Was a notorious smuggler.
8.He said, "Alas! My friends have cheated me.
9.She said, "Alas! My uncle’s car has met with an accident.
10.They exclaimed with joy that the thief had been arrested by the police.
11.He exclaimed with great sorrow that he had lost his passport.
12. They said,” Hurrah! Our forces have defeated the enemy.
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13.She said, Alas! The plane carrying a group of tourists has crashed near Hyderabad.
14. The child exclaimed with joy that his mother had returned from Iran.
Optative Sentences:
a) Optative sentences deal with prayers and wishes.
b) In these Optative Sentences, while changing from direct to indirect speech THAT is used in place of
quotation marks.
Example:
1 Direct: She said, “May my son pass the examination!”
Indirect: She prayed that her son might pass the examination.
2 Direct: We said, "May the police arrest the thieves!”
Indirect: We prayed that the police might arrest the thieves.
3 Direct: The hunter said, "Would that T had shot down many birds!"
Indirect: he hunter wished that he, had shot down many birds.

EXERCISE
1.He wished that he had not made that mistake.
2.She said, May the judge sentence the murderer of my son lo, death
3.They said, “Would that we had not travelled by that ill-fated bus”
4.We prayed that our brothers fever might subside that day.
5.He said,” Would that I were born in the house of a big landlord"
6. They said, "May God protect our village from this flood".
7. We wished that we had been k home that day.
8. He said, "My God grant me courage to bear this loss!"
9.They said, "Would that we had not bought this house!
10. They prayed that they might be able to pay up their debt that year.
11. You wished that your name had been in that list of prize winners.
12. She said, "Would that I were the owner of this factory"
13. He prayed that he might pass the examinations ln the first division.
14 He wished that his application for leave had not been rejected by the principal.
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Use of "Let:
"Let is used in two different senses
A) As a permission.
B) As a suggestion.
In the first form of a sense, the following changes are made
i) Said to requested /asked
ii) Commas to
Examples
1 Direct: She said to me, let me select some books for studies.
Indirect: She requested me to let her select some books for studies.
2 Direct: I said to him, "Let me write a letter."
Indirect: I asked him to let me write a latter.
In the second form of a sense, the following changes se made:
(i) Said to proposed /Suggested to
(ii) Commas that
The word should be used as a helping verb.
Examples
1 Direct: She Said, "Let us enjoy the movies
indirect: She proposed that they should enjoy the movie.
2 Direct: He said, "Let’s see how the wind blows”
Indirect: He proposed that they should see how the wind blow.

EXERCISE
1.Ali aid to me, "Let me do my duty”.
2. She said," Let’s go to a river-bank:"
3. He said to me, "Let him select the best thing"
4 She said to me," Let’s forget the past"
5.My brother, said, "Let’s do the work. in time"
6.The captain said "Let's play with full spirit'.
7.Alia said to me," Let's do something for the welfare of the children."
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8. The manager said to the peon, Don’t let him go out.

9.The principal said to the peon, "Let this naughty girl come in”.
10. He said to the policeman, "Don't let him run away from here."
11 They boy said, "Let's go for a walk:"
12. They said, lets tease her,"
13 She said, “Let's go for a stroll."
14. The children said. "Let's make a hell of noise."
15. She said, "Let me cook some food.
Exercise on Direct and Indirect sentences for further guideline:
He said, "Scoundrel."
He called me a scoundrel.
She said, "Happy Christmas."
She wished me a happy Christmas
Ali said, "Congratulation”
Ali congratulated me.
She said, "Good morning"
She wished me a good morning
He said, "Good afternoon."
He wished men good afternoon.
She said. “Curse the bad weather."
She cursed the bad weather.
My brother said, Thank you."
My brother thanked me.
He said, "Good bye, my friends”
He bade good bye to his friends.
He said to me, "Happy birthday to you."
He wished me a happy birthday.