Narration (Direct & Indirect Speech) – Quick Revision Notes
(Ideal for JKSSB Accounts Assistant (Finance) – General English)
1. What is Narration?
- Direct Speech – The exact words of the speaker are quoted inside quotation marks.
- Example: He said, “I am going to the market.”
- Indirect Speech (Reported Speech) – The speaker’s words are reported without quotation marks, often with changes in tense, pronouns, and adverbials.
- Example: He said that he was going to the market.
Key Point: The reporting verb (said, told, asked, etc.) governs the changes that follow.
2. General Rules for Changing Direct → Indirect Speech
| Element | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech (Change) | Remarks | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting Verb | said / says / will say | said / says / will say (usually unchanged) | If reporting verb is in present/future, tense of reported clause usually stays same. | ||||||
| Tense of Reported Clause | Present Simple | Past Simple | Shift one step back (present → past). | ||||||
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | ||||||||
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | ||||||||
| Past Simple | Past Perfect | ||||||||
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | ||||||||
| Future Simple (will) | Would / Should | ||||||||
| Future Continuous (will be) | Would be / Should be | ||||||||
| Future Perfect (will have) | Would have / Should have | ||||||||
| Modal Verbs | can → could | may → might | must → had to / must (if obligation) | Shall → should / would (depending on context) | |||||
| Pronouns | I / we → he/she/they (according to subject of reporting verb) | you → object of reporting verb or third person | |||||||
| Time & Place Words | now → then | today → that day | yesterday → the day before | tomorrow → the next/following day | last night → the previous night | next week → the following week | here → there | this → that | these → those |
| Interrogatives | Question mark removed; use if/whether for yes/no questions; wh‑words retain their form. | ||||||||
| Imperatives | Use to + base verb for affirmative; not to + base verb for negative. | Reporting verb changes to ordered, requested, advised, begged, etc. | |||||||
| Exclamatory | Remove exclamation mark; use exclaimed that + statement (often with how or what). |
Mnemonic for Tense Shift: “P.P.P.P.P.” – Present → Past, Present Continuous → Past Continuous, Present Perfect → Past Perfect, Past Simple → Past Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous.
3. Detailed Transformation Rules
3.1 Assertive (Statements)
- Direct: She said, “I have finished my work.”
- Indirect: She said that she had finished her work.
3.2 Interrogative (Questions)
| Type | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | He asked, “Are you coming?” | He asked if/whether I was coming. |
| Wh‑question | She asked, “Where do you live?” | She asked where I lived. |
| Alternative | He asked, “Do you want tea or coffee?” | He asked whether I wanted tea or coffee. |
Note: The question mark disappears; the reporting verb changes to asked, enquired, wondered etc.
3.3 Imperative (Commands/Requests)
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| “Please close the door,” she said. | She requested me to close the door. |
| “Don’t touch the wire,” the teacher warned. | The teacher warned me not to touch the wire. |
| “Sit down,” the coach ordered. | The coach ordered us to sit down. |
Mnemonic: “TO” for affirmative, “NOT TO” for negative (to + base verb).
3.4 Exclamatory
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| “What a beautiful scene!” he exclaimed. | He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful scene. |
| “How clever you are!” she said. | She exclaimed that I was very clever. |
Structure: exclaimed that + (adjective/adverb) + statement.
Use what → a/an + adjective + noun; how → adverb/adjective.
3.5 Statements with Reporting Verbs in Present/Future
If the reporting verb is present or future, the tense of the reported clause does not shift (unless the reported speech is a universal truth).
- Direct: He says, “I am tired.” → Indirect: He says that he is tired.
- Direct: She will say, “I have completed the task.” → Indirect: She will say that she has completed the task.
Exception: Universal truths, habitual facts, or scientific facts stay unchanged.
Direct: The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.” → Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
4. Special Cases & Exceptions
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Truth / Habitual Fact | No tense change | Direct: He said, “Water boils at 100°C.” → Indirect: He said that water boils at 100°C. |
| Reported Speech with Two Past Actions | Use Past Perfect for the earlier action | Direct: She said, “I had finished my work before he arrived.” → Indirect: She said that she had finished her work before he had arrived. |
| Reported Speech with Modal ‘must’ (obligation) | must → had to (past obligation) | Direct: He said, “I must leave now.” → Indirect: He said that he had to leave then. |
| Reported Speech with Modal ‘must’ (deduction) | must → must have (if deduction about past) | Direct: She said, “He must be at home.” → Indirect: She said that he must have been at home (if talking about past). |
| Reported Speech with ‘let’s’ (suggestion) | Use suggested that + should + base verb OR proposed + that + base verb | Direct: “Let’s go for a walk,” he said. → Indirect: He suggested that we should go for a walk. |
| Reported Speech with ‘let’ (permission) | Use allowed/permitted + object + to + base verb | Direct: “Let me help you,” she said. → Indirect: She offered to help me. |
| Reported Speech with ‘wish’ | Use wished that + past perfect (for regret) | Direct: “I wish I knew the answer,” he said. → Indirect: He wished that he had known the answer. |
5. Quick Reference Tables
5.1 Tense Change Chart
| Direct Tense | Indirect Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | Simple Past |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| Past Perfect | Past Perfect (no change) |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous (no change) |
| Simple Future (will) | Would / Should |
| Future Continuous (will be) | Would be / Should be |
| Future Perfect (will have) | Would have / Should have |
| Future Perfect Continuous (will have been) | Would have been / Should have been |
5.2 Modal Verb Change Chart
| Direct Modal | Indirect Modal |
|---|---|
| can | could |
| may | might |
| must (obligation) | had to |
| must (deduction) | must have |
| shall (offer) | should / would |
| shall (future) | should |
| will (future) | would |
| ought to | ought to (unchanged) |
| need to | needed to / didn’t need to (if negated) |
5.3 Time & Place Word Change Chart
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | the next/following day |
| last night | the previous night |
| next week | the following week |
| this morning | that morning |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| ago | before |
| thus | so |
6. Mnemonics to Remember Core Concepts
| Mnemonic | What It Helps Recall | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| T‑P‑P‑P‑P (Tense Shift) | Present → Past, etc. | When you see a reporting verb in past, move each tense one step back. |
| CAN‑MAY‑MUST → COULD‑MIGHT‑HAD TO | Modal changes | Memorize the triplet; for deduction use must have. |
| TO / NOT TO | Imperatives | Affirmative → to + verb; Negative → not to + verb. |
| WH‑WORDS STAY | Questions | Wh‑words (who, what, where, when, why, how) keep their form; only the verb changes. |
| IF / WHETHER | Yes/No Questions | Replace the quoted question with if or whether. |
| EXCLAIM → THAT + HOW/WHAT | Exclamatory | Use exclaimed that + how or what + adjective + noun. |
| LET’S → SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD | Suggestions | Direct “Let’s …” → suggested that + subject + should + base verb. |
| UNIVERSAL TRUTH → NO CHANGE | Facts | If the statement is a universal truth, habit, or scientific fact, keep tense same. |
7. Step‑by‑Step Procedure (Checklist)
- Identify the reporting verb (said, told, asked, etc.) and note its tense.
- Determine the sentence type (assertive, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory).
- Change the reporting verb if needed (e.g., said → asked for questions).
- Adjust pronouns according to the subject/object of the reporting verb.
- Shift tenses using the T‑P‑P‑P‑P rule (unless reporting verb is present/future or it’s a universal truth).
- Change modal verbs using the modal chart.
- Transform time & place words using the chart.
- Re‑arrange sentence structure:
- Assertive: that + statement.
- Yes/No: if/whether + statement.
- Wh‑: wh‑word + statement.
- Imperative: to / not to + base verb.
- Exclamatory: exclaimed that + how/what + adjective + noun.
- Add appropriate punctuation (remove quotation marks, add full stop).
- Read aloud to ensure meaning remains unchanged.
8. Practice Sentences (With Answers)
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech (Answer) |
|---|---|
| 1. “I am reading a novel,” said Rita. | Rita said that she was reading a novel. |
| 2. He asked, “Will you join the meeting tomorrow?” | He asked whether I would join the meeting the next day. |
| 3. The teacher said, “Do not waste time.” | The teacher advised us not to waste time. |
| 4. “What a wonderful performance!” the audience exclaimed. | The audience exclaimed that it was a wonderful performance. |
| 5. She said, “I have finished my assignment.” | She said that she had finished her assignment. |
| 6. “Let’s go for a picnic,” they suggested. | They suggested that we should go for a picnic. |
| 7. The guard said, “You must show your ID.” | The guard said that we had to show our ID. |
| 8. “Where did you put the keys?” my mother asked. | My mother asked where I had put the keys. |
| 9. He said, “The sun rises in the east.” | He said that the sun rises in the east (universal truth). |
| 10. “I wish I knew the answer,” sighed Sam. | Sam wished that he had known the answer. |
9. Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting to change pronouns (I → he/she) | Focus on tense only | After identifying the reporting verb’s subject, map pronouns accordingly. |
| Using “that” after questions | Confusing assertive with interrogative | Use if/whether for yes/no, wh‑word for wh‑questions; no that after them. |
| Keeping modal “must” unchanged for obligation | Assuming modals never change | Remember must (obligation) → had to; must (deduction) → must have. |
| Misplacing time words (now → now) | Overlooking shift table | Always check the time/place chart; if in doubt, replace with “then/that day”. |
| Adding extra “to” in imperatives | Over‑generalising the “to” rule | Only use to for affirmative imperatives; negative uses not to. |
| Not changing tense when reporting verb is past | Thinking present tense stays same | Apply T‑P‑P‑P‑P unless exception (universal truth, present/future reporting verb). |
| Using exclaimed without how/what | Thinking any exclamation can be reported directly | Exclamatory must be re‑phrased: exclaimed that + how/what + adjective + noun. |
10. Quick Revision Checklist (Before the Exam)
- [ ] Identify reporting verb & its tense.
- [ ] Note sentence type (statement, question, command, exclamation).
- [ ] Change reporting verb if needed (said → asked, ordered, etc.).
- [ ] Adjust pronouns (I/we/you → he/she/they).
- [ ] Apply tense shift (T‑P‑P‑P‑P) unless exception.
- [ ] Change modals using the chart.
- [ ] Convert time & place words.
- [ ] Re‑structure: that / if/whether / wh‑word / to / not to / exclaimed that.
- [ ] Remove quotation marks, add appropriate punctuation.
- [ ] Read the sentence to ensure meaning remains intact.
11. Final Thought
Mastering narration hinges on systematic application of a few core rules rather than rote memorisation. Use the tables and mnemonics as your “cheat sheet” while practicing; after 10–15 repetitions, the transformations become second nature. Keep this sheet handy during revision, and you’ll be able to tackle any direct‑indirect conversion question in the JKSSB General English section with confidence.
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Happy revising!
