🌈 NARRATION (DIRECT & INDIRECT

SPEECH)
📘 Complete Rules • Colourful Theme • Lots of Examples •
Exam-Oriented

🔶 What is Narration?
Narration is the way of reporting what someone says.

 Direct Speech: Exact words of the speaker are quoted.

 Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): The speaker’s words are reported without
quotation marks.

✨ Example

 Direct: He said, “I am tired.”

 Indirect: He said that he was tired.

🔷 BASIC STRUCTURE
👉 Direct Speech

Reporting Verb + , + “Speaker’s Exact Words”

👉 Indirect Speech

Reporting Verb + (that / if / wh-word) + changed sentence

📊 RULE LIST OF NARRATION – DIFFERENT

SENTENCES, CONJUNCTIONS & DETAILS (TABLE
FORM)
🟦 TABLE 1: SENTENCE TYPE → CONJUNCTION /
CONNECTOR USED
Sentence Type Conjunction / Connector Used Key Point
Assertive (Statement) that No question mark in indirect
Interrogative (Yes/No) if / whether Question mark removed
Interrogative (Wh-) same wh-word No if/whether used
Imperative (Order/Request) to + verb Object compulsory
Negative Imperative not to + verb Use advised/forbade
Exclamatory that Feeling added (joy/sorrow)
Optative (Wish/Prayer) that Use wished/prayed

🟦 TABLE 2: REPORTING VERB ACCORDING TO

SENTENCE TYPE
Direct Sentence Reporting Verb Used
Statement said / told
Question asked / enquired
Order ordered / commanded
Request requested / begged
Advice advised
Warning warned
Prohibition forbade
Exclamation (Joy) exclaimed with joy
Exclamation (Sorrow) exclaimed with sorrow
Wish / Prayer wished / prayed

🟦 TABLE 3: STRUCTURE OF INDIRECT SPEECH

(EXAM FAVORITE)
Sentence Type Structure
Assertive S + said/told + object + that + clause
Yes/No Question S + asked + object + if/whether + clause
Wh-Question S + asked + object + wh-word + clause
Imperative S + ordered/requested + object + to + verb
Negative Imperative S + advised/forbade + object + not to + verb
Exclamatory S + exclaimed with feeling + that + clause
 Sentence Type Structure
Optative S + wished/prayed + that + clause

🟦 TABLE 4: TENSE CHANGE QUICK RULE (WHEN

REPORTING VERB IS 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 Could
May Might

🟦 TABLE 5: NO TENSE CHANGE CASES (VERY

IMPORTANT)
Situation Example
Universal Truth Sun rises in the east
Habitual Fact He goes for a walk daily
Historical Fact Akbar was a great king
Proverb / Saying Honesty is the best policy

🟦 TABLE 6: PRONOUN CHANGE RULE (TRICK

TABLE)
Person in Direct Changes According To
First Person (I, We) Subject of reporting verb
Second Person (You) Object of reporting verb
Third Person (He, She) No change

🟦 TABLE 7: TIME & PLACE WORD CHANGE LIST

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

⭐ TABLE 8: MODAL VERB SPECIAL CASES

Modal in Direct Indirect Form Condition
must had to Compulsion
must must Certainty
should should No change
ought to ought to No change

🎯 GOLDEN RULES OF NARRATION (SSC | CGL |

CHSL | BANK | RAILWAY)
🟦 Rule 1: Change of Tense (Backshift Rule)

If the reporting verb is in the past, tense usually changes.

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 → Could
May → Might

✔ Example

 Direct: He said, “I write a letter.”

  Indirect: He said that he wrote a letter.

🟦 Rule 2: No Tense Change When

1. Universal truth
2. Habitual fact
3. Proverb

✔ Example

 Direct: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”

 Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

🔷 Rule 3: Change of Pronouns

Pronouns change according to subject–object relation.

Direct Indirect
I / We he / she / they
My his / her
Me him / her

✔ Example

 Direct: She said, “I like my book.”

 Indirect: She said that she liked her book.

🧠 Trick: First person → subject of reporting verb

🔷 Rule 4: Change of Time & Place (Adverbs)

Direct Indirect
now then
today that day
yesterday the previous day
tomorrow the next day
here there
this that
 Direct Indirect
ago before

✔ Example

 Direct: He said, “I will come tomorrow.”

 Indirect: He said that he would come the next day.

🔥 TYPES OF SENTENCES IN NARRATION

1️⃣ Assertive (Statement)

🔹 Rule

 Use that
 No question mark

✔ Example

 Direct: She said, “I am happy.”

 Indirect: She said that she was happy.

2️⃣ Interrogative (Question)

🔹 Rule

 Remove question mark

 Use if / whether (Yes–No questions)
 Use wh-word (what, who, why, etc.)
 Change order to statement form

✔ Example (Yes/No)

 Direct: He said, “Do you like tea?”

 Indirect: He asked if I liked tea.

✔ Example (Wh-question)

 Direct: She said, “Where are you going?”

  Indirect: She asked where I was going.

3️⃣ Imperative (Command / Request / Advice)

🔹 Reporting Verbs Used

 ordered, commanded, requested, advised, warned, forbade

🔹 Structure

Verb + object + to + verb

✔ Example

 Direct: The teacher said, “Open the door.”

 Indirect: The teacher ordered me to open the door.

❌ Negative Imperative

 Direct: He said, “Do not smoke.”

 Indirect: He advised me not to smoke.

4️⃣ Exclamatory Sentence 😲

🔹 Rule

 Remove exclamation mark

 Use words like: exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise

✔ Example

 Direct: She said, “What a beautiful flower!”

 Indirect: She exclaimed with joy that it was a very beautiful flower.

5️⃣ Optative Sentence (Wish / Prayer)

🔹 Reporting Verbs

 wished, prayed, hoped, blessed

✔ Example

 Direct: He said, “May God bless you!”

 Indirect: He prayed that God might bless me.

⚠️ MODAL VERBS SPECIAL RULES

Direct Indirect
must (necessity) had to
must (certainty) must
should / ought to no change

✔ Example

 Direct: He said, “I must work hard.”

 Indirect: He said that he had to work hard.

🟦 MOST REPEATED EXAM TRICKS

✔ Remove inverted commas
✔ Change reporting verb smartly
✔ Identify sentence type first
✔ Apply tense change only if needed

📝 EXAM PRACTICE (PYQ STYLE)

Change into Indirect Speech:

1. He said, “I am busy now.”

2. She said, “Where do you live?”
3. The teacher said, “Do not make noise.”
4. He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
5. She said, “May you succeed.”

🎯 QUICK REVISION CHART

  Statement → that
 Question → if / wh-word
 Command → to + verb
 Exclamation → exclaimed with feeling
 Wish → prayed / wished


🔹 TOP 30 NARRATION CONVERT QUESTIONS

(WITH ANSWERS)

1.

Direct: He said, “I am busy.”

Indirect: He said that he was busy.

2.

Direct: She said, “I have finished my work.”

Indirect: She said that she had finished her work.

3.

Direct: Ram said, “I will help you.”

Indirect: Ram said that he would help me.

4.

Direct: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”

Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
✔ (No tense change – universal truth)

5.

Direct: He said, “I wrote a letter yesterday.”

Indirect: He said that he had written a letter the previous day.
6.

Direct: She said, “Do you like coffee?”

Indirect: She asked if I liked coffee.

7.

Direct: He said to me, “Where are you going?”

Indirect: He asked me where I was going.

8.

Direct: The teacher said, “Open the door.”

Indirect: The teacher ordered me to open the door.

9.

Direct: He said, “Do not waste time.”

Indirect: He advised me not to waste time.

10.

Direct: She said, “Please help me.”

Indirect: She requested me to help her.

11.

Direct: He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”

Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

12.

Direct: She said, “What a beautiful picture!”

Indirect: She exclaimed with joy that it was a very beautiful picture.
13.

Direct: He said, “May God bless you!”

Indirect: He prayed that God might bless me.

14.

Direct: The officer said, “Stand in a line.”

Indirect: The officer commanded them to stand in a line.

15.

Direct: She said, “Can you solve this problem?”

Indirect: She asked if I could solve that problem.

16.

Direct: He said, “I must work hard.”

Indirect: He said that he had to work hard.

17.

Direct: She said, “I may go home.”

Indirect: She said that she might go home.

18.

Direct: He said, “We are playing now.”

Indirect: He said that they were playing then.

19.

Direct: The boy said, “I am preparing for the exam.”

Indirect: The boy said that he was preparing for the exam.
20.

Direct: She said, “I bought this book last week.”

Indirect: She said that she had bought that book the previous week.

21.

Direct: He said to her, “Will you help me?”

Indirect: He asked her if she would help him.

22.

Direct: The doctor said, “Take this medicine daily.”

Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to take that medicine daily.

23.

Direct: She said, “How clever you are!”

Indirect: She exclaimed with admiration that I was very clever.

24.

Direct: He said, “I can solve this sum.”

Indirect: He said that he could solve that sum.

25.

Direct: She said, “We have been waiting for you.”

Indirect: She said that they had been waiting for me.

26.

Direct: The principal said, “Do not enter the office.”

Indirect: The principal forbade the students to enter the office.
27.

Direct: He said, “Today is my birthday.”

Indirect: He said that that day was his birthday.

28.

Direct: She said, “I will see you tomorrow.”

Indirect: She said that she would see me the next day.

29.

Direct: He said, “What is your name?”

Indirect: He asked me what my name was.

30.

Direct: The old man said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

Indirect: The old man said that honesty is the best policy.
✔ (Proverb – no tense change)

🔴 TOP 20 ERROR SPOTTING – NARRATION

1.

He said that he will help me.

❌ Error: will
✅ Correction: would

2.

She asked me that I was ready.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: if / whether
3.

The teacher ordered the students that keep silent.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: to keep silent

4.

He exclaimed with joy what a beautiful sight it was.

❌ Error: what
✅ Correction: that

5.

She said that she has completed her work.

❌ Error: has completed
✅ Correction: had completed

6.

He asked me where did I live.

❌ Error: did I live
✅ Correction: I lived

7.

The doctor advised me that take rest.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: to take rest

8.

She told me do not waste time.

❌ Error: do not
✅ Correction: not to
9.

The boy said that he is very tired.

❌ Error: is
✅ Correction: was

10.

He asked me that I could help him.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: if / whether

11.

She exclaimed with sorrow that she has failed.

❌ Error: has failed
✅ Correction: had failed

12.

The teacher said that the earth was round.

❌ Error: was
✅ Correction: is
✔ (Universal truth)

13.

He ordered me not enter the room.

❌ Error: not
✅ Correction: not to

14.
She asked me where was I going.
❌ Error: was I going
✅ Correction: I was going

15.

The officer commanded the soldiers that attack the enemy.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: to attack

16.

He said that he can solve the problem.

❌ Error: can
✅ Correction: could

17.

She requested me that help her.

❌ Error: that
✅ Correction: to help

18.

He asked me do I know the answer.

❌ Error: do I know
✅ Correction: if I knew

19.

She said that she would meet me today.

❌ Error: today
✅ Correction: that day

20.
The old man said that honesty was the best policy.
❌ Error: was
✅ Correction: is
✔ (Proverb)