NARRATION

2.1    Reporting verb: The verb written outside the inverted comma (“) is called Reporting verb.

         Example: Mukesh said, ” I will go to Patna”.     Here, Mukesh said – Reporting verb.

2.2   Reported speech: The sentence which is written inside inverted comma (“) is called Reported                    speech.    In the above sentence, “I will go to Patna” – Reported speech.

3.1    Rule to change Direct speech into Indirect Speech: to change Direct speech into Indirect speech,             following rules are taken into account –

         (a) Change of Person: The person of reported speech is required to be change as per following                  method:

The SON formula is very essential to change the person of the reported speech. It is clear from the above table that First person of the reported speech will be changed with respect to ‘Subject’ of Reporting verb, Second person with respect to ‘Object’ of Reporting verb & Third person – no change.

Example: Direct: Mukesh sait to me ” I know you very well”.

Indirect speech: Mukesh told me that he know me very well.

Here, ‘I’ (First person) is changed as per subject (Mukesh) and ‘you’ (Second person) is changed according to ‘me’ (the object of reporting verb)

(b) Change of Tense: (i) If Reporting verb is in ‘Present tense’ or ‘Future tense’ then tense of Reported speech does not change. (ii) If the tense of Reporting verb is in Past tense then it will be changes as tabulated below:

    (c) Inverted comma (“) of Reported speech is removed and ‘that’ is used in it’s place.

    (d) ‘Says’ or ‘say’ of Reporting verb may be changed into ‘tells’ or ‘tell’ respectively. However, it is not necessary to change. But if, there is an object after ‘say’ or ‘says’ then it is either required to be changed as discussed or may be written as – ‘said to me’ form etc. The same is tabulated below for easy understanding:

    (e) If Reporting verb is in Past tense then words in Reported Speech are changed as tabulated below:

(f) If any universal truth is written in Reported speech then tense of Reported Speech is not changed.

Example: Direct: The teacher said to me, “The earth is round”.

     Indirect: The teacher told me that the earth is round.

3.2    Change of specific sentences: When Reported speech is in specific sentences viz. Interrogative sentence, Imperative Sentence etc. then Reported speech is changed as –

    (a) Interrogative Sentence: Interrogative sentence have two types – (i) Sentence begin with –          Shall, Will, Should, Would, Can, Could, May, Might, Has, Have, Had, Do, Does, Did etc.

    Method to change:  (1) Sentence will be converted into assertive from interrogative. Means to      say that, Shall, Will, Do, Does etc. will be removed and rest verbs will be as per their subjects.       Sign of interrogation (?) will be converted into full stop (.).

     (2) ‘If’ or ‘whether’ is used in place of conjunction “that’. As ‘that’ will not be used.

     (3) ‘Asked’ or Enquired will be used in place of ‘said’ and if there is any object after ‘said’ then        ‘enquired of’ will be used in place of ‘enquired’.

      Example: (a) Direct – Ram said to Shyam, “Do you play cricket”?

Indirect – Ram asked (or enquired of) Shyam if (or whether) he played  cricket.

                   (b) Direct – Mukesh says to Vinay, “Do you know English”?

                    Indirect – Mukesh enquires of Vinay if he know English. Or Mukesh  askes Vinay if he                               know English.

(ii) Interrogative sentences begin with – Who, Whom, Whose, Which, What, Why When, Where, How etc.

Method to change : Who, Whom, Whose …… etc. will remain unchanged after Reporting verb. No use of ‘that’, ‘if’, ‘whether’ etc.

Example: Direct – The police asked us, “When was he kidnapped”?

     Indirect – The police asked us when he had been kidnapped”?

(b) Imperative Sentences: (i) If ‘order’ is expressed in Reported speech then – Reporting verb is generally changed into ‘ask’ or ‘order’ or ‘told’ and imperative verb is changed into infinitive.

Example: Direct – The teacher says to the students, “Read this lesson carefully”.

     Indirect – The teacher asks ( or orders or tells) the students to read this lesson  carefully.

(ii) If ‘request’ is expressed in Reported speech then – Reporting verb is changed into ask or request and ‘please’, ‘kindly’ etc. is removed and ‘to’ is used instead of ‘that’.

             Example: Direct – I said to Ranjeet, “Please tell me another story”.

              Indirect – I requested Ranjeet to tell me another story.

 

              (c) Exclamatory Sentences: (i) If ‘surprise’ is expressed in Reported speech then – ‘said’ is replaced                   by ‘exclaimed’ and followed by ‘that’ and to express surprise, suitable adjective or adverb is                        used.

               Example: Direct – Uday said, “What a beautiful scene it is!”

               Indirect – Uday exclaimed that it was a very beautiful scene.

               Here, ‘very beautiful’ is used as suitable adjective to express equal meaning.

  (ii) If ‘happiness’ or ‘sorrow’ is expressed in Reported speech then – exclaimed with joy or exclaimed    with sorrow as per meaning is used.

             Example: Direct – Raja Bhaiya said, “Hurrah! India has won the match.”

              Indirect – Raja Bhaiya exclaimed with joy that India had won the match.

Some Special Rules:

4.1    If any ‘कहावत‘ is used in Reported speech then – No change of tense in Indirect speech.

            Example: Direct – My teacher said to me, Birds of a feather flock together”.

             Indirect – My teacher told me that birds of a feather flock together.

4.2    If any salutation like – ‘Gentleman’, ‘friend’, mother, me lord, sir etc. is used in Reported speech then – ‘Addressed’ as is ued in Reporting verb.

4.3    If any wish is used in Reported speech like – ‘Good morning’ etc. then – ‘Bid’ or ‘wish’ is used in Reporting Verb.

Example: Direct – Nitin sait to Bhawesh, “Good morning, I am glad to meet you”.

     Indirect – Nitin bade (or wished) Bhawesh good morning and said that he was glad to meet him.

4.4    If ‘praise’, ‘blame’ expressed in Reported speech then – ‘called’ verb is used in Reporting verb.

Example: Direct – He said to Rahman, “Stupid, you committed the same mistake”.

     Indirect – He called Rahman stupid and said that he had committed the same mistake.

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