Direct Narration: In Direct Narration the words of the speaker is exactly said in his words.

What a
speaker says, his words are mentioned within the quotation marks (“… ”). The speaker’s words
should be unaltered.
Example: She said, “Travelling is one of my hobbies.” Or ‘Travelling is one of my hobbies.’, she said.
Indirect Narration: In Indirect Narration the words of the speaker is not exactly said in his words.
What a speaker says, his words are not mentioned within the quotation marks. The speaker’s words
will be altered slightly.
Example: She said that Travelling was one of her hobbies.
Reporter/ Reporting Verb/ Reported Speech
Reporter The speaker or narrator is called the ‘reporter’
Reporting Verb The verb used by the ‘reporter’ is called reporting verb.
Reported Speech Sentence enclosed within the inverted commas (“………………”) is called
reportedspeech.
She said to me, ‘I am learning math’.
In this sentence “She (reporter) said (reporting verb)” and ‘I am learning math.’ (reported speech).
Reported speech always begins with a capital letter and enclosed within the inverted commas (‘
’) whilewe change a narration from direct to indirect, the inverted commas are removed.
Some Important Rules
First of all ascertain the tense of the ‘Reporting verb’.
(a) If the reporting verb is in present or future tense. The tense of reported speech remains
unchanged.
(b) If the reporting verb changes as following

Reporting verb in direct speech Reporting verb in indirect speech

Say Say
Says Says
Say to Tell
Says to Tells
Will say Will say
Will say to Will tell
Said Said
Effective Steps to Solve such Questions
Candidates are suggested to memorise the following points which are very important to solve such
questionseffectively.
(1) While changing into indirect speech the personal pronouns are changed as per the following
rules.
(a) First Person Pronoun According to subject to reporting verb.
(b) Second Person Pronoun According to object of reporting verb.
(c) Third Person Pronoun No change
Reporting Verb in the Past
(2) If the reporting verb is in ‘past’ the tense of the reported speech changes as following

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 Tense of Reported Speech
Direct Narration Indirect Narration
Present Indefinite Past Indefinite
Present Continuous Past Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Past Indefinite Past Perfect
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect No change of tense
Past Perfect Continuous No change of tense
)Change in Future Sentences )Reported Speech
Will/Shall Would/Should
Can Could
May Might
Could/Should/Would/Might No change
(3) Change in narration is done as following
Direct Narration Indirect Narration
This That
These Those
Here There
Hence Thence
Hither Thither
Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day/the following day
Yesterday The previous day
Last week/month/year The previous week/month/year
The last fort night The previous fort night
The day before Yesterday The day before the previous day
Therefore, you should learn all the points well in order to solve the questions quickly with accuracy.
Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect
1. When the reporting or principal verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the direct are
changed into the corresponding past tenses. Thus,
(a) A simple present becomes a simple past.
)Direct) Ram said, “I am happy”.
)Indirect) Ram said that he was happy.
(b) A present continuous becomes a past continuous.
)Direct) He said, “My younger brother is writing an essay”.
)Indirect) He said that his younger brother was writing an essay.
(c) A present perfect becomes a past perfect.
)Direct) He said, “I have completed my homework
 )Indirect) He said that he had completed his homework.
→ Shall of the future tense is changed into should. The will of the future tense is changed into
would or
should. As a rule, the simple past in the direct becomes the past perfect in the indirect.
)Direct) He said, “The horse died in the night”.
)Indirect) He said that the horse had died in the night.
2. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses of the direct speech do not change.
3. The pronouns of the direct speech are changed, where necessary, so that their relations with the
reporterand its listener rather than with the original speaker, are indicated. E.g.,
)Direct) He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”
)Indirect) He said he didn’t believe me.
)Direct) I said to him, “I don’t smoke.
)Indirect) I said I didn’t smoke.
4. Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into words expressing
distance. Hence,
Now Changes into Then
Here Changes into There
Ago Changes into Before
Thus Changes into So
Today Changes into That day
Tomorrow Changes into The next day
Yesterday Changes into The day before
Last night Changes into The night before
)Direct) She said, “I am glad to be here this evening.”
)Indirect) She said that she was glad to be there that evening.
The changes do not occur if the speech is reported during the same period or at the same place.
Exclamations and Wishes: In reporting exclamations and wishes the indirect speech is introduced
by someverb expressing exclamation or wish.
)Direct) He said, “Alas! I am deeply hurt.”
)Indirect) He exclaimed sadly that he was deeply hurt.
)Direct)Meena said, “How brave you are”!
)Indirect)Meena exclaimed that I was very brave.
)Direct)Rakesh said, “Bravo! You have done well.”
)Indirect)Rakesh applauded him, saying that he had done well.
)Direct) “So help me heaven!” he cried, I will never steal again.
)Indirect) He called upon Heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.
Interrogatives: In reporting interrogatives, the indirect speech is introduced by some such verbs as
asked, en-quired etc.
When the question is not introduced by an interrogative word, the reporting verb is followed by
whether or if.
)Direct) He said to me, “What are you doing?”
)Indirect) He asked me what I was doing.
)Direct) “Where do you live?” asked the stranger.
)Indirect) The stranger enquvred where I lived.
)Direct) My uncle said to us, “Where are you going?”
)Indirect) My uncle enquired Where we were going.
)Direct) “Do you suppose you know better than your own father?” jeered his angry mother.
)Indirect) His angry mother jeered and asked whether he supposed that he knew better
than his own father.

Commands and Requests: In reporting commands and requests, the indirect speech is introduced by
some
verb expressing command or request and the imperative mood is changed into the infinitive.
)Direct) Krishna said to Arjun, “Go away”.
)Indirect) Krishna ordered Arjun to go away.
)Direct) He said to him, “Please wait here till I return”.
)Indirect) He requested him to wait there till he returned.
)Direct) “Call the first witness”, said the judge.
)Indirect) The judge commanded them to call the first witness.
)Direct) He shouted, “Let me go.”
)Indirect)) He shouted to them to let him go.
1. “Please don’t hit me” Rita said to the attacker.
(a) Rita begged the attacker to not to hither.
(b) Rita told the attacker to not hit her.
(c) Rita begged the attacker not to hither.
(d) Rita pleaded with the attacker to not to hither.
2. The holy prophet said, “ God helps those whohelp others.”
(a) The holy prophet said that God helpedthose who helped others.
(b) The holy prophet said that God helpsthose who help others.
(c) The holy prophet said that God helps peo-ple who help others.
(d) The holy prophet said that God helpsthose people who help others.
3. The preacher said, “May God grant peace tothe departed!”
(a) The preacher prays that God will grantpeace to the departed.
(b) The preacher prayed that God wouldgrant peace to the departed.
(c) The preacher said that God may grantpeace to the departed.
(d) The preacher said, God may grant peace to the departed.
4. Sahil said, “Where will I be this time nextyear!”
(a) Sahil asked where he should be that timethe following year.
(b) Sahil worried where he would be thattime the next year.
(c) Sahil wondered where he would be thattime the following year.
(d) Sahil said where he would be that time the next year.
5. Vicky said, “I clean my teeth daily.”
(a) Vicky said that he cleans his teeth daily.
(b) Vicky says he cleans his teeth daily.
(c) Vicky said that he cleaned his teeth dai-ly.
(d) Vicky said that he used to clean his teethdaily.
6. Geetal said, “ I bought a Honda Cityyesterday.”
(a) Geetal said that I have bought a HondaCity yesterday.
(b) Geetal told me that she had bought a Honda City yesterday.
(c) Geetal said she had bought a Honda City the previous day.
(d) Geetal said that she had bought a HondaCity the previous day.
7. The teacher said to the students, “Don’tmake noise.”
(a) The teacher asked the students not tomake noise.
(b) The teacher scolded the students, theyshould not make noise.
(c) The teacher warned the students not tomake noise.
(d) The teacher told the students that don’tmake noise.
8. I said, “My grandfather snored throughoutthe night.”
(a) I said my grandfather had snoredthroughout the night.
(b) I said that my grandfather snoredthroughout the night.
(c) I said that my grandfather had snoredthroughout the night.
(d) I said that my grandfather had beensnoring throughout the night.

9. He said, “I bought an iPhone 6 yesterday.”

(a) He said that he had bought an iPhone 6 theprevious day.
(b) He said he bought an iPhone 6 the previous day.
(c) He said that he has bought an iPhone 6 yester-day.
 (d) He exclaimed, an iPhone 6 has been bought byhim yesterday.
10. The Director said, “Can you dancer?” and she said,“No”.
(a) The Director asked her if she could dance andshe said that she couldn’t.
(b) The Director asked her if she could do thedance and she said that she can’t.
(c) The Director inquired her if she can dance andshe said that she can’t.
(d) The Director asked her if she can dance andshe said that she can’t.
11. Abhay said to Veena, “ Are you coming to the Reception?”
(a) Abhay told Veena if she was coming to the Re-ception.
(b) Abhay asked Veena if she will be coming tothe Reception.
(c) Abhay asked Veena if she was coming to theReception.
(d) Abhay asked Veena whether she were comingto the Reception.
12. Vinod said to me, “Has your brother returned fromDubai?”
(a) Vinod said to me if my brother has returned from Dubai.
(b) Vinod asked me if my brother had returned from Dubai.
(c) Vinod enquire to me if my brother had re-turned from Dubai.
(d) Vinod asks me whether my brother had re-turned from Dubai.
13. Veer said, “I was playing football”.
(a) Veer said he had been playing football.
(b) Veer said he was playing football.
(c) Veer said that, that he was playing football.
(d) Veer said that he had been playing football.
14. Kabir said to me, “I was waiting for you for a longtime.”
(a) Kabir told me that he had been waiting for mefor a long time.
(b) Kabir had told that me had been waiting forme for a long time.
(c) Kabir told me he had been waiting for me for a long time.
(d) Kabir told that me he was waiting for me fora long time.
15. The coach said, “Bravo! Puneet, you have donewell.”
(a) The coach applauded Puneet saying that hehad done well.
(b) The coach said to Puneet Bravo, he had donewell.
(c) The coach congratulated Puneet, saying hedid well.
(d) The coach said to Puneet, that he did well.
16. Pinky said, “What a beautiful vase!”
(a) Pinky exclaimed that it is a very beautiful vase.
(b) Pinky said that it is a very beautiful vase in-deed.
(c) Pinky exclaimed that it was a very beautifulvase.
(d) Pinky reported that it was an indeed a beau-tiful vase.
17. The client said to the ticketseller,
“At what time do the counters close?”
(a) The client asked the ticketseller at what timethe counters closed.
(b) The client asked the ticketseller at what timedid the counters always close.
(c) The client said to the ticketseller at whattime the counters close.
(d) The client inquired to the ticketseller at whattime the counters usually close.
18. I said to her, “I will do it now or never.”
(a) I informed her that I would do it that mo-ment or never.
(b) I told her I would do it then or never.
(c) I told her that I would not do it then or ever.
(d) I told her that I would do it then or never.
19. The policeman said, “I saw a knife here.”
 (a) The policeman exclaimed that he had seen aknife here.
(b) The policeman said that he had seen a knife there.
(c) The policeman said he had seen a knife here.
(d) The policeman told he had seen a knifethere.
20. The girl in the red dress said to me, “Where is
the film studio?”
(a) The girl in the red dress inquired me, where
the film studio is.
(b) The girl in the red dress asked me, where is
the film studio.
(c) The girl in the red dress asked me, where
the film studio is.
(d) The girl in the red dress asked me, where
the film studio was.
21. “I’m off to the games. Where are you going?”
(a) He said he would be off to the games and wanted to know where I was going.
(b) He said he was going off to the games and wanted to know where I was planning to go.
(c) He said he is going off to the games and asked me where I was planning to go.
(d) He said that he was off to the games and wanted to know where I was going.
22. ‘Have you come from Japan?’ said the shopkeeper to the tourist.
(a) The shopkeeper asked the tourist whethershe had come from Japan.
(b) The shopkeeper asked the tourist that if shehad come from Japan.
(c) The shopkeeper asked the tourist thatwhether she had came from Japan.
(d) The shopkeeper asked the tourist if shecame from Japan.
23. Sara answered, “The photographs are underthe drawer”.
(a) Sarah answered the photographs are underthe drawer.
(b) Sarah answered that, that the photographsare under the drawer.
(c) Sarah answered the photographs were un-der the drawer.
(d) Sarah answered that the photographs wereunder the drawer.
24. ‘Do you have anything to tell me, little princess?’asked the king.
(a) The king ask the little princess if she haveanything to tell him.
(b) The king asked the little princess that if she had anything to tell him.
(c) The king said to the little princess if shehad anything to say to him.
(d) The king asked the little princess whethershe had anything to tell him.
25. Father said to Rahul, “Are you in such a hurry to cross the road?”
(a) Father asked Rahul if he was in such a hurry to cross the road.
(b) Father asked Rahul whether he was in a bighurry to cross the road.
(c) Father asked Rahul that if he was in such ahurry to cross the road.
(d) Father ask Rahul whether he was in such ahurry to cross the road.
26. “How often do you go to the gym?” said Deepak to Juned.
(a) Deepak asked Juned that how often he goes to the gym.
(b) Deepak asked Juned that how often he hasbeen going to the gym.
(c) Deepak asked Juned how often he went tothe gym.
(d) Deepak asked Juned that how often hewent to the gym.
27. Jyoti said to her sister, “The RBI is India’scentral bank”.
(a) Jyoti told her sister the RBI was India’s cen-tral bank.
(b) Jyoti told her sister that the RBI was India’scentral bank.
(c) Jyoti told her sister that the RBI is India’scentral bank.
 (d) Jyoti told her sister the RBI is India’s cen-tral bank.
28. Smita says, “I like chocolates”
(a) Smita said she like chocolates.
(b) Smita says that she likes chocolates.
(c) Smita says she likes chocolates.
(d) Smita says that, that she likes chocolates.
29. The professor told the class, “Ice floats on
water”.
(a) The professor told the class that, that ice
floats on water.
(b) The professor told the class ice floats on
water.
(c) The professor told the class that ice floats
on water.
(d) The professor told the class how ice floats
on water.
30. Mother said, “Oh! It’s a scorpion. Don’t go nearit, children.”
(a) Mother exclaimed with disgust that, thatwas a scorpion and told the children not to go near
it.
(b) Mother exclaimed disgustingly that, it was a scorpion and told the children not to go near
it.
(c) Mother exclaimed with disgust that it was a scorpion and told the children not to go near
it.
(d) Mother exclaimed with disgust that, that was a scorpion and told the children not to go near
that.
SOLUTIONS:
1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (a) 6. (d) 7. (c) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (a)
11. (c) 12. (b) 13. (d) 14. (a) 15. (a) 16. (c) 17. (a) 18. (d) 19. (b) 20. (d)
21. (d) 22. (a) 23. (d) 24. (d) 25. (a) 26. (c) 27. (c) 28. (b) 29. (c) 30. (c)