Grammatical Narration With Details & Explanations

When we hear the word “Narration,” we often get confused, thinking it’s a complicated term. Many say Narration is complicated, but that’s not true. If we read or write attentively, we can master it well. Narration is extremely important in real life. Whenever we speak or write, we use Narration. Narration is essentially a quote or a statement. Therefore, the English word “Narrate” means to give a statement or description. “Narration” comes from “Narrate,” which means ‘quote/statement’ in English. In academic studies, there are primarily two types of Narration:

• Sentence Narration/Speech (Statement quotes)
• Passage Narration/Speech (Text quotes)

First, we will discuss Sentence Narration, and then we will discuss Passage Narration.

What is Narration or a Quote?

Answer: Briefly, Narration or a quote, is the expression of a person’s statement or speech. In other words, whatever the speaker says is called a quote or Narration. Alternatively, when one person repeats another person’s words, it is called a quote or Narration.

Types of Narration/Speech

Narration is always done in two ways. In English grammar, there are mainly two types of Narration:

• Direct narration or speech (Direct quote)
• Indirect Narration/Speech (Indirect quote)

What is Direct narration or speech?

Answer: Direct narration, or Direct speech, is when a statement or speech is presented without any changes.

Example: He says, “I am sick.” (Direct Narration)

This is a direct narration with no alterations.

What is indirect narration, or speech?

Answer: Indirect narration, or indirect speech, is when a statement or speech is conveyed with slight modifications or indirectly.

Example: He says that he is sick. (Indirect Narration)

Direct narration, or speech has two parts:

• Reporting Verb
• Reported Speech

What is a Reporting Verb?

Answer: In sentences like “He said, ‘I am reading a book,’” the part before the quotation marks (He said) is the Reporting Verb. In simpler terms, the part outside the quotation marks is called the Reporting Verb.

What is Reported Speech?

Answer: In sentences like “He said, ‘I am reading a book,’” the part inside the quotation marks (‘I am reading a book’) is the Reported Speech. In simpler terms, the part within the quotation marks is called Reported Speech.

We know there are five types of sentences, and narration and speech change according to these five types. To change Direct to Indirect Narration, we follow six rules:

• Change of comma (,)
• Change of Reporting Verb
• Change of Reported Speech
• Change of Tense
• Change of Person or Pronoun
• Change of Adverbial Phrases or Demonstrative Pronouns

Let’s discuss each topic in detail.

Rules for Changing the Comma

For Assertive Sentences, replace the comma (,) with “that.” Example:

• Direct: He said, “I am doing it.”
• Indirect: He said that he was doing it.

For Interrogative Sentences, do not replace the comma (,) with “that.”

If the answer to the question is yes or no, replace the comma (,) with “if” or “whether.” If the reported speech starts with wh-words, place the comma after the reporting verb and then use the wh-word directly. Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Are you ill?”
• Indirect: He asked (or inquired of) me if (or whether) I was ill.
• Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
• Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.

For Imperative Sentences, replace the comma (,) with “to.” If the reported speech starts with “Let,” replace the comma (,) with “that.” Example:

• Direct: I said to him, “Open the gate.”
• Indirect: I asked him to open the gate.

For Optative Sentences, replace the comma (,) with “that.” Example:

• Direct: The teacher said to me, “May you get success in life!”
• Indirect: Teacher wished that I might get success in life.

For Exclamatory Sentences, replace the comma (,) with “that.” Example:

• Direct: He said, “What was my joy to see the thing!”
• Indirect: He said that his joy to see the thing was very great.

Rules for Changing the Reporting Verb

Remember that the reporting verb should always change according to the tense or sentence of the reported speech. For example: if the reported speech is in an assertive sentence, use “said to” or “said” without any changes. Example:

• Direct: He said, “I am doing it.”
• Indirect: He said that he was doing it.

If the reported speech is in an interrogative sentence, replace “said to” or “said” with “asked,” “wanted to know,” “enquired of,” “demanded,” or “wondered.” Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing?”
• Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.

If the reported speech is in the present, present perfect, or future tense, there are no changes to the reported speech or the reporting verb except for the change of person. Example:

• He says, “I am sick.” (Direct)
• He says that he is sick. (Indirect)
• She has said, “I have done my duty.” (Direct)
• She has said that she has done her duty. (Indirect)
• Kamal will say, “He eats rice.” (Direct)
• Kamal will say that he eats rice. (Indirect)

If the Reported Speech is in the past tense or Imperative Sentence and expresses certain meanings as follows, the Reporting Verb changes:

• For commands – “ordered”
• For prohibitions – “prohibited” or “forbade”
• For advice – “advised”
• For proposals – “proposed” or “suggested” (applicable if the sentence includes “Let us”)
• For requests – “requested” or “offered”
• For wishes – “wished”
• For prayers/pleas – “begged”

However, if the sentence starts with “Let me/him/her/them,” using “told” is acceptable. Example:

• Direct: I said to him, “Please explain the passage.”
• Indirect: I requested him to explain the passage.
• Direct: I said to him, “Excuse me, sir.”
• Indirect: I begged him to excuse me.

In all other cases, using “told” instead of “said to” or “said” is acceptable. However, changing the Reporting Verb according to the meaning of the Reported Speech is better.

If the Reported Speech is in Optative Sentence and expresses good wishes, use “wish” or “wished.” If it expresses a prayer, use “pray” or “prayed.”

(Note: When using “wish” or “pray” in the Reporting Verb, it is acceptable not to use an Object. However, using an Object is not incorrect. If you use an Object, place “wish for” or “pray for” instead of the verb.)

If the reported speech is in an exclamatory sentence and expresses:

• Joy: “exclaim with joy”
• Sorrow: “exclaim with sorrow/grief”
• Fear: “exclaim with fear”
• Surprise: “exclaim with surprise/wonder”
• Vow: “exclaim with swear”
• Farewell: “exclaim with bid/bade”
• Shame: “exclaim with shame”

If it does not express anything specific, simply use “exclaim.”

Changing the Reported Speech

Remember, if the reporting verb is in the present tense, future tense, or Future Tense or Present Perfect Tense, the Tense of the Reported Speech will not change. Only the Person will change. Example:

• Direct: She says, “I am sick.”
• Indirect: She says that she is sick. Here, only the person has changed.
• Direct: He said, “I have sung a song.”
• Indirect: He has said that he has sung a song.
• Direct: Shemu will say, “She eats rice.”
• Indirect: Shemu will say that she eats rice.

If the reporting verb is in the Tense, the Tense of the Reported Speech changes as follows:

• Present indefinite to past indefinite.
• Present continuous to past continuous.
• Present perfect to past perfect.
• Present perfect continuous to past perfect continuous.
• Past indefinite to past perfect.
• Past continuous to past perfect continuous.

Note: If the Reported Speech is in Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous Tense, there will be no change in Tense.

Changes in Modal Verbs and Auxiliary Verbs

Example:

• Direct: He said, “I will eat rice.”
• Indirect: He said that he would eat rice.
• Direct: He said, “I can do this work.”
• Indirect: He said that he could do that work.
• Direct: He said, “I may go there.”
• Indirect: He said that he might go there.

(Note: If the Reported Speech is an Eternal Truth or Habitual Fact, the Tense will not change.)

Examples of Eternal Truth or Habitual Facts:

• Direct: He said, “The earth moves around the sun.”
• Indirect: He said that the earth moves round the sun.
• Direct: He said, “Man is mortal.”
• Indirect: He said that man is mortal.
• Direct: He said, “The moon shines at night.”
• Indirect: He said that the moon shines at night.
• Direct: He said, “Water boils at 100°C.”
• Indirect: He said that water boils at 100°C.

If the Reported Speech expresses Time or Distance:

• If the Reported Speech expresses recent time or distance, there will be no change.
• If the Reported Speech expresses past time or distance, there will be changes.

Examples of Time and Distance Expressions:

• Direct: He said, “She went yesterday.”
• Indirect: He said that she had gone the day before.
• Direct: He said, “I will come tomorrow.”
• Indirect: He said that he would come the next day.
• Direct: He said, “I did it last week.”
• Indirect: He said that he had done it the previous week.
• Direct: He said, “I will do it next month.”
• Indirect: He said that he would do it the following month.

Changing the Person in Reported Speech

Change of Person: To remember easily:

• If the Reported Speech contains any 1st person pronoun (I, we, me, us, my, our), it will follow the person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd person), number (singular or plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, common) of the subject of the Reporting Verb. Thus, you need to know the forms of these pronouns.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “I have written my letter.”
• Indirect: He said to me that he had written his letter.

Here, the 1st person pronouns “I” and “my” in the Reported Speech follow the subject “He” of the Reporting Verb.

• If the Reported Speech contains any 2nd person pronoun (you, your), it will follow the person, number, and gender of the object of the Reporting Verb. The pronouns change accordingly.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “You have written your letter.”
• Indirect: He said to me that I had written my letter.

Here, the 2nd person pronouns “you” and “your” in the Reported Speech follow the object “me” of the Reporting Verb.

• If the Reported Speech contains any 3rd person pronoun (he, she, it, his, her, their, etc.), there will be no change in person, number, or gender.

Example:

• Direct: I said to you, “He has written his letter.”
• Indirect: I said to you that he had written his letter.

Here, the 3rd person pronouns “he” and “his” in the Reported Speech remain unchanged.

How to Convert Reported Speech without the Reporting Verb

If only the Reported Speech is given, imagine the speaker and convert it to Indirect Speech accordingly.

Example:

• Direct: “I am going to the market for shopping.”
• Indirect: The speaker said to the person that he was going to the market for shopping.

Note: Use “The speaker” for the speaker and “The listener” or “The person spoken to” for the listener.

Special Note: The 1st person plural pronoun “we” has a special rule. If “we” refers to all humanity collectively, follow the direct form without changes.

Example:

• Direct: The madam said, “We are mortal.”
• Indirect: The madam said that we are mortal.

Remember the Three Forms of Pronouns:

English Pronouns Chart

Changing Adverbial Phrases or Demonstrative Pronouns:

Use these guidelines to change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech effectively.

See More “Grammatical Voice”

Learning Some Exceptional Rules in Reported Speech

1. Using “Must” for Future Obligations:

• Rule: When “must” in direct speech expresses a future obligation, change it to “would have to” in indirect speech.
• Explanation: The word “must” can indicate necessity or obligation. When this necessity is in the context of the future, it should be changed to “would have to” to correctly convey the sense of obligation in the past tense.

Example:

• Direct: He said, “We must pay the WASA bill.”
• Indirect: He said that they would have to pay the WASA bill.

2. Using Polite Expressions for “Sir/Madam”:

• Rule: If “sir” or “madam” appears in the reported speech, replace it with “politely,” “respectfully,” “with respect,” or “with due respect.”
• Explanation: When addressing someone with respect, indirect speech should maintain the politeness by using appropriate adverbs to convey the same level of respect.

Example:

• Direct: The student said to the teacher, “Sir, I have completed my homework.”
• Indirect: The student said to the teacher respectfully (or with due respect) that he/she had completed his/her homework.

Alternative ways:

• Indirect: Respectfully (or with respect/with due respect/politely), the student said to the teacher that he/she had completed his/her homework.
• Indirect: The student politely (or with respect/respectfully/with due respect) said to the teacher that he/she had completed his/her homework.

3. Addressing Titles, Names, or Designations:

• Rule: If the reported speech addresses someone by name, title, or designation, use “addressing,” “addressing as,” or “addressing me as.”
• Explanation: When directly addressing someone by their name or title, it is essential to convey this in the indirect speech to maintain the context and respect of the original statement.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Rahim, what are you doing here?”
• Indirect: Addressing me as Rahim, he asked me what I was doing there.

4. Using Oaths or Swearing:

• Rule: If the reported speech contains an oath (e.g., “By God”), place the oath at the beginning of the indirect speech.
• Explanation: Oaths and swearing phrases are placed at the beginning of the indirect speech to emphasize the sincerity or seriousness of the speaker’s statement.

Example:

• Direct: He said, “By God, I will see you.”
• Indirect: Swearing by God, he replied that he would see me.

5. Expressing Affirmation:

• Rule: If “yes” appears in the reported speech, use “yes” or “replied in the affirmative” before “that.”
• Explanation: Using “yes” or “replied in the affirmative” indicates the speaker’s agreement or affirmation in the indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: She said to me, “Yes, I agree with you.”
• Indirect: She replied yes (or replied in the affirmative) that she agreed with me.

6. Expressing Negation:

• Rule: If “no” appears in the reported speech, use “no” or “replied in the negative” before “that.”
• Explanation: Using “no” or “replied in the negative” indicates the speaker’s disagreement or negation in the indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: She said to me, “No, I disagree with you.”
• Indirect: She replied no (or replied in the negative) that she disagreed with me.

7. Starting with Auxiliary Verbs:

• Rule: If the reported speech starts with an auxiliary verb (e.g., do, does, did, shall, will, etc.), use “if” or “whether” before “that.”
• Explanation: Questions starting with auxiliary verbs need to be introduced with “if” or “whether” to maintain grammatical correctness in indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Are you reading?”
• Indirect: He asked me if I was reading.
• If the reported speech starts with a wh-word, use that wh-word directly without “if” or “whether.”
• Explanation: Wh-questions inherently carry their own question word, so “if” or “whether” is unnecessary.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Where do you live?”
• Indirect: He asked me where I lived.

8. Using “Sure”:

• Rule: If “sure” appears in the reported speech, place “giving assurance” at the beginning of the indirect speech.
• Explanation: The phrase “giving assurance” conveys the speaker’s certainty or promise, which is originally implied by “sure.”

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Sure, I will be with you.”
• Indirect: Giving assurance, he told me that he would be with me.

9. Expressing Farewells:

• Rule: If the reported speech contains farewells (e.g., “goodbye,” “farewell”), use “bid” or “bade” as the reporting verb.
• Explanation: The verbs “bid” or “bade” appropriately convey the act of saying farewell in indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: He said, “Goodbye, my darling.”
• Indirect: He bade his darling goodbye.

10. Expressing Greetings:

• Rule: If the reported speech contains greetings (e.g., “Good morning,” “Good evening”), use “wish” or “wished” as the reporting verb.
• Explanation: The verbs “wish” or “wished” convey the act of giving greetings in indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: He said to me, “Good evening.”
• Indirect: He wished me good evening.

11. Expressing Gratitude:

• Rule: If the reported speech contains “thank you,” use “thanks” or “thanked” as the reporting verb.
• Explanation: The verbs “thanks” or “thanked” convey the act of expressing gratitude in indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: She said to me, “Thank you.”
• Indirect: She thanked me.

Explanation and Examples of 5 Types of Sentences in Indirect Speech

1. Declarative Sentence:
   • Rule: For declarative sentences, use “that” to introduce the indirect speech. Change the pronouns and tense as necessary.
   • Example:
     • Direct: He said, “I will go to the market.”
     • Indirect: He said that he would go to the market.
   • Explanation: The direct speech statement is converted by changing “I” to “he” and “will” to “would.”
2. Interrogative Sentence:
   • Rule: For yes/no questions, use “if” or “whether.” For wh-questions, use the wh-word directly. Ensure the sentence structure follows a declarative form.
   • Example (yes/no question):
     • Direct: She asked, “Do you like ice cream?”
     • Indirect: She asked if I liked ice cream.
   • Example (wh-question):
     • Direct: He asked, “Where do you live?”
     • Indirect: He asked where I lived.
   • Explanation: For yes/no questions, add “if” and convert the sentence. For wh-questions, use the wh-word and convert the tense.
3. Imperative Sentence:
   • Rule: Use “to” for positive commands and “not to” for negative commands. Replace the verb with “told” or another appropriate reporting verb.
   • Example (positive command):
     • Direct: He said to her, “Please open the window.”
     • Indirect: He requested her to open the window.
   • Example (negative command):
     • Direct: He said to her, “Do not open the window.”
     • Indirect: He told her not to open the window.
   • Explanation: Convert the imperative verb into an infinitive form and use the appropriate reporting verb to convey the command or request.
4. Exclamatory Sentence:
   • Rule: Use “exclaimed with” followed by the emotion and “that.” Convert the sentence structure to match a declarative form.
   • Example:
     • Direct: He exclaimed, “What a beautiful house!”
     • Indirect: He exclaimed with surprise that it was a very beautiful house.
   • Explanation: Convert the exclamation into a statement with an emotional context, using “that” to introduce the content.
5. Optative Sentence:
   • Rule: Use “wished that” and change “may” to “might.” Convert the sentence to a declarative form.
   • Example:
     • Direct: He said, “May you live long.”
     • Indirect: He wished that I might live long.
   • Explanation: Use “wished that” to express the hope or desire, and change “may” to “might.”

Passage Narration: Combining Multiple Sentences into Indirect Speech

When converting a passage from direct to indirect speech, follow these steps:

1. Identify Each Sentence Type: Determine the type of each sentence (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, or optative).
2. Apply Individual Rules: Apply the appropriate rule for each type of sentence.
3. Use Connectors: Use connectors like “and,” “also,” “added that,” “replied that,” “further added,” etc., to link sentences logically.
4. Maintain Flow: Ensure the sentences flow logically and coherently.

Example 01:

• Direct: “I was 10 years old then,” said the man, “and I didn’t know how to dance. So, I was afraid.”
• Indirect: The man said that he had been ten years old then and had not known how to dance. He added that was why he had been afraid.
• Explanation:
  • “I was 10 years old then,” → The man said that he had been ten years old then.
  • “I didn’t know how to dance.” → and had not known how to dance.
  • “So, I was afraid.” → He added that was why he had been afraid.

Example 02:

• Direct: “Sister,” said the brother, “Have you cooked rice?” “Yes, I have. You can eat now,” his sister said.
• Indirect: The brother asked his sister if she had cooked rice. His sister replied in the affirmative that she had cooked and assured him that he could eat then.
• Explanation:
  • “Have you cooked rice?” → The brother asked his sister if she had cooked rice.
  • “Yes, I have. You can eat now,” → His sister replied in the affirmative that she had cooked and assured him that he could eat then.

Example 03:

• Direct: “Do the sum. I will see it. Don’t misunderstand me,” the teacher said to me.
• Indirect: The teacher ordered me to do the sum. He also told me that he would see it. He again advised me not to misunderstand him.
• Explanation:
  • “Do the sum.” → The teacher ordered me to do the sum.
  • “I will see it.” → He also told me that he would see it.
  • “Don’t misunderstand me.” → He again advised me not to misunderstand him.

Example 04:

• Direct: “May you get golden A+,” the student said to the teacher, “Pray for me, Sir,” said the student.
• Indirect: The teacher wished the student that he (the student) might get a golden A+. Addressing the student as Sir, the student told him to pray for him.
• Explanation:
  • “May you get golden A+,” → The teacher wished the student that he might get a golden A+.
  • “Pray for me, Sir,” → Addressing the student as Sir, the student told him to pray for him.

Example 05:

• Direct: “How pretty the lady is! What a surprise you are present here!” said the man.
• Indirect: The man exclaimed with surprise that the lady was very pretty and he also added that her presence there was very surprising.
• Explanation:
  • “How pretty the lady is!” → The man exclaimed with surprise that the lady was very pretty.
  • “What a surprise you are present here!” → and he also added that her presence there was very surprising.

FAQs on Narration

How do you change direct speech to indirect speech?

• By changing the tense, person, and sometimes the word order.

What is the difference between direct and indirect speech?

• Direct speech quotes the exact words, while indirect speech conveys the meaning without exact words.

When do we not change the tense in indirect speech?

• When reporting universal truths or habitual actions.

Can indirect speech be used in storytelling?

• Yes, it is often used to summarize dialogues and keep the narrative flow.

Why is narration important in communication?

• It ensures clarity and accuracy in conveying messages.

How can students improve their narration skills?

• By practicing regularly, understanding rules, and learning from examples.