Reported Speech , Indirect Speech , Narration

1. Dr. Rajiva Ranjan
1.rajivaranjan@gmail.com

2. Examine these two sentences:
• Sweta said, “I’ll buy this car tomorrow.”
• Sweta said she would buy that car the following day.
• The first sentence notes down the exact words of the
speaker. . This is called Direct Speech
• Whereas the second sentence changes a lot because the
reporter ( not the speaker) reports it from his own side.
This is called Indirect Speech or Reported Speech.
But in any case the meaning does not change.

3. Therefore,
• Words of the speaker may be quoted in two different ways:
1. Quoting exact words i.e., Direct Speech
Sweta said, “I’ll buy this car tomorrow.”
2. Quoting the words indirectly i.e., Indirect Speech or Reported speech.
Sweta said she would buy that car the following day.

4. Now, let’s find out changes in the two speeches i.e., Direct
Speech and Indirect speech:
• Sweta said, “I’ll buy this car tomorrow.”
• Sweta said she would buy that car the following day.
Broadly speaking there are two types of changes:
1.Punctuational changes (in red)
2.Structural changes (multicolour)

5. Punctuation changes:
• 1. Comma removed.
• 2. Inverted comma removed.
• 3. Capital letter `I’ changed into small letter `he’.

6. Structural changes:
• Shifts in Pronoun
• Tense harmony
• Change in modal auxiliary
• Shifts in demonstratives
• Change in adverbials of time and place

7. Shifts in Pronoun
• Pronouns of reported speech are changed so that their relation is
established with the reporter and his reader, rather than the original
speaker as indicated.
He said to me, "I don’t believe you”.
He said he didn’t believe me.
She said to him, "I don’t believe you.”
She said she didn’t believe him.
Swati said “I’ve a fever and my throat hurts.
Swati said she had a fever and her throat hurts.

8. Tense harmony
• Sweta said, “I’ll buy this car tomorrow.”
• Sweta said she would buy that car the following day.
Here the tense will changes into would.

9. Correspondingchange in tense from direct to indirect speech if the
reporting verb is in the past tense:
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
Simple Present Simple Past
Present Progressive Past Progressive
Simple Past Past Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Past Perfect Past Perfect
Past Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
Present Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
Past Perfect Progressive Past Perfect Progressive
Future Simple (will+verb) Conditional (would+verb)
Conditional (would+verb) Conditional (would+verb)

10. Exceptions in which there is no change in tense:
1. General Truths
Columbus said, “The earth is round.”
Columbus said that the earth is round.
3. If the situation described , still it holds a tense
Swati: I have a swimming pool.
Swati told me that she has a swimming pool.
3. Immediate Repetition
Swati: I have a headache ,too.
Rohit: What did you say?
Swati : I said I have a head ache, too.

11. FUTURE TENSE REPORTING VERB
• Shall is changed to should.
• Will is changed to would/should.

12. Present Tense ReportingVerb
He says, “He is unwell.”
He says he is unwell.
No change in tense.

13. Change in Modal Auxiliary
• Allen said, “I will buy this car tomorrow.”
Allen said that he would buy that car the following day.
Modal in Direct Quote Clause Modal in Reported speech clause
May Might(possibility)
Could(permission)
Can Could
Shall Would(future)
Should
Will Would
Must Had to
last month/year The previous month/year
The preceding month/year
The month/year before
two days/weeks ago Two days/weeks before/earlier

14. Changes in demonstratives:
• Sweta said, “I will buy this car tomorrow.”
Sweta said that she would buy that car the following day.
Demonstrative `this’ changes into `that’. It means things
which are near goes away ( proximate to remote).
This changes to That
These changes to Those
Here changes to There etc

15. Changes in word order in Exclamatory sentences:
1. Simply paraphrase the exclamatory sentence.
Tanisha : What a beautiful day it is!
Tanisha exclaimed that it is a beautiful day.
2.Or the speaker could preserve the direct speech words.
Vasundhara: What a beautiful day!
Vasundhara exclaimed what a beautiful day it is.

16. IMPERATIVES
Directly quoted imperatives are usually transformed
into infinitives in indirectly reported speech.
• Teacher: Sweta, stand up!
Stand up, Sweta!
The teacher told Johnny to stand up.
• Nikita: Stop by for some dessert and coffee
tonight.
Nikita invited us to stop by for some dessert and
coffee.

17. Yes-No Questions
• Inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject is important in yes-no questions.
Sushant `Is Palak going?’
Sushant asked if Palak was going.
If was added ,whether is also possible.
Sushant asked whether Palak was going.
a) Whether is more subtle.
Swati: Do you prefer Mexican or Greek food?
Swati asked whether I preferred Mexican or Greek food.
b) Only whether can be immediately followed by or not.
I wondered whether or not Helen was coming.

18. Wh - Questions
• Rajiva: What time is it?
Rajiva asked what time it was.
Changes made in Wh-Questions
1. ‘Say’ to ‘Ask’.
2. Don’t use conjunctions-that/if/whether instead
of `wh’ questions.
3. Rules for Tense Changes is fulfilled.