NARRATION / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Importance
1. Narration question: 05 marks
2. Use in précis writing
3. Use in comprehension question
4. Use in sentence correction
5. Use in punctuation
6. Use in translation question
7. Use in essay writing

Types of Narration
1. Direct speech: Ali said, “……………………………………….”
2. Indirect speech: Ali said that …………………………………...

What to Learn?
1. How to change the direct into indirect speech?

2. How to change the indirect into direct speech?

3. How to change the sentences\dialogue of direct speech into a paragraph of indirect speech?

PART-01
How to change the direct into indirect speech?
(Summary)

1. Change in tenses
2. Change in pronouns
3. Change in certain words (especially the adverbs of time and place)
4. Change in the construction of the sentence:
a. Incorporation of the expression of the message
b. Insertion of a connecting word
c. Re-organization of the sentence
d. Change in end-punctuation

1. Change in Tenses
Reporting speech Reported speech
Future No change of tense
Present No change of tense
Past Change of tense

1.1. Reporting speech: “Past tense” and Reported speech: “Present tense”
Reporting Reported speech Change
speech
Present Corresponding past

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 Present simple Past simple
Past Present simple continuous Past simple continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Exceptions: In the following cases, the tense will remain the same:
1. Universal truth
2. Scientific facts
3. Religious beliefs
4. Proverbs

Examples:
Direct speech: He said to me, “I go/am going/have gone/have been going to college.
Indirect speech: He told me that he went/was going/had gone/had been going to college.
Direct speech: The teacher said, “God is one.”
Indirect speech: The teacher said that God is one.

1.2. Reporting speech: “Past tense” and Reported speech: “Future tense”
Reporting Reported speech Change
speech
Future Future in past
Future simple Will / shall would
Future simple Will / shall be Would be
continuous
Future perfect Will/shall have Would have
future perfect Will / shall have Would have been
Past continuous been
May might
can Could
cannot Could not
Should Should

Must Had to / must

Note-1: “Will” or “shall” of the future tense will change into “Would” and rest of the helping
verbs (if any) must remain the same.
Note-2: The past of “Shall” is “would”; however, if there emerges any moral responsibility in
the meanings of the sentence, you can change “shall” into “should”.
Note-3: “Must” should be changed into “Had to” if the flow of the sentence allows you, else
“Must” is not changed.

Examples:
1. I said to him, “I shall help the poor.”
I told him that I should help the poor.
2. I said to him, “I shall go to Lahore tomorrow.”
I told him that I would go to Lahore the next day.
3. Ali said, “I must go to Lahore to see my ailing mother.”
Ali said that he had to go to Lahore to see his ailing mother.
4. He said, “I must not mind if the first one was not any good.”
He said that he must not mind if the first one had not been any good.

1.3. Reporting speech: “Past tense” and Reported speech: “Past tense””
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Reporting Reported speech Change
speech
Past Next past tense
nd
Past simple 2 form of verb Had + 3rd form
Past Past simple continuous Was/were Had been + ing
Past perfect had No change
Past perfect continuous had been No change
Note-1: “Past tense” is change into the next “past tense” in the same state of action in terms of
“ing” tense or otherwise
a. Past indefinite…………past perfect
b. Past simple cont………past perfect cont
c. Past perfect……………No change
d. Past perfect cont……..No change
Examples:
a. He said, “I went to Lahore.”
i. He said that he had gone to Lahore.
b. He said, “I was writing an essay.”
i. He said that he had been writing an essay.

2. Change in Pronouns

1. 1st person of the reported speech is to be changed with the subject of the reporting
speech
2. 2nd person of the reported speech is to be changed with the object of the reporting
speech
3. No change in the third person. However, “it” may be changed into “that” if the flow of
the sentence permits you.
S O N
Reporting speech subject object No change
Reported speech 1st 2nd 3rd person

Note: If there is no “Object” in the reporting speech, the 2 nd person of the reported speech
should be changed with one of the following options (the 2nd option is better):
1. The 2nd person should be changed into any of the 3rd persons (he, she, they)
2. Write an “object” of your choice in square brackets […] and change the 2nd with that object.

Example:
a. He said, “You should help the poor.”
b. He said that he / she / they should help the poor.
c. He said, “You should help the poor.”

3. Change in certain words

Direct speech Indirect speech

1. Now then
2. This that
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3. These those
4. Here there
5. Hither thither
6. Ago before
7. Today that day
8. Tonight that night
9. Tomorrow the next day
10. The next day the following day
11. The following day no change
12. The next week the following week
13. The next month the following month
14. Yesterday the day before / the previous day
15. Thus so
16. Hence thence
17. Sir / madam Respectfully
Note: The following words at the start of a sentence are considered informal in their use;
therefore, these words should not be reproduced in indirect speech:
1. No
2. Yes
3. Well
4. Alright
5. Of course
6. Obviously
7. Certainly
8. Ok

4. Change in the construction of the sentence

1. Incorporation of the EXPRESSION

2. Insertion of a CONNECTING WORD
3. RE-ORGANIZATION of the sentence
4. Change in END-PUNCTUATION

Sentence type-1: Simple sentence / informative / assertive sentence (just a piece of

information is shared)

Structure s + v +o +.

Example:
He said to me, “I went to Lahore.”
Expression tell / told
i. Say / said + Object……correct
ii. Say / said + (no object)……correct
iii. Tell / told + Object…..correct
iv. Tell / told + (no object)…..incorrect

Note: If there is no object in the reporting speech, you have two options for
expression for the assertive sentences (the 2nd is better):
a. Say / said is not changed.
b. Write an object of your choice in […] and change say / said into tell /

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 told.

Example:
He said, “My son is coming today.”
1. He told that his son was coming that day…incorrect
2. He said that his son was coming that day….correct
3. He told [me] that his son was coming that day….correct

Connecting word THAT

Order same
End-punctuation Full-stop

Sentence Type-02: Interrogative sentence

Structure 1. HV + Sub + PV + Ob + ?
2. Interrogative word + HV + Sub + PV + Ob + ?
a. He said, “Will you go to Lahore?”
b. He said, “When will you go to Lahore?”
c. He said, “Do you go to Lahore?”

Note-1: Every indirect sentence must end at full stop

Note-2: Helping verb (if any) must be written after its subject in all indirect
sentences

Expression Ask / asked or enquire / enquired

i. He asked me…correct
ii. He enquired me…incorrect
iii. He enquired of me…correct

Connecting word 1. If / whether…when the sentence starts with “helping verb”

2. Interrogative word...in case the sentence starts with an “interrogative
word”, the same “interrogative word” is used as connecting word.

Note: Never write “that” as connecting word in interrogative sentences.

Order Sub + expression + Obj (if any) + connecting word + sub + HV (if any) + PV
+ Ob + .

End-punctuation Full-stop

Sentence Type-03: Imperative Sentences

Structure first form of verb + object…+ .

a. The Commander said to the soldiers, “March on.”

b. The judge said, “Call the first witness.”
c. You said to your friend, “Let me go home now.”
d. He said to me, “Let me go home now.”
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Expression Order / Request / Advise / Forbid / Ask (say) / Direct / Command / Urge ?
Encourage / Discourage / Instruct / Guide / Reprimand / Plead / Appeal /
Entreat / Suggest / Propose

Note: Generally, the expression of all but specifically of the imperative

sentences should be fixed keeping in view the relationship between the
subject and object of the reporting speech.
Connecting word TO / THAT

Order 1. Sub + expression + ob (if any) + to +first form of verb+ ob + .

2. Sub + expression + ob (if any) + that + sub + should + first form of
verb+ ob + .

Note: “Do not” is changed into “not to”

End-punctuation Full-stop

Sentence Type-04: Exclamatory sentences

Structure 1. What / how + adjective (if any) + Noun + Subject (if any) + Verb (if any)
+ object (if any) + !
2. Exclamatory word + ! + Subject + Verb + Object + .

Examples:
1. He said, “What a pen you have bought!”
2. He said, “What a precious pen!”
3. He said, “What a pen!”
4. He said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
5. He said, “What losses I have suffered!”
6. He said, “Alas! I have lost my pen.”

Note-01: “Interrogative word” is not reproduced but changed into: a

suitable adverb / a suitable adjective / adverb + Adjective

Note-02: The exclamatory words are not reproduced.

Expression Exclaim with wonder / joy / sorrow / pain / regret

Connecting word THAT

Order Sub + expression + Ob (if any) + that + Sub + HV (if any) + PV + Obj + .

End-punctuation Full-stop

Sentence Type-05: Optative sentences

Structure 1. May + sub + Verb + Ob +. / !

2. Would that / oh that + Sub +HV (if any) + PV + Object +. /!
Examples:
1. My mother said, “May you recover from your illness!”
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 2. He said, “Would that I were rich!”
Note: “Would that/oh that” is not reproduced.
Expression 1. “May” = Pray / curse
2. “Would that / oh that” = wish
Connecting word THAT
Order Sub + expression + Ob (if any) + that + Sub + HV + PV + Ob + .

PART-02
From indirect into direct speech
Step-1 Identify the type of the sentence through the structure and the expression

Step-2 Identify the connecting word (s) and the number of sentences in indirect speech

Step-3 Identify the reporting speech (s); be careful there might be dialogue in the sentence. In
this case, you will have to write two reporting speeches along with their reported
speeches.
Step-4 Write the reporting speech, with “say / says / said”, according to the tense.

Note: The tense of the reporting does not change in either case.
Step-5 Write the sentence in direct speech with the following composition:

Reporting speech +, + “ Reported speech +”

Example:
People wished that the Quaid-e-Azam had been alive those days to see their fate.
People said, “Would that the Quaid-e-Azam were alive these days to see our fate.”

Note-01: A sentence of direct speech may be written in three ways, but you should follow the first
one writing your sentence from indirect to direct:
1. Reporting speech + reported speech
2. Reported speech + reporting speech
3. Reported + reporting + reported speech

Note-02: No matter where the reporting speech is written in “Direct” sentence, it is always written
first (left side at the start) in indirect speech

Note-03: If there is no reporting speech of a direct sentence, you should write the reporting by
yourself while changing the sentence from direct into indirect speech.

Example:
How are you?

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 PART-03
How to handle when TWO SENTENCES are written in the reported speech?
Two cases 1. Both of the sentences have the same expression
2. The sentences have different expressions
Rule Same expression:
1. First sentence as usual + and + further + expression + connecting word +
second sentence
Temp: he told me that……and further told that…
2. First sentence as usual + and + connecting word + second sentence
Temp: he told me that………and that………….

Different expressions:
1. First sentence as usual+ and + expression + connecting word + second
sentence
Temp: He told me that………….and said that………….
He told me that…………….and advised that……….
2. First sentence a usual+ because / as + second sentence

Examples:
1. I said to the stranger, "Do you really come from America? How do you feel in
Pakistan?”
 I asked the stranger if she really came from America and further asked how
she felt in Pakistan.
 I asked the stranger if he really came from America and how he felt in
Pakistan.
2. He said, “I don’t know the way. Ask the old man sitting at the gate.”
 He told [me] that he did not know the way and advised to ask the old man
sitting at the gate.
 He advised [me] to ask the old man sitting at the gate because he did not
know the way.

Note: If one sentence is imperative and the other is assertive, you may write the imperative first
while changing the narration.
(This method is used when both of the sentences have “cause-effect” relationship. In this case, you
may change the order of the sentences to develop coherence between them)

Paragraph

Step-01 Change the narration sentence by sentence.

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Step-02 Try to write two sentences as one sentence.
Step-03 Use pronouns in the place of repeated nouns, and write nouns in round brackets if
clarity is needed.
Step-04 Use transitional words between sentences to transform them into a paragraph:

1. Further said
2. Further asked
3. Went on to say / ask
4. Continued
5. Added
6. Moreover
7. Furthermore
8. In addition
9. Similarly
10. Final / finally