Reported Speech

Reporting the words of a speaker either directly or indirectly is called Narration.

Narration change is the change of mode of speech either from Direct to Indirect or from
Indirect to Direct.

When we quote the exact words of the speaker, it is called Direct Speech.

E.g. Ritwik says, “I play football.”

Here Ritwik’s speech is quoted in the actual words used by him. The speech which is
quoted in actual words (“I play football.”) called the Reported Speech and the verb
(“says“) that introduces speech is called the Reporting Verb.

When someone reports the speaker’s words indirectly without changing the meaning, it
is called Indirect Speech. Here Ritwik’s speech is reported in the form of Narration.

E.g. Ritwik says that he plays football.

Direct Speech: She said, “I am writing a novel.”

Indirect Speech: She said that she was writing a novel.

Direct Speech: He says, “You are an intelligent boy.”

Indirect Speech: He says that I am an intelligent boy.

Direct Speech: She said to me, “My mother is reading a newspaper.”

Indirect Speech: She told me that her mother was reading a newspaper.

Direct Speech: She will say to him, “I am reciting a poem.”

Indirect Speech: She will tell him that she is reciting a poem.

Direct Speech: She said to you, “I did it carefully.”

Indirect Speech: She told you that she had done it carefully.

In the indirect speech ‘told' may be used for 'said to'. But ‘told' does not take 'to'
after it and ‘told' takes an object.
Direct Speech: They say, “She is always busy.”
Indirect Speech: They say that she is always busy.

Direct Speech: The baby will say, “Dad knows everything.”

Indirect Speech: The baby will say that Dad knows everything.

Direct Speech: She said, “I need some cash.”

Indirect Speech: She said that she needed some cash,

Direct Speech: He said, “I am waiting for her.”

Indirect Speech: He said that he was waiting for her.

Direct Speech: The girl said, “I have done my assignment.”

Indirect Speech: The girl said that she had done her assignment.

Direct Speech: He said, “The boy has been sleeping.”

Indirect Speech: He said that the boy had been sleeping.

Direct Speech: He said, “They did it.”

Indirect Speech: He said that they had done it.

Direct Speech: He said, “She was gossiping.”

Indirect Speech: He said that she had been gossiping.

Direct Speech: The sage said, “Man will die.”

Indirect Speech: The sage said that man will die.

Direct Speech: She said, “The sun gives us light.”

Indirect Speech: She said that the sun gives us light.

Rules of Tense
Reporting Reported Speech Verb in Reported Speech Verb in
Verb Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present Present Tense Present Tense

Tense
“ I eat chapatti.” She says that she eats chapatti.
She says,

Present Past Tense Past Tense

Tense
“ I ate chapatti.” She says that she ate chapatti.
She says,

Present Future Tense Future Tense

Tense
“I shall eat chapatti.” She says that she will eat
She says, chapatti.

Future Tense Present Tense Present Tense

She will say, “I eat chapatti.” She will say that she eats chapatti.

Future Tense Past Tense Past Tense

She will say, “I ate chapatti.” She will say that she ate chapatti.

Future Tense Future Tense Future Tense

She will say, “I shall eat chapatti.” She will say that she will eat chapatti.
Past Tense Present Indefinite Past Indefinite

She said, “I eat chapatti.” She said that she ate chapatti.

Past Universal truth or regular Remains unchanged

Tense habit
She said that the earth moves round
She said, “The earth moves round the the sun.
sun.”

Past Present Continuous Past Continuous

Tense
“I am eating chapatti.” She said that she was eating chapatti.
She said,

Past Present Perfect Past Perfect

Tense
“I have eaten chapatti.” She said that she had eaten chapatti.
She said,

Past Past Indefinite Past Perfect

Tense
“ I ate chapatti.” She said that she had eaten chapatti.
She said,

Past Tense Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

She said, “I was eating She said that she had been eating chapatti.
chapatti.”

Past Tense Past Perfect Remains unchanged

She said, “I had eaten chapatti.” She said that she had eaten chapatti.

Rules of Modal Verbs

Past Shall / will / can / may /should / Should / would /could /

Tense would / must / ought to might/should / would / must /
ought to

She “I shall eat chapatti.” She said that she would eat chapatti.
said,

She “I can eat chapatti.” She said that she could eat chapatti.
said,

She “I may eat chapatti.” She said that she might eat chapatti.
said,

She “I should eat chapatti.” She said that she should eat chapatti.
said,
 She “I ought to eat chapatti.” She said that she ought to eat
said, chapatti.

She “I would eat chapatti.” She said that she would eat chapatti.
said,

She “I must eat chapatti.” She said that she must eat chapatti.
said,

Examples of Narration Change of Changes of Pronouns

Observe the following Examples of change of Pronouns in the sentences from Direct to
Indirect Speech.

Direct Speech: I said to her, “You are wrong.”

Indirect Speech: I told her that she was wrong.

Points to Ponder:

1. The first person (I, we, our, us) in the direct speech is changed into the person of
the speaker.

2. The second person (you, yours) of the direct speech is changed into the person
spoken to.

3. The third person (he, she, his, her, they, them, their) of the direct speech is not
changed.

Examples of Time and Place reference

Observe the following Examples of Time and Place reference in the sentences from
Direct to Indirect Speech.

Direct Speech: The girl said, “I’ll do the work now.”

Indirect Speech: The girl said that she would do the work then.

The following words that express nearness of Time, Place are changed to words
expressing remoteness.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

now then

here there

this that

these those

come go

ago before
 today that day

tomorrow the next day

yesterday the previous day

last night the previous night

Narration Change Assertive Sentence

Observe the following Examples of Statements / Assertive Sentences in the

sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech.

Rules

(a) No comma and Inverted comma in Indirect Speech, only full stop at the end.
(b) Reporting Verbs changed from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech;

‘say – say’,

‘says – says’,

‘said – said’,

‘said to – told’,

‘say to – tell’,

‘says to – tells’.
(c) Connective ‘that’ added before Reported Speech in indirect speech.

Examples

Direct: He said to me, “I do the work every day.”

Indirect: He told me that he does the work every day.

Direct: I said to him, ‘I am ready for the journey.”

Indirect: I told him that I was ready for the journey.

Direct: You will say, “He is wrong.”

Indirect: You will say that he is wrong.

Direct: The boy said, “I shall go to bed now.”

Indirect: The boy said that he would go to bed now.

Direct: I said, “I shall buy a book today.”

Indirect: I said that I should buy a book that day.

Interrogative Sentence Narration Change Class 9.

Examples of Interrogative Sentence:

Rules

(a) ‘Tell’ and ‘say’ in Direct Narration are changed to ‘ask’, ‘enquire of’, ‘question’, ‘want
to know’ etc. in Indirect Narration.
(b) In place of introductory ‘that’. ‘if’ or ‘whether’ should be used.
(c) In Indirect Narration a full stop (.) must be put in place of a question mark(?) at the
end of the sentence.
(d) In Direct Narration the Reported Speech begins with W-word or how, in Indirect
Narration the same Wh-word or how is retained.

Examples
Direct: Do you know the way to the station?” She said to Mahim.
Indirect: She asked Mahim if (whether) he knew the way to the station.

Direct: Have you brought a pen for me?” the girl said to her father.
Indirect: The girl asked her father if he had brought a pen for her.

Direct: I said to him, “Shall I reach the village before dawn?”

Indirect: I asked him if I would reach the village before dawn.

Direct: “Why are you weeping?” the Swallow asked the prince
Indirect: The Swallow enquired of the prince why he was weeping.

Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the stranger.

Indirect: The stranger asked him where he lived.

Direct: He said to me, “You are going to the playground, aren’t you?”
Indirect: He asked me whether it was true that I was going to the playground.

Narration Change Imperative Sentences Class 9

Go through the following Examples of Command / Request / Imperative Sentences in

the sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech.

Rules

(a) Reporting verbs of Direct Speech changed into order or command, advise, or
request according to sense in Indirect Speech.
(b) ‘To’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration; for negative imperative
sentence ‘not to’ is used.
(c) ‘not to’ can also be replaced by ‘forbid’, or ‘prohibit’.
(d) ‘Let’ implies ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘suggest’ or ‘propose’ in
Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect Narration
(e) ‘Let’ without ‘suggestion’ or ‘proposal’; Reporting verb will be ‘tell’, or ‘wish’
according to sense in Indirect Speech. ‘that’ is used before Reported speech in Indirect
Narration.

Examples
Direct: She said to him, ‘Please lend me your pen.”
Indirect: She requested him to lend her his pen.

Direct: The mother said to her son, “Wait here for me.
Indirect: The mother told her son to wait there for her.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Go home at once.

Indirect: He advised me to go home at once.

Direct: He said, ‘Friends, lend me your ears.

Indirect: Addressing them as friends, he requested them to lend him their ears.

Direct: Mon said to Mohan, ‘Let us discuss the matter.’

Indirect: Mon suggested to Mohan that they should discuss the matter.

Direct: She said, ‘Let me come in.’

Indirect: She requested that she might be allowed to come in.

Optative Sentences Narration Change Class 9

Go through the following Examples of Wish/Pray/Optative Sentences in the sentences

from Direct to Indirect Speech.

(a) Reporting verbs changed to ‘wish’, ‘pray’, and ‘bless’ in Indirect Speech.
(b) Linker, ‘that’ is placed before Reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct: He said to you, May God bless you.’

Indirect: He prayed that God might bless you.

Direct: She said, ‘Had I been there!

Indirect: She wished that she had been there.

Direct: He said to me, ‘May you succeed.’

Indirect: He wished that I might succeed.
Direct: They said, ‘Long live the leader.’
Indirect: They prayed that the leader might live long.

Direct: He said to me, ‘May your mother recover soon.

Indirect: He wished that my mother might recover soon.

Direct: The monk said, ‘May peace prevail.’

Indirect: The monk hoped that peace would prevail.

Exclamatory Sentences Narration Change

Check the following Examples of Exclamatory sentences in the sentences from

Direct to Indirect Speech.

(a) The reporting verb is changed into exclaim (in joy), exclaim (in grief), cried out (in
sorrow), pray, wish, etc.
(b) Examinations are turned into statements.
(c) Interjections (Alas, Oh, Hurrah) are omitted.
(d) ‘What’, and ‘How’ used in exclamation should be replaced by great, great, very, very
much, and big.

Direct Speech: The supporters said, “Hurrah! they have won!’

Indirect Speech: The supporter exclaimed in joy that they had won.

Direct Speech: The boy said, ‘How wonderful love is!’

Indirect Speech: The boy exclaimed in joy that love is wonderful.

Direct Speech: ‘Good God! I am saved’, said he.

Indirect Speech: He exclaimed in the name of merciful God that he was saved.

Direct Speech: ‘Alas! I am undone’, said the man.

Indirect Speech: The man cried out in sorrow that he was undone.

Direct Speech: She said, ‘Goodbye, my beloved friends!’

Indirect Speech: She bade her beloved friends goodbye.
—-------------------------x—-----------------------------------------x—---------------------------------------