NARRATION

 

Direct and Indirect Speech

 

Definition

• Direct Speech: The exact words of a speaker, usually within quotation marks.
  Example: She said, "I am tired."_
•  
• Indirect Speech: The reported version of what someone said, without quotation marks.
  Example: She said that she was tired.

 

 Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech

 

 1. Change in Pronouns

• First person → changes based on the subject
• Second person → changes based on the object
• Third person → no change

 

 2. Change in Tense

(Only if reporting verb is in the past)

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present simple →	Past simple
Present continuous →	Past continuous
Present perfect →	Past perfect
Past simple →	Past perfect
Will/shall →	Would/should
Can/may →	Could/might

 

 3. Change in Time and Place Words

Direct	Indirect
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the day before
now	then
here	there
this	that
these	those

 

 Examples of Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. He said, "I am busy."	He said that he was busy.
2. She said, "I will come tomorrow."	She said that she would come the next day.
3. John said, "I have finished my work."	John said that he had finished his work.
4. They said, "We are watching a movie."	They said that they were watching a movie.
5. She said, "I can dance well."	She said that she could dance well.
6. I said, "She went to school."	I said that she had gone to school.
7. He said, "I must study."	He said that he had to study.
8. She said, "It is raining now."	She said that it was raining then.
9. He said, "I will help you."	He said that he would help me.
10. They said, "We met her yesterday."	They said that they had met her the day before.

 

 

 

 

 1. Statement Sentences (Assertive Sentences)

Rule:

·         Use that to connect.

·         Change the tense, pronouns, and time/place words as needed.

·          

 Examples:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. She said, "I am happy."	She said that she was happy.
2. He said, "I like pizza."	He said that he liked pizza.
3. They said, "We have finished our work."	They said that they had finished their work.
4. I said, "It is raining today."	I said that it was raining that day.
5. He said, "She went home."	He said that she had gone home.
6. Rahul said, "I am studying now."	Rahul said that he was studying then.
7. She said, "I saw him yesterday."	She said that she had seen him the day before.
8. They said, "We will go tomorrow."	They said that they would go the next day.
9. He said, "I cannot come."	He said that he could not come.
10. I said, "I have done my homework."	I said that I had done my homework.

1. I said to him, “You are my best friend.”

2. She said to me, “You always help me.”

3. Rohan said to his sister, “You look happy today.”

4. We said to them, “You are late again.”

5. He said to her, “You speak very politely.”

6. The teacher said to the students, “You are very sincere.”

7. They said to us, “You have done a good job.”

8. The mother said to her son, “You are very brave.”

9. The boy said to his friend, “You can stay with me.”

10. I said to my parents, “You support me always.”

11. She said to her brother, “You should study harder.”

12. The doctor said to the patient, “You must take rest.”

13. He said to his father, “You are my role model.”

14. The girl said to her teacher, “You explain everything clearly.”

15. We said to our leader, “You inspire all of us.”

16. The coach said to the player, “You played very well today.”

17. She said to her friend, “You always understand me.”

18. I said to him, “You look tired today.”

19. The child said to his mother, “You make the best food.”

20. He said to them, “You have improved a lot.”

1. Change the following sentences into Indirect.
1. 1. He said,” The servant has finished his work timely.”
2. 2. The teacher said to us,” I shall teach you the last lesson today.”
3. 3. Newton said,” Earth pulls everything.”
4. 4. I said to them,” If the rain stops the match we will play the match.”
5. 5. He will say to his mother,” I am going to Agra with my friends.”
6. 6. Rakesh says to his younger brother,” You have done this work very well.”
7. 7. She said to her friends,” We will meet in this cafe tomorrow.”
8. 8. My friend said to me,” You played very well.”
9. 9. The old man said,” There was a big ground.”
10. 10 The boy said to his father,” I had completed my homework yesterday.”
11. 11. My parents said to me,” you should not waste your time.”
12. 12. She said to him,” Our children were playing outside.”
13. 13. The man said to the boy,” You have not done your work in time.”
14. 14. The traveler said to him,” This is my seat.”
15. 15. The police said to the thieves,” You can not run away now.”
16. 16. The beggar said to the passer-by,” I have been hungry for two days.”
17. 17. The old lady said to the policeman,” I have forgotten my bag.”
18. 18. Roma said to her friends,” I will invite you today.”
19. 19. The postman said to Mr.Sharma,” I want to give this letter to your elder brother.”
20. 20. They said to the teacher, “We did not come to school yesterday.”

21. 1. Direct:

    I said to him, “The sun rises in the east.”
    Indirect:
    I told him that the sun rises in the east.

    2. Direct:

    The teacher said to the students, “Honesty is the best policy.”
    Indirect:
    The teacher told the students that honesty is the best policy.

    3. Direct:

    She said to me, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
    Indirect:
    She told me that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

    4. Direct:

    He said to his friend, “The earth moves around the sun.”
    Indirect:
    He told his friend that the earth moves around the sun.

    5. Direct:

    The scientist said, “Light travels in a straight line.”
    Indirect:
    The scientist said that light travels in a straight line.

    6. Direct:

    My father said to me, “Hard work leads to success.”
    Indirect:
    My father told me that hard work leads to success.

    7. Direct:

    The teacher said to the class, “A year has 12 months.”
    Indirect:
    The teacher told the class that a year has 12 months.

    8. Direct:

    She said, “Ice melts in heat.”
    Indirect:
    She said that ice melts in heat.

    9. Direct:

    Rohan said to his brother, “Man is a social animal.”
    Indirect:
    Rohan told his brother that man is a social animal.

    10. Direct:

    The monk said to us, “God is everywhere.”
    Indirect:
    The monk told us that God is everywhere.

    
    

2. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

Rule:

·         Use if/whether for yes/no questions.

·         Use question word (what, where, when, why, how) for WH-questions.

·         Change tense, pronouns, word order (no question format in indirect).

 Examples (Yes/No Questions):

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. He said, "Do you like coffee?"	He asked if I liked coffee.
2. She said, "Are you coming?"	She asked if I was coming.
3. They said, "Have you eaten?"	They asked if I had eaten.
4. I said, "Will you help me?"	I asked if he would help me.
5. He said, "Can you drive?"	He asked if I could drive.

 Examples (WH-Questions):

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
6. She said, "Where do you live?"	She asked where I lived.
7. He said, "What are you doing?"	He asked what I was doing.
8. I said, "When will they arrive?"	I asked when they would arrive.
9. They said, "Why did you cry?"	They asked why I had cried.
10. She said, "How do you cook this?"	She asked how I cooked that.

 Direct: The girl said to me, “Is the mango sweet?”

Indirect: The girl asked me if the mango was sweet.

 

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Are you ill?”

Indirect: The teacher asked me whether I was ill.

 

Direct: I said to him, “Do you know the man?”

Indirect: I asked/inquired of him if/whether he knew the man.

 

Direct: Nitai said to Mangal, “Will you help me?”

Indirect: Nitai asked Mangal if he would help him.

 

Direct: I said to Manish, “Did you see our cow?”

Indirect: I asked Manish if he had seen my cow.

 

Direct: The teacher said to the student, “Did you come to school yesterday?”

Indirect: The teacher asked the student whether he had come to school the previous day.

 

Direct: The teacher said to his students, “Can you answer this question?”

Indirect: The teacher asked his students if they could answer that question.

 

Direct: I said to Ratan, “Do you know my brother?”

Indirect: I asked Ratan whether he knew his brother.

 

Direct: Father said to me, “Do you have any problem?”

Indirect: Father asked me if I had any problem.

Direct: Mother said to me, “Did you eat anything last night?”

Indirect: My mother asked me if I had eaten anything the previous night.

 

Direct: I said to him, “Have you had your tea?”

Indirect: I asked him if he had had his tea.

 

Direct: He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”

Indirect: He wanted to know whether you would listen to such a man.

 

Direct: Ratan said to me, “Did you need money?”

Indirect: Ratan asked me if I had needed money.

 

 

Wh-word Interrogative Sentence from Direct to Indirect Speech

Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence

Direct: She said, “Who broke the glass?”

Indirect: She wanted to know who had broken the glass.

 

Direct: He said, “Whom have they made leader of the party?”

Indirect: He wanted to know whom they had made leader of the party.

 

Direct: The boy said to the man, “Whose mobile phone are you using now?”

Indirect: The boy asked the man whose mobile phone he was using then.

 

Direct: Ramen said to me, “Why do you look so sad and gloomy today?”

Indirect: Ramen asked me why I looked so sad and gloomy that day.

×

 

×

Direct: I said to the porter, “When does the next train come?”

Indirect: I asked the porter when the next train went.

 

Direct: Gita said to her mother, “Where have you kept my umbrella?”

Indirect: Gita asked her mother where she had kept her umbrella.

Direct: He said, “How can I do such a thing?”

×

Indirect: He wanted to know how I could do such a thing.

 

Direct: I asked the little boy, “What is your name?”

×

Indirect: I asked the little boy what his name was.

Direct: The man said, “Which bridge did you cross?”

Indirect: The man wanted to know which bridge you had crossed.

×

 

Direct: The teacher said to the boy, “Why were you absent yesterday?”

Indirect: The teacher asked the boy why he had been absent the previous day.

×

 

Direct: I said to her, “How are you?”

Indirect: I asked her how she was.

×

Direct: The police said to the thief, “How did you get inside the room?”

Indirect: The police asked the thief how he had gotten inside the room.

 

100+ Exercise Direct to Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentence

Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence

1. He said to me, “Will you borrow the phone?”
2. I said to the man, “Can you build a house?”
   
3. Brother said to us, “Should they miss the train?”
4. The man said to the guard, “Are the boys playing football in the field?”
5. The teacher said to us, “Have you seen tiger in the zoo?”
6. You said to his sister, “Was Bikash running in the morning?”
7. Rajib said to them, “Had Moumita been singing for two hours?”
8. My friend said to me, “Will you help me?”
   
9. Father said to me, “Did he go to the market?”
10. I said to Rita, “Did you phone me?”
11. The teachers said, “Did you buy the books?”
    ×
    
12. Rahim said, “Did they come here yesterday?”
13. He said to you, “Did Gopal eat rice last Sunday?”
14. You said to me, “Do you take tea daily?”
    ×
    
15. I said the man, “Do you teach English?”
16. He said to me, “Does your sister read English newspaper daily?”
17. Uncle said to me, “Does Rajesh study?”
    ×
    
18. I said the man, “Do the trees give us fruits?”
19. I say to you, “Have you a pen?”
20. I said to Khakan, “Are you busy now?”
    ×
    
21. I say to mother, “Have you cooked rice?”
22. He says to me, “Are you well?”
23. Sumon says to you, “Are you sad?”
24. He said to me, “Do you love me?”
25. Mitali said to Kabita, “Are you a mad?”
26. They said to me, “Do you know english?”
    ×
    
27. She said, “Must you be rude?”
28. He asked me, “Must I go so soon?”
29. He said, “Were you OK?”
30. He asked her, “Can you dance on the stage?”
31. The teacher said to me, “Had you read the book?”
32. He said, “Is honey not sweet?”
33. The boy said to me, “Will you tell me a story?”
34. The lady said to me, “Have you heard the sound?”
35. The passerby said to me, “Can you tell me the man’s address?”
36. I said the boy, “Could you cross the river?”
37. The man said to the girl, “Were you asking the question repeatedly?”
38. The students said to the teacher, “Should she apply for a new job?”
39. The coach said, “Would you practice cricket?”
40. I said to my friend, “Do you take coffee?”
41. I said to your brother, “Can Madan break the door?”
42. Mother said to me, “Should you go there?”
43. The teacher said to the parents, “Would they go to school along this way?”
44. The driver said to us, “Must you take tea here? “
45. My father said to me, “Did you taken bath yesterday?”
46. I said to you, “Will you meet with me?”
47. The man said to her, “Was the baby leaping on the bed?”
48. Your elder brother said to me, “Are you sleeping now?”
49. I said to you, “Do you know the teacher?”
50. He said to Sumona, “Have you caught fish in the river?”
51. She said to me, “What are you doing in the room?”
52. She said to me, “When will you come back?”
53. The man asked the doctor, “When will I take medicine?”
54. She said the boy, “Which picture do you like best?”
55. I said to him, “How many times do you practice spoken English at home?”
56. The man said to her, “When do you get up?”
57. Nabin said to her, “What do you want?”
58. The student said to the teacher, “What does this word mean?”
59. The teacher said to the students, “Why are you shouting in the class?”
60. My friends said to me, “Where are you going next week?”
61. He said to me, “When will our exam start?”
62. The doctor said to the nurse, “How is the patient today?”
63. The traveler said, “How far is Kolkata from here?”
64. He said to me, “What are you doing?”
65. I said to him, “What do you do?”
66. The man said to me, “Where do I live?”
67. The passerby said to me, “What is the time by your watch?”
68. Dipa said to Madhabi, “Where are you going now?”
69. The passenger said, “When will the train start?”
70. I said to the man, “Why did you beat the boy?”
71. The boy said to the girl, “Whom do you love?”
72. I said to him, “Whom is he calling?”
73. He said to me, “Whom can they help?”
74. They said to you, “Whom have the police arrested?”
75. My friend said to me, “Whom are you teaching English?”
76. The man said to us, “Whom have they seen there?”
77. Priya said to Sonali, “Whom did you offer a cup of tea?”
78. I said to her, “Whom should he borrow money?”
79. The man said to me, “Whom did you tell the event?”
80. He said to us, “Whom had India defected?”
81. Your friend said to me, “To whom do they learn English?”
82. Your father said to you, “With whom is she going to kolkata?”
83. You said to me, “Who are you?”
84. I said to him, “Who were there?”
85. I said to my sister, “Who are going with you?”
86. She said to you, “How is your mother?”
87. The boy said to the man, “How does the girl look?”
88. The man said to me, “How far is your house from here?”
89. The passerby said to him, “How far is airport?”
90. The teacher said to Ratan, “How can Tamal pass the exam?”
91. I said to the girl, “Where have they lost the key?”
92. The teacher said to the students, “Where has the boy lost his pen?”
93. My mother said, “Where are you searching the phone?”
94. We said to his father, “Where will Gopal start a new business?”
95. They said, “Where should they donate money?”
96. I said the man, “When did you sell the house?”
97. She said, “When will you lodge an F.I.R?”
98. Mohan said, “When could he return the money?”
99. The man said to the boy, “What are you looking for?”
100. I said to him, “What is he watching?”

3. Imperative Sentences (Commands, Requests, Advice)

Rule:

·         Use verbs like told, asked, requested, ordered, advised + to + base verb.

·         For negative commands, use not to.

 Examples:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. She said, "Please help me."	She requested me to help her.
2. He said, "Close the door."	He told me to close the door.
3. The teacher said, "Read the chapter."	The teacher told us to read the chapter.
4. I said, "Don’t  shout!"	I told him not to shout.
5. He said, "Don’t go there."	He warned me not to go there.
6. Mother said, "Eat your food."	Mother told me to eat my food.
7. The doctor said, "Take your medicine."	The doctor advised me to take my medicine.
8. She said, "Be careful."	She advised me to be careful.
9. He said, "Don’t be late."	He told me not to be late.
10. The captain said, "Follow me."	The captain ordered them to follow him.

 

 

 4. Exclamatory Sentences

Rule:

·         Use exclaimed with joy/sorrow/wonder, etc.

·         Remove exclamation marks and change to a statement format.

 Examples:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1. She said, "What a beautiful dress!"	She exclaimed that it was a beautiful dress.
2. He said, "Alas! I failed the exam."	He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the exam.
3. They said, "Hurrah! We won the match!"	They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
4. She said, "Wow! That’s amazing!"	She exclaimed with wonder that it was amazing.
5. He said, "Oh! I forgot my keys."	He exclaimed with regret that he had forgotten his keys.
6. She said, "How cold it is!"	She exclaimed that it was very cold.
7. He said, "What a surprise!"	He exclaimed that it was a surprise.
8. I said, "Alas! My dog is gone."	I exclaimed with grief that my dog was gone.
9. They said, "Hurray! We’re free!"	They exclaimed with joy that they were free.
10. She said, "Oh no! I lost my ring!"	She exclaimed with distress that she had lost her ring.

 

 

 Tense Change Chart – Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct Speech Tense	Changes To	Example (Direct Speech)	Example (Indirect Speech)
Simple Present	Simple Past	He said, "I play football."	He said that he played football.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	She said, "I am cooking."	She said that she was cooking.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	They said, "We have won."	They said that they had won.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	He said, "I have been studying."	He said that he had been studying.
Simple Past	Past Perfect	She said, "I ate pizza."	She said that she had eaten pizza.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	He said, "I was working."	He said that he had been working.
Past Perfect	No Change	She said, "I had finished."	She said that she had finished.
Past Perfect Continuous	No Change	He said, "I had been waiting."	He said that he had been waiting.
Future (will/shall)	would/should	He said, "I will help."	He said that he would help.
Can	Could	She said, "I can dance."	She said that she could dance.
May	Might	He said, "I may go."	He said that he might go.
Must / Have to	Had to	She said, "I must leave."	She said that she had to leave.

 

 No Tense Change When:

• Reporting verb is in present or future
   Example: He says, "I read books." → He says that he reads books.

 

• The sentence contains a universal truth, fact, or proverb
  Example: She said, "Water boils at 100°C." → She said that water boils at 100°C.

 

 Direct and Indirect Speech

 Definition:

• Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by a speaker, written within quotation marks (" ").

  Example: He said, "I am happy."

• Indirect Speech: The same idea is reported without using the exact words and without quotation marks.

  Example: He said that he was happy.

Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech:

1. Change in Pronouns

• According to the subject of the reporting verb.

  "I am tired," said John. → John said that he was tired.

2. Change in Tenses

• If the reporting verb is in past, change the tense of reported speech:

  • Present simple → Past simple

  • Present continuous → Past continuous

  • Present perfect → Past perfect

  • Will → Would

  • Can → Could

  • May → Might

3. Change in Time and Place Words

Direct	Indirect
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the day before
here	there
this	that
these	those

4. No change in tense if the reporting verb is in the present or future.

 A. Statements (Assertive Sentences)

 Structure:

• Direct: Subject + said, "Subject + verb..."

• Indirect: Subject + said/said that + (changed tense)

 Examples:

1. D: He said, "I like apples."
   I: He said that he liked apples.

2. D: She said, "I am tired."
   I: She said that she was tired.

3. D: They said, "We will go to the market."
   I: They said that they would go to the market.

4. D: I said, "She is reading a book."
   I: I said that she was reading a book.

5. D: He said, "I have completed my homework."
   I: He said that he had completed his homework.

6. D: She said, "We are going out."
   I: She said that they were going out.

7. D: They said, "We had seen the movie."
   I: They said that they had seen the movie.

8. D: He said, "I can swim."
   I: He said that he could swim.

9. D: I said, "It is raining now."
   I: I said that it was raining then.

10. D: She said, "This book is mine."
    I: She said that that book was hers.

B. Questions

 1. Yes/No Type Questions

Structure:

• Direct: He said, "Do you like pizza?"

• Indirect: He asked if/whether I liked pizza.

 Examples:

1. D: He said, "Do you know her?"
   I: He asked if I knew her.

2. D: She said, "Are you happy?"
   I: She asked if I was happy.

3. D: They said, "Have you finished?"
   I: They asked whether I had finished.

4. D: I said, "Is it raining?"
   I: I asked if it was raining.

5. D: He said, "Will you come?"
   I: He asked if I would come.

6. D: She said, "Did he go to school?"
   I: She asked whether he had gone to school.

7. D: I said, "Can you help me?"
   I: I asked if he could help me.

8. D: They said, "Shall we dance?"
   I: They asked if they should dance.

9. D: He said, "Was he crying?"
   I: He asked whether he had been crying.

10. D: She said, "Is this your pen?"
    I: She asked if that was my pen.

 2. Wh-Type Questions

Structure:

• Direct: He said, "Where do you live?"

• Indirect: He asked where I lived.

 Examples:

1. D: He said, "Where are you going?"
   I: He asked where I was going.

2. D: She said, "Why are you crying?"
   I: She asked why I was crying.

3. D: They said, "What do you want?"
   I: They asked what I wanted.

4. D: I said, "When will you come?"
   I: I asked when he would come.

5. D: He said, "How did you do this?"
   I: He asked how I had done that.

6. D: She said, "Who is calling?"
   I: She asked who was calling.

7. D: They said, "Whose bag is this?"
   I: They asked whose bag that was.

8. D: I said, "What is your name?"
   I: I asked what his name was.

9. D: He said, "Which pen do you want?"
   I: He asked which pen I wanted.

10. D: She said, "How can you do this?"
    I: She asked how I could do that.

C. Imperative Sentences (Orders, Requests, Advice)

 Structure:

• Reporting verb changes to told, ordered, requested, advised, urged, etc.

• Add "to" + verb.

 Examples:

1. D: He said, "Sit down."
   I: He told me to sit down.

2. D: She said, "Please help me."
   I: She requested me to help her.

3. D: They said, "Don't shout."
   I: They told me not to shout.

4. D: I said, "Open the door."
   I: I told him to open the door.

5. D: He said, "Don’t waste time."
   I: He advised me not to waste time.

6. D: She said, "Please give me your book."
   I: She requested me to give her my book.

7. D: I said, "Be careful."
   I: I advised him to be careful.

8. D: They said, "Don’t go there."
   I: They warned me not to go there.

9. D: The teacher said, "Work hard."
   I: The teacher advised us to work hard.

10. D: He said, "Tell the truth."
    I: He told me to tell the truth.

Exclamatory Sentences – Direct and Indirect Speech

Definition:

An Exclamatory Sentence expresses strong emotion like joy, sorrow, surprise, anger, etc.

• Direct Speech: The actual exclamation in quotation marks.
  ➤ Example: He said, "What a beautiful day!"

• Indirect Speech: The exclamation is reported using expressions like:
  exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow, exclaimed with surprise, cried out, said with regret, etc.

Rules for Changing Exclamatory Sentences

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Use exclamatory words: what, how	Convert to statement using very/great
No conjunction	Use that after reporting verb
Reporting verb: said	Changes to: exclaimed, cried, etc.

Common Conversions:

Direct Word	Indirect Word
What a...!	Very / Great
How...!	Very
Alas!	Exclaimed with sorrow / regret
Hurrah!	Exclaimed with joy / happiness
Oh!	Exclaimed with surprise / emotion
Bravo!	Applauded / congratulated

---

Examples of Exclamatory Sentences

 Examples (Direct → Indirect)

1. D: He said, "What a wonderful view!"
   I: He exclaimed that it was a very wonderful view.

2. D: She said, "How beautiful the flower is!"
   I: She exclaimed that the flower was very beautiful.

3. D: They said, "Hurrah! We won the match!"
   I: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

4. D: He said, "Alas! I failed the exam."
   I: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed the exam.

5. D: The boy said, "What a foolish mistake I made!"
   I: The boy exclaimed that he had made a very foolish mistake.

6. D: She said, "Oh! I forgot my purse!"
   I: She exclaimed with surprise that she had forgotten her purse.

7. D: He said, "How unlucky I am!"
   I: He exclaimed that he was very unlucky.

8. D: They said, "Bravo! You played well!"
   I: They applauded me saying that I had played well.

9. D: The teacher said, "What a brilliant answer!"
   I: The teacher exclaimed that it was a very brilliant answer.

10. D: She said, "What a pity you missed the show!"
    I: She exclaimed with regret that I had missed the show.