Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for Different Sentences | Narration for Different Sentences

Do you want to learn how to change the narration of different sentences?

Well, the  you're in right place.

Here we are going to discuss how to change the narration of different sentences. 

In this case, you'll see that the reported speech of direct narration is different types of sentence. 

But whichever sentence the reported speech is, the indirect narration will be an assertive sentence and it always follows the Subject + verb + object order.

Alright,

Let's see how each sentence is used in direct speech, and how it is changed in an indirect one.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Assertive Sentences:

When the reported speech is an assertive sentence –

Structure –

Direct – Subject + say/says/said, "Subject + verb + object."

Indirect – 

Step 1:

Use 'that' removing the inverted commas.

Step 2:

Change the tense of the verb in reported speech according to reporting verb.

=> Subject + say/says/said + that + subject + verb + object.

[*****Never give importance to structures too much, these are here just for understanging, rather, try to remember an example of each type.]

E.g. –

Direct – Rohit said to me, “I play football.”

Indirect – Rohit told me that he played football.

Direct – Paul said to me, “You make me laugh.”

Indirect – Paul told me that I made him laugh.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Imperative Sentences: 

When the reported speech is an imperative sentence –

There are three types of imperative sentence. One type denotes order, another denotes advice, the other denotes request. 

Order: 

Structure –

Direct – Subject + Say/says/said, "Verb + object."

Indirect – 

Step 1:

Use order/command  in place of reporting verb.

Step 2:

Use a ‘to’ removing the inverted commas. 

=> Subject + order/orders/ordered + to + verb (base form) + object.

E.g. –

Direct – He said to me, “Get out.”

Indirect – He ordered me to get out.

Direct – I said to my brother, “Call in a doctor.”

Indirect – I ordered my brother to call in a doctor.

Advice:

Structure –

Direct – Subject + Say/says/said, "Verb + object."

Indirect – 

Step 1:

Use advise in place of the reporting verb.

Step 2: 

Use a ‘to’ removing the inverted commas. 

=> Subject + advise/advises/advised + to + verb (base form) + object.

E.g. –

Direct – My father said to me, “Respect your elders.”

Indirect – My father advised me to respect my elders.

Direct – Teacher said, “Study attentively.”

Indirect – Teacher advised to study attentively. 

Request: 

Structure –

Direct – Subject + Say/says/said, "Verb + object."

Indirect – 

(1) Use request in place of the reporting verb.

(2) Use a ‘to’ removing the inverted commas. 

=> Subject + request/requests/requested + to + verb (base form) + object.

E.g. –

Direct – I said to them, “Please allow me to participate.”

Indirect – I requested them to allow me to participate.

Direct – Gabriel said to me, “Please give your book to me.”

Indirect – Gabriel requested me to give my book to him.

Negative Imperative Sentence:

Structure –

Direct – Subject + Say/says/said, "Verb + object."

Indirect – 

Step 1:

 Change the reporting verb into ‘ask/asks/asked...not to’ or ‘tell/tells/told...not to’ or ‘forbid/forbids/forbade...to’ according to the sense of the reported speech.

[Remember, if you are using 'forbid', then don't put a not after it.]

Step 2:

Remove the inverted commas.

E.g. –

Direct – Father said to me, “Don’t waste your time”

Indirect – Father asked me not to waste my time.

Direct – Mother says to me, “Don’t watch TV.”

Indirect – Mother forbids me to watch TV. (Remember, don’t use ‘not’ if ‘forbid’ is there in the sentence. 

Indirect – Mother forbids me not to watch TV. (Incorrect)

Direct – The teacher said to the students, “Don’t make a noise.”

Indirect – The teacher forbade the students to make a noise. 

Direct and Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences:

Tow sorts of interrogative sentence are there – Yes-No Questions and WH Questions.

Yes-No Questions:

Direct – Subject + say/says/said + to + Object, “Helping verb + subject + main verb + object.”

Indirect –

Step 1:

The indirect narration will be –

An assertive sentence.

Step 2: 

Tense will be according to the reporting verb.

=> Subject + ask/asks/asked + object + if/whether + Subject + verb + object.

E.g. –

Direct – Teacher says to me, “Do you study at home.”

Indirect – Teacher asks me if I study at home.

Direct – She said to me, “Doesn’t he smoke?”

Indirect – She asked me if he didn’t smoke.

Direct – You say to him, “Do you like coffee?”

Indirect – You ask him whether he likes coffee.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Optative Sentences:

When the reported speech is an optative sentence (May + Subject + verb + object + !”).

Change the reporting verb into wish / pray / curse / bless etc.

The conjunction ‘that’ is used removing the inverted commas.

If the reporting verb is in past tense, use ‘might’ instead of ‘may’.

Structure –

Direct – Subject + say/says/said, “May + Subject + verb + object + !”

Indirect – Subject + wish/wishes/wished + that + subject + may/might + verb + object.

Remember that an indirect speech is always an assertive sentence.

E.g. –

Direct – She said, “May you live long!”

Indirect – She wished that I might live long.

Direct – He says to my brother, “May you die!”

Indirect – He curses my brother that he might die.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Exclamatory Sentences:

The exclamatory sentences start with the interjections Hurrah! Alas! Bravo! Oh! Etc.

Direct – Subject + say/says/said , “Interjection + ! + subject + verb + object.”

Indirect – 

Step 1:

Replace say/says/said with 'exclaim'.

Step 2: 

Use with joy / with sorrow etc. after 'exclaim'.

Step 3: 

Use 'that' removing the inverted commas. 

=> Subject + exclaimed with joy/sorrow that subject + verb + object.

E.g. – 

Direct – Ronny says, "Hurrah! We have won the prize."

Indirect – Ronny exclaims with joy that they have won the prize.

Direct – You said, "Alas! The man is no more."

Indirect – You exclaimed with sorrow that the man was no more.

Thank you...