Narration in English: Direct and Indirect Speech for Beginners

Narration in English

Narration means to quote the statements of others in their own words or in our own words. In narration, we repeat the statements spoken by other people either directly ( using the same words exactly spoken by them) or indirectly (using our own words). 

To repeat or quote the statement made by a person in direct or in indirect speech, we need to follow some certain grammar rules. 

In examinations, sentences (Know more about sentences ) of direct speech are given, and students are asked to convert them into indirect speech or vice versa.

Introduction to the Parts of Narration in English

We have two types of narration in English. They are Direct Speech and Indirect Speech. 

1. Direct Speech means to copy the same words used by the speaker.

Example:

John said, “ I will go to the market.” 

2. Indirect Speech means to convey the thoughts of the speaker in one's own words. 

Example:

John said that he would go to the market.

3. In direct speech, we have a comma, the one inside the brackets (,). 

4. We have inverted commas (“......”)

5. In the above-mentioned direct speech, John said, “ I will go to the market.”, “John said” is the reporting speech and “I will go to the market” is the reported speech.

6. The tense of direct speech inside the inverted commas is changed according to the rules of Change of Tenses only when the reporting speech is in past tense. If the reporting speech is in present or future tense, there is no tense change, but other changes like pronoun change, adverb change will occur. 

In the following examples, “He said” is the reporting speech and “I am going to the market” is the reported speech. 

Examples:

1. (Reporting Speech in Past Tense and There is change of Tense)

Direct Speech→ He said, “ I am going to the market.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he was going to the market. 

2. (Reporting Speech in Present Tense and No change of Tense)

Direct Speech→ Ramesh says, “ I am speaking in English.” 

Indirect Speech→ Ramesh says that he is speaking in English. 

 

3. (Reporting Speech in Future Tense and No change of Tense in Indirect speech) 

Direct Speech→ He will say to you, “ You are a good guy.” 

Indirect Speech→ He will tell you that you are a good guy. 

General Rules For Converting Direct Speech into Indirect Speech or Vice Versa 

1. Change of Pronouns (Know more about pronouns)

2. Change of Tenses  (Know more about tenses)

3. Change of Adverbs (Know more about adverbs)

1. Change of Pronouns

(a) First person pronouns (I, We) change according to the subject of the reporting speech. 

Examples:

Direct Speech→ He said, “ I don't know him.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he didn't know him. 

Direct Speech→ They said, “ We saw a man.” 

Indirect Speech→ They said that they had seen a man. 

(b) Second person pronoun, (You) changes according to the object of the reporting speech. 

Examples:

Direct Speech→ He said to me, “ You did a great job.” 

Indirect Speech→ He told me that I had done a great job. 

(c) Third person pronouns  (He, She, It, They) don't change. 

Examples:

Direct Speech→ I said, “ He will go.” 

Indirect Speech→ I said that he would go. 

Direct Speech→ They said, “ She is speaking in English.” 

Indirect Speech→ They said that She was speaking in English.

2. Change of Tenses 

Note:- If the reporting speech is in past tense, then we need to change the tense of the statements of the direct speech according to the following rules. 

1. Present Indefinite changes to Past Indefinite.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I go.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he went. 

2. Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I'm speaking.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he was speaking. 

3. Present Perfect changes to Past Perfect.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I have done it.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had done it. 

4. Present Perfect Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I have been doing it since morning.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had been doing it since morning. 

5. Past Indefinite changes to Past Perfect.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I did it.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had done it. 

6. Past Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous.

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I was doing it.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had been doing it. 

7. Past Perfect, No change

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I had done it.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had done it. 

8. Past Perfect Continuous, No change

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I had been doing it since morning.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he had been doing it since morning.

9. In Future Tense, Will changes to Would and Shall changes to Should. 

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I will go.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he would go. 

Direct Speech→ He said to me, “ I shall talk to you.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he should talk to me. 

Direct Speech→ He said, “ I will be teaching at 10 o'clock tomorrow. 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he would be teaching at 10 o'clock tomorrow. 

3. Change of Adverbs 

In Direct       → In Indirect 

Now.              → Then 

This.               → That 

Today            → That day 

Tomorrow    → Next day 

Here               → There 

Ex: Direct Speech→ He said, “ I am working now.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he was working then. 

Direct Speech→ He said, “ I am busy today.” 

Indirect Speech→ He said that he was busy that day.

Converting Question Sentences with “Wh” and Auxiliary Verbs

Examples:

Direct Speech→ He said to me, “ What do you like?” 

Indirect Speech→ He asked me what I liked. 

Direct Speech→ He said to me, “ Are you a student?” 

Indirect Speech→ He asked me if I was a student.