Direct and Indirect Speech Rules with Examples | Narration Change Guide

Changing Narration: Direct to Indirect Speech

📌 What is Narration?

Narration is the art of reporting what someone has said. It can be:

• Direct Speech: Quoting the exact words of the speaker using quotation marks.
• Indirect Speech: Reporting what someone said without quoting them directly.

🎯 Basic Rules for Changing Narration

1. Identify the Reporting Verb

• If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense — no change in tense of the reported speech.
• If the reporting verb is in the past tense — change the tense of the reported speech accordingly.

Example:
Direct: He says, “I am busy.”
Indirect: He says that he is busy. (No change because reporting verb is present)

Example:
Direct: He said, “I am busy.”
Indirect: He said that he was busy. (Tense changes because reporting verb is past)

2. Change in Tense (If Reporting Verb is Past)

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Simple Present	Simple Past
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
Simple Past	Past Perfect
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
Will	Would
Can	Could
May	Might
Must	had to
Has/have to	Had to

3. Change in Pronouns

Pronouns change according to the subject and object of the reporting sentence.

Example:
Direct: She said, “I love my mother.”
Indirect: She said that she loved her mother.

4. Change of Time and Place Words

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Today	That day
Tomorrow	The next day / following day
Yesterday	The day before
Now	Then
Here	There
This	That
These	Those
Tonight	That night
Ago	Before
Last night	The night before
Next week	The following week

5. Removal of Quotation Marks and Use of “That”

Quotation marks are removed and the word “that” is added between reporting and reported speech (except in questions/commands).

Example:
Direct: He said, “I play cricket.”
Indirect: He said that he played cricket.

6. Questions

• Use “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions.
• Use the question word (what, why, where, when, etc.) for wh-questions.
• Change sentence structure to statement form (no question mark).

Example (Yes/No):
Direct: He said, “Are you happy?”
Indirect: He asked if I was happy.

Example (Wh-question):
Direct: She said, “Where do you live?”
Indirect: She asked where I lived.

7. Imperative Sentences (Commands, Requests)

• Use verbs like “told”, “ordered”, “requested”, “advised” followed by infinitive (to + verb).

Example:
Direct: She said, “Open the door.”
Indirect: She told me to open the door.

Example (Negative):
Direct: He said, “Don’t shout.”
Indirect: He told me not to shout.

8. Exclamations & Wishes

Use words like exclaimed with joy/sorrow, wished, prayed, etc.

Example:
Direct: He said, “Hurrah! We won.”
Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won.

Example:
Direct: She said, “May God bless you.”
Indirect: She prayed that God might bless me.