SPEECH/ DIRECT OR INDIRECT NARRATION! rules, uses, examples and tricks for competitive exams.

Language has its own rules where you can not expect how this word comes in the sentence, just as "speech" direct & indirect narration is only sentence formation where words and tenses are changed but if you have knowledge then you play with words, Narration and voice are commonly rise the questions in competitive exams just  SSC, CHSL, MTS, NDA  and Delhi CPO.


DIRECT :- if we use the exact words of the speaker says, is called DIRECT SPEECH.

INDIRECT :- if we report what is being said without quoting the exact words of the speaker, is called indirect speech.

Rules which help us to change direct narration into indirect narration,

Here are the changes which are followed,

Note:- everything changes in past tense.

 Tenses which are changed while changing the direct into the indirect

1)Present simple -------------changed past simple
2)Present continuous - - - - past continuous
3)present perfect--------------past perfect
4)present perfect--------------past perfect
Continuous                            continuous
5)past simple - - - - - - - - - - -past perfect
6)past continuous - - - - - - - past perfect
                                                  Continuous
7) past perfect-----------------same tense is used
8)past perfect------------------same tense is 
Continuous.                                 Used

There are certain words which also change themselves 

• Here - there
• Now- then
• Today- that day
• Yesterday- the previous day
• Last night- the previous night
• Last month- the previous month
• Last year- the previous night
• Tomorrow- the next day
• The next- the following day
• Hither- thither
• This- that
• these- those
• Said to- told
• Said- keep said as it is
• , "   " - change into that
• say to- tell
• Says to- tells
• say- keep say as it is
• Says- keep says as it is

Direct speech is divided into three parts.

Look at the example,
Ex- she said to him, " i will inform you".

1) REPORTING SPEECH   'She  said to him'

2) REPORTING VERB     (Said or said to) 

3)  REPORTED SPEECH   " i will inform you"

MOSTLY CHANGES ARE FOLLOWED IN REPORTING VERB AND REPORTED SPEECH
Now, the indirect is,
Ex- she told him that she would inform him.

Three basic rules to change direct speech into indirect. 

1) if first person ( I, WE, ME, US, MY, OUR, MYSELF, OURSELVES) are found in reported speech then, it changes with the subject of reporting speech. 

Direct:- she said, " i am singing a song". 

Indirect:- she said that she was singing a song. 

2) if second person ( YOU, YOUR, YOURS, YOURSELF, YOURSELVES ) are found in reported speech then, it changes with the object of reporting speech. 

Direct:- he said to her, " you have done this work". 

Indirect:- he told her that she had done that work. 

3) if the third person ( HE, SHE, IT, HIM, HER, HIS, HERS, ITS, HIMSELF, HERSELF, ITSELF, THEY, THEM, THEIR, THEIRS, THEMSELVES) 

are found in reported speech then, it remain unchanged. 

Direct:- i said, " he will do his work".

Indirect:- i said that he would do his work.

4) if the second person( YOU, YOUR, YOURS, YOURSELF, YOURSELVES) are found in reported speech then, it changes with the object of reporting speech but if  the object is missing then ( EITHER I OR HE)   is Supposed to be there and make indirect speech.

 Look at example 

Direct:- she said, " you can dance on the stage".

Indirect:- she said that i could dance on the stage.

 Here is declaration that  if third person presents itself as a subject then, i is used in the place of you. 

Direct:- i said, " you are taking class". 

Indirect:- i said that he was taking class. 

Here is declaration that  if first person avails itself as a subject then, he is used in the place of you. 

Exercises for you,

choose the correct indirect option of the given options.

Q1. Direct; She said to me, " you made a blunder"

1. She told me that I had made a blunder.
2. She said to me that I had made a blunder.
3. She told me  I had made a blunder.
4. She told me that I made a blunder.

Q2. They said, " you are playing cricket now.

1. They said that you were playing cricket now.
2. They said that I was playing cricket then.
3. They said I was playing cricket then.
4. They said that I am playing cricket now. 

Q3. He said to them, " I has lodged a complaint against you."

1. He told them that I had lodged a complaint against them.
2. He told them that He had lodged a complaint against you.
3. He told them that He had lodged a complaint against them.
4. He told them that I lodged a complaint against them.

Q4. Mrs. Sharma said to her sons, " I will inform you tomorrow."

1. Mrs. Sharma told her sons that I will inform you tomorrow.
2. Mrs. Sharma told her sons that she will inform you the next day.
3. Mrs. Sharma told her sons that She would inform you tomorrow.
4. Mrs. Sharma told her sons that She would inform them the next day.

Q5. I said, " you are a good friend of mine"

1. said that he is a good friend of mine.
2. said that he was a good friend of mine.
3. said that he is a good friend of yours.
4. said that you is a good friend of mine.

Q6. The teacher said to the students, " I will not allow you to come in the class."

1. The teacher said to the students that He would not allow them to come in the class.
2. The teacher said to the students that I would not allow them to come in the class.
3. The teacher told the students that He would not allow them to come in the class.
4. The teacher said to the students that He would not allow you to come in the class.

Q7. She said to her husband, " you are a careless person."

1. She told to her husband that you were a careless person.
2. She told her husband that you were a careless person.
3. She told to her husband that he were a careless person.
4. She told her husband that he was a careless person.

Q8. She said to me, " I can do anything for you."

1. She told me that I can do anything for her.
2. She told me that she can do anything for me.
3. She told me that she could do anything for me.
4. She told me that She could do anything for her.

Q9. They said, " We are working here."

1. They said that we were working here.
2. They said that they were working here.
3. They said that we were working there.
4. They said that they had been working there.

Q10. I said to him, " you did what i was saying."

1. I told him that you had done what i was saying.
2. I told him that he had done what i was saying.
3. I told him that he had done what i had been saying.
4. I told him that you had done what i had been saying.

In this blog we learn the changes, formats, and rules while changing direct narration in to indirect narration. 

Note:- in next blog, i will discuss tha special Narrations, their rules and formats. 

I hope, you will share your experiences through your comments 😊