Narration - All Rules in Short
- Fakhruddin Babar
- Jun 25, 2025
- 10 min read
Narration: Direct vs. Indirect Speech
Narration reports speech.
Direct: Exact words ("I will give you a pen.").
Indirect: Reported words (He said that he would give me a pen.).
Core Conversion Rules
Reporting Verb: Changes to suit sense.
Example: "I'm tired," he said → He told me he was tired.
Punctuation: Inverted commas removed; comma after verb replaced by conjunction (that/if/whether/WH-word).
Example: He said, "I'm going" → He said that he was going.
Pronouns/Possessives: Adjust.
Example: She said, "I will go" → She said she would go.
Tense: Shifts to corresponding past tense.
Example: He said, "I am happy" → He said he was happy.
Adverbs: Time/place adverbs shift to remoteness.
Example: She said, "I'll go tomorrow" → She said she'd go the next day.
Tense Change Rules
Reporting Verb Present/Future: No reported speech tense change.
Example: The teacher says, "Gayatri performs" → The teacher says that Gayatri performs.
Reporting Verb Past: Reported speech tense shifts to corresponding past tense.
Example: The teacher said, "I am suffering" → The teacher said that she was suffering.
Tense Shift Summary:
Present Simple → Past Simple (Example: "I am a teacher" → He said he was a teacher.)
Present Continuous → Past Continuous (Example: "I am having lunch" → He said he was having lunch.)
Present Perfect → Past Perfect (Example: "I've been to France" → He said he had been to France.)
Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (Example: "I've been working hard" → He said he had been working hard.)
Past Simple → Past Perfect (Example: "I bought a car" → He said he had bought a car.)
Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (Example: "It was raining" → He said it had been raining.)
Past Perfect → No Change (Example: "The play had started" → He said the play had started.)
Past Perfect Continuous → No Change (Example: "I'd already been living" → He said he'd already been living.)
Future → Future in the Past (Example: "I shall help you" → She told me she would help me.)
Future Continuous → Future Continuous in the Past (Example: "I will be using the car" → She said she would be using the car.)
Tense Change Exceptions
Universal Truth/Habitual Fact: No change.
Example: Our teacher said, "The earth is round" → Our teacher said that the earth is round.
Past Historical Fact: No change.
Example: Our teacher said, "Asoka left war" → Our teacher said that Asoka left war.
Two Simultaneous Past Actions: No change.
Example: She said, "My wife was making lunch when I was studying" → She said that her wife was making lunch when she was studying.
Imagined Conditions (2nd/3rd Conditional): No change.
Example: She said, "If I were rich, I would help him" → She said that if she were rich, she would help him.
had + 3rd form, to-infinitive, would, could, should, must, might, ought to: No change.
Example: She said, "You should obey" → She told me that I should obey.
Multiple Past Indefinite: First → Past Perfect; others stay Past Indefinite.
Example: Himu said, "Yesterday I went to market and bought a laptop" → Himu said that the previous day he had gone to market and bought a laptop.
Past Tense (Ongoing State): No change.
Example: She said, "I decided not to buy the house because it was on a main road" → She said that she had decided not to buy the house because it was on a main road.
Past Indefinite/Continuous in Time Clauses: Usually no change.
Example: He said, "When we were living in London we often saw Max" → He said that when they were living in London they often saw/ had seen Max.
Modal Verb Changes
will → would (Example: "I'll come" → He said he would come.)
can → could (Example: "I can swim" → He said he could swim.)
must → had to (necessity) (Example: "Tickets must be bought" → He said tickets had to be bought.)
shall → should (offers/advice); would (future) (Example: "What shall we do?" → He asked what we should do.)
may → might (Example: "May I smoke?" → He asked if he might smoke.)
Modal Verb Exceptions
could, would, should, might, ought to, used to: No change.
Example: He said, "I could meet you" → He said that he could meet us.
will, can, may: Can remain unchanged if situation is ongoing/future.
Example: She said, "I'll be in Paris" → She told me that she'll be in Paris.
must: Retains must for conclusions; had to for necessity; mustn't stays mustn't. Future obligation must → would have to.
Example: Neil said, "I must be getting old" → Neil said that he must be getting old.
might: Changes only if a request.
Example: Karim said, "You might bring a notebook" → Karim asked to bring a notebook.
ought to/should: No change for obligation/assumption; otherwise, change reporting verb (e.g., to advised).
Example: "You ought to come on time" → The officer told them that they ought to come on time.
Pronoun & Possessive Adjective Changes
1st Person (I, we, me, us, mine, our): Based on reporting verb's subject.
Example: He said, "I live" → He said he lived.
2nd Person (you, yours): Based on reporting verb's object.
Example: She said to him, "You are intelligent" → She said to him that he was intelligent.
3rd Person (he, she, it, they, him, his, her, them, their): No change.
Example: They said, "He will come" → They said that he would come.
Pronoun Exceptions
we (speaker + listener): No change.
Example: She said to me, "We did our best" → She told me that we had done our best.
Editorial we → it.
Example: The Daily Star says, "We will stick" → The Daily Star says that it would stick.
Adverb Changes (Time & Place)
Words denoting nearness → remoteness.
Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
today | that day |
yesterday | the day before |
tomorrow | the next/following day |
next week | the following week |
last week | the previous week |
ago | before |
this (time) | that |
this (adj.) | the |
here | there |
now | then |
come | go |
thus | so/that way |
Adverb Exceptions
this (time) → that.
Example: He said, "I am leaving Doha this weekend" → He said that he was leaving Doha that weekend.
now, here, this: Can remain if referring to items present at reporting.
Example: She said, "I knew this boy" → She said that she knew this boy.
it remains it; introductory it remains it.
Example: He said, "It is time" → He said that it was time.
That (sentence start) → it.
Example: Hasan said, "That is a good idea" → Hasan said that it was a good idea.
Sentence Types Conversion
Assertive Sentences
Reporting verb (no object): Unchanged.
Example: Ratan said, "I shall go" → Ratan said that he would go.
say + to + object → tell + object.
Example: Tanvir said to me, "I have never seen" → Tanvir told me that he had never seen.
Conjunction: that.
Other reporting verbs: remark, hope, believe, comment, declare, affirm.
Example: He said, "You have done well" → He remarked that I had done well.
say vs. tell: say (no object), tell (with object).
Example: He said that he was tired. / He told me that he was tired.
Interrogative (Question) Sentences
Yes/No Questions:
Reporting verb: ask / inquire of.
Conjunction: if / whether.
Result: Assertive sentence.
Example: He said to me, "Are you ill?" → He asked me if I was ill.
WH-Questions:
Reporting verb: ask / inquire of.
Conjunction: The WH-word itself.
Result: Assertive sentence.
Example: He said to me, "What are you doing?" → He asked me what I was doing.
Imperative Sentences
Reporting Verb: request, order, command, advise, tell, ask, beg, forbid, etc.
Example: He said to me, "Please give me water" → He requested me to give him water.
Structure: to + base verb.
kindly/please → request.
Negative: not to + verb.
Example: He said to me, "Do not go there" → He told me not to go there.
Vocatives: Omitted or "Addressing... as...".
Example: He said, "Ramin, go there" → He told Ramin to go there.
Sir: Replaced by respectfully.
Example: The boy said, "Sir, lend me your book" → The boy requested respectfully to lend him his book.
Let Sentences:
Proposal: Reporting verb propose/suggest, use that they/we should.
Example: He said, "Let us go home" → He proposed that we should go home.
Permission/Other: Reporting verb remains, use that + subject + might (or might be allowed to).
Example: He said, "Let him do whatever he likes" → He said that he might do whatever he liked.
Questions as Commands/Requests (will you/would you/could you): Reporting verb ask/request, use to/not to before verb; remove original modal.
Example: She said, "Would you close the gate?" → She requested me to close the gate.
Do (imperative): Omitted.
Example: I told him, "Do have a cup of tea" → I requested him to have a cup of tea.
Optative Sentences
Reporting Verb: wish / pray / bless / curse.
Example: He said, "May you be happy" → He wished that I might be happy.
Conjunction: that.
Structure: Subject + wish/pray/bless/curse + that + subject + might + main verb.
Greetings (Good morning/afternoon/evening/Happy new year): Subject + wished + Object + greeting.
Example: I said to him, "Good morning" → I wished him good morning.
Farewells (Good-bye/Good night): Subject + bade + Object + farewell.
Example: He said, "Good-bye my friends" → He bade his friends good-bye.
Exclamatory Sentences
Reporting Verb: exclaim with joy/sorrow/grief.
Example: He said, "Hurrah! I won a prize" → He exclaimed with joy that he had won a prize.
Conjunction: that.
Intensifiers: what/how → very/great.
Example: He said, "How happy you are!" → He told me that I was very happy.
Passage Narration-Specific Rules
Initial Passage Analysis: Identify Speaker, Listener, Tense, Number, Gender & Person, and Mood.
Reporting Verb Placement (End of Direct Speech): Move to beginning of Indirect Speech.
Example: "Please tell me," said the noble man → The noble man requested to tell him.
Reporting Verb Placement (Middle of Direct Speech): Move to beginning of first sentence; join sentences with and.
Example: "Thank you," said the teacher, "You're brilliant" → The teacher thanked him and said that he was brilliant.
Implied Speaker/Listener: Use "The speaker" and "the person spoken to/the listener."
Example: "I shall meet you tomorrow." → The speaker said to the person spoken to that he would meet him the next day.
Multiple Assertive Sentences: Use added/further added/also said for subsequent sentences.
Example: "Here are the tickets. They will cost," said the officer → The officer told that there were tickets and said that they would cost.
Multiple Interrogative Sentences: Use again asked/also asked/further asked.
Example: "Why do you beg? Can't you work?" asked the maid → The maid asked why he begged and also asked if he could not work.
Multiple Imperative Sentences: Use again advised/also requested/further ordered according to sense; join with and.
Example: "I have left my pen. Can you give me one?" said Nayem → Nayem told me that he had left his pen and asked if I could give him one.
Mixed Sentences (Interrogative + Assertive): Join with and or start second sentence with then.
Example: "Why are you talking? You should behave," said the teacher → The teacher asked why she was talking and said that she should behave.
Dialogue (Q&A): Assume and write implied replies.
Example: "What is your name?" "Rubaba." → I asked her what her name was. She replied that her name was Rubaba.
Yes as Reply: replied in the affirmative / replied that + sub + verb.
Example: "Are you ill?" "Yes." → He asked if I was ill. I replied in the affirmative/that I was.
Yes + Statement: replied in the affirmative and said that.
Example: "Yes, I have killed," said the piper → The piper replied in the affirmative and said that he had killed.
No as Reply: replied in the negative / replied that + sub + verb (negative).
Example: "Do you like music?" "No." → She asked if I liked music. I replied in the negative/that I did not.
No + Statement: replied in the negative and said that.
Example: "No, I don't think so," he said → He replied in the negative and said that he didn't think so.
Yes/No (Emphasis): Use promised or denied.
Example: "Yes, sir, I shall go." → He promised that he would go.
Sir: Replaced by respectfully/politely.
Example: "May I come in, sir?" → The man respectfully asked if he might go in.
True Addressing (Vocative Case): Name becomes reporting verb's object.
Example: "Rajib, why are you making noise?" → The teacher asked Rajib why he was making a noise.
False Addressing (Sir/friend/mum): Use Addressing as phrase.
Example: "Are you hungry, my friends?" said the leader → Addressing as his friends, the leader asked if they were hungry.
Shall I/we (Offer): Use offered to.
Example: "Shall I bring you some tea?" → He offered to bring me some tea.
Thank you: Subject + thanked + Object.
Example: He said to me, "Thank you." → He thanked me.
Greetings: Subject + wished + Object + greeting.
Example: I said, "Good morning" → I wished him good morning.
Farewells: Subject + bade + Object + farewell.
Example: "Good bye my friends," → The leader bade his friends good-bye.
Why as Reply to Question: Speaker + wanted to know the reason.
Example: "When will you come?" "At 9 am. Why?" → Mother asked when he'd come. The son replied and wanted to know the reason.
well/you see/you know: Left out.
Example: "Well Rony, I shall reward you," → The teacher said to Rony that he would reward him.
Oh I see/Look: Replaced by expressing surprise/drawing attention.
Example: "Oh I see. He is the Director," → Expressing surprise, Shahid told that he was the Director.
yes/no/alright/ok (Assertive/Imperative): Replaced by agreed/disagreed/declined.
Example: "Alright sir," the employee said → The employee agreed and respectfully added.
Imperative with or: Second part → and added if + subject + did not do so + would/could/might + verb.
Example: "Read attentively or you will fail," → The teacher advised to read attentively and added if he did not do so he would fail.
Partial Sentences/Phrases: Convert to complete sentences.
Example: "How are you?" "Well," said the girl → The teacher asked how she was. The girl replied that she was well.
Oaths (By Allah/God/Lord/Jove/my life): Use Swearing by....
Example: "By Allah," he replied, "I will not leave this place" → Swearing by Allah, he replied that he would not leave that place.
Outside Inverted Commas: Usually unchanged; Present participle phrase moves to Indirect sentence beginning.
Example: "Are you brothers?" asked the mistress, turning to the boys → Turning to the boys, the mistress asked if they were brothers.
Assertive Sentence with ?: Start with Being surprised; follow interrogative rules.
Example: "You have remembered how she looked all these years?" → Being surprised, Luna asked if I had remembered how she had looked all those years.
Reason in Second Sentence: Use since/as/because as linker.
Example: "I will not attend. I am ill," he said → He said that he would not attend the meeting as he was ill.
You ought to/should/had better/if I were you: Left out; advised used.
Example: "You had better hurry, Jony," → She advised Jony to hurry.
Sorry/I am sorry: Replaced by apologized.
Example: "Sorry, sir, I will not be late again," → The student apologized and said that he would not be late again.
Sorry to disturb you/excuse me: Replaced by seeking an excuse.
Example: "Excuse me, how can I find this address?" → Seeking an excuse, the man asked how he could find that address.
Pronoun Start, Noun End: Noun subject replaced by pronoun.
Example: "My sons, listen." "We are listening." "I am going to die," said the old man → The old man told his sons to listen. His sons replied that they were listening. The old man said that he was going to die.
Tag Questions: Statement part follows interrogative rules; tag part → and assumed that + subject + verb.
Example: "I'm me without my hair, ain't I?" → Della asked Jim if she was her without her hair and assumed that she was.
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