NARRATION

Arup Roy, lecturer in English Language & Literature, Kanchkura University College

Narration is of two types: direct and indirect. We use direct narration to quote actual words. In the indirect or reported speech, we report what someone said without quoting exact words. Look at the following example:

ü Rohit says, “I play cricket.” ("Rohit" = speaker; "says" = Reporting verb; “I am very busy" = Direct speech)

ü Rohit says that he plays cricket. ("Rohit" = Reporter; "said" = Reporting verb, "that" = Linker, "He plays cricket" = Reported speech)

The speech within Quotation marks or Inverted commas in writing is called direct speech and the verb by which it is expressed is known as reporting verb.

Some important features of direct speech

a. Direct speech are seen within quotation marks to mark off the exact words of the speaker.

b. We use a comma after reporting verb in dialogues.
c. Reporting verb and comma are not necessary for dialogue.

d. The first letter of a Direct Speech must be a capital letter.

While changing direct speech into indirect one, certain grammatical changes are noticed.

a. That as a linker is used before the reported speech

Note: in spoken English, this linker is often omitted.

b. Pronouns are changed according to sense.

c. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the following rules should be followed.

DIRECT	INDIRECT
Present indefinite	past indefinite
Present continuous	Past continuous
Present perfect	Past perfect
Present perfect continuous	Past perfect continuous
Past indefinite	Past perfect
Past continuous	Past perfect continuous
Past perfect	Past perfect
Past perfect continuous	Past perfect continuous

The following chart deals with necessary changes in words.

Direct Indirect Direct Indirect

This That The day before yesterday Two days before

These Those Hence Thence

Tonight That Night Now Then

Must Had to / Must

(factual Truth)

May Might Thus So/that way

Can Could Ago Before

Shall Should /

Would Here There

Will Would Today That day / Yesterday

Come Go Tomorrow The next day

Next Week/year The following The day before yesterday Two days before

Week/year

Last Week/year The previous Previous night

Week/year Last Night

Examples:

ü Karim said to Rahin, “I will do the work.”

Karim asked Rahim that he (K) would do the work.

ü Rohan said, “I went to the gym last night.”

Rohan said that he had gone to the gym the night before.

ü Tamim said, “I went to the gym 2 years before.”

Tamim said that he had gone to the gym 2 years before.

ü My parents said to me, “You must obey your teacher.”

My parents told me that I must obey my teacher. (There is no change of the verb because it is a factual truth.

Assertive Sentence

In the case of Habitual truth/Factual Truth/Natural Truth/ Universal truth/Scientific Truth, no change is made in the reported speech but the person is changed only.

Rule 1:

ü My teacher said to me, “The sun rises in the east.”

My teacher told me that Sun rises in the east. (Universal Truth)

ü My teacher said to me, “God is merciful.”

The teacher told me that God is merciful. (Universal Truth.)

ü My teacher said, “Iron rusts.”

My teacher told that iron rust (scientific truth)

ü Jamal said, “It is cold in the winter.”

Jamal said that is cold in the winter. (Natural Truth)

ü The teacher said, “Physical exercise is good for health.”

The teacher said that physical exercise is good for health. (Habitual Truth)

ü Karim said, “Jamal is my brother.”

Karim said that Jamal is his brother.

Rule 2: If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense or Future Tense, the tense of the reported speech does not undergo any change.

ü Karim says or will say, “I play cricket.”

Karim says or will say that he plays cricket.

ü Rahim has said to me, “I have completed my writing.” (First Person)

Rahim told me that he had completed his writing. (Here we have changed the person only.)

ü He said to me, “You are tired.” (Second Person)

He told me that I was tired.

Note: ‘First Person’ in the reported speech indicates the ‘subject’ of the Reporting verb and the ‘Second Person’ in the Reported Speech indicates the ‘Object’ of the Reporting verb.

Rule 3: Sometimes, the introductory portion of the Reported Speech may remain absent. In this situation, we should get the possible speaker.

ü “I shall finish my job.”

He says or will say that he will do his duty.

Note: We do not see reporting verb more than once.

Note: Subjective Case is converted into subjective case, Possessive Case into possessive case and objective case into Objective One.

Rule 4: Sometimes, we see reporting verb after the reported speech.

ü “I have made another century.”—Said Kohli.

Kohli said that he had made another century.

Note: When we transform direct speech of interrogative, imperative, optative or exclamatory, into indirect speech, it always becomes an assertive sentence.

Rule 5: ‘Yes’ in direct speech becomes replied in affirmative. ‘No’ in direct speech becomes replied in negative. ‘Please’ becomes replied kindly. ‘Sir’ / ‘Madam’ becomes replied respectfully or replied with respect.

ü He said to me, “I am sorry, Sir.”

He told me politely that he was sorry.

ü “Yes, sir,” He replied. I have done my duty.”

He respectfully replied in affirmative that he had done his duty.

ü He said to the teacher, Please, explain the matter again, sir.”

He requested the teacher politely to explain the matter again.

Rule 6: When there are two or more than two Past Tenses in the direct speech, they do not undergo any change but we only change the person.

ü Rohan said, “I got up early, prepared my homework, and had my breakfast.”

Rohan said that he got up early, prepared his homework, and had his breakfast.”

Rule 7: Sometimes it is seen that some students change ‘it’ into ‘that’ but that is wrong. It remains unchanged in indirect speech.

ü He said to me, I saw it yesterday.”

He told me that he had seen it the previous day.

Rule 8: Changing the tag question

ü Karim said to Rahim, “You are writing a novel, aren’t you?

Karim asked Rahim whether it was true that he (R) was writing a novel.

Rule 9: Third-person pronoun does not undergo any change.

ü She said, “She is happy.”

She said that she was happy.

Rule 10: So is turned into that is why, But is turned into with dissatisfaction.

ü Karim said to Rahim, “I am sick. So, I shall not go to college.”

Karim told Rahim that he (K) was sick and that is why he (K) would not go to college.

ü Jamal said, “I want to write another book.” “But you are not a good writer,” said Kamal.

Jamal told Kamal that he wanted to write another book. With dissatisfaction, Kamal told him that he (Jamal) was not a good writer.

Rule 11: When an assertive sentence is in a question mark, we use “Being surprised’ with the reporting verb and follow the rules of an interrogative sentence.

ü Rohan said to Rohit, “You have made another century?”

Being surprised Rohan asked Rohit if he had made another century.

Rule 12. Omit Well used within inverted comma.

ü Rohit said, “Well Kholi, I will follow you.”

ü Rohit told Kohli that he would follow him.

Note: Nominative case of address becomes the ‘Object’ of the Reporting Verb in the indirect speech.

Unreal Past Tense

13. Unreal Past Tense is represented by ‘wish’, ‘would rather / sooner’, had better’, used to’, ‘ought to’, ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘might’, ‘must not, ‘need not’ and ‘it is time’. We do not change tense after the unreal past marking words. But we have to change a person.

ü The students said, “We Wish we did well in the exam.”

The students said they wished they did well in the exam.

ü Kholi said, “It is time we worked hard.”

Kholi said that it was time that they worked hard.

ü Karim said, “I ought to study regularly.”

Karim said that he ought to study regularly.

ü Kholi explained, “I know how to score because I used to practice regularly.”

Kholi explained that he knew how to score because he used to practice regularly.

ü Mother said to her son, “You had better go home.”

The mother told her son that he had better go home.

ü Karim said, “You need not spend money.”

Karim said that I need not spend money.

ü Rohn said to Rohit, “I used to go to the gym at 5 am.

ü Rohan told Rohit that he used to go to the gym at 5 am.

14. If there is uncertainty as to the particular person to whom the pronoun in the indirect speech refers, the name of the person should be mentioned in the brackets.

ü He said to Karim, “You are wrong.”

He told Karim that he (Karim) was wrong.

Important note:

While changing Direct Speech into Indirect One, we should remember the following rules:

a. We should identify the tense in the Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb.

b. Then identify the sentence in the Reported Speech.

c. We must change the person in the reported speech.

d. We have to change Time / Place Adverbs in the Reported Speech.

2. Interrogative Sentence

Rule 1: In an indirect sentence, ask(ed), want(ed) to know, enquire(ed) replace ‘said’ / ‘said to’ of direct speech and we never change the Interrogative Pronouns / the Interrogative Adjectives / the Interrogative Adverbs for transformation.

The Interrogative Pronouns / the Interrogative Adjectives / the Interrogative Adverbs are who, when, how, which, where, what, whom, and whose.

ü Karim said to Rahim, “How are you?”

Karim asked Rahim how he was.

ü “Where will you go tomorrow?”, he said to me.

He asked me where I would go the following day.

Rule 2: When an interrogative sentence begins with just an auxiliary verb rather than the Interrogative Pronouns / the Interrogative Adjectives / the Interrogative Adverbs, we use if or whether.

ü My friend said to me, “Have you finished your homework?”

My friend asked me if I had finished my homework.

Note: If is less formal than whether. We can use both of them but whether is preferable when there is a matter of choice.

Rule 3: When we come across the present participle phrase after reporting verb, it will come in front of the reporting verb in doing the indirect speech.

ü “Are you happy”, she asked staring at me.

Staring at me she asked if I was happy.

3. Imperative Sentence

In imperative narration we replace ‘said’ or ‘said to’ by tell, beg, implore encourage, forbid, recommend, remind, urge, warn, ask, told, etc.

Rule 1: We use the infinitive (to + base form of a verb)

ü Rohan said to Rohit, “Open the door.”

Rohan told Rohit to open the door.

ü The student said to the teacher, “Check my copy, sir.”

The student respectfully requested her teacher to check his copy.

Rule 2: If the Reported Speech starts with ‘Do not’ or ‘Never’, we use ‘not to + verb’ in the Indirect Speech at the time of leaving out comma quotation.

ü The mother said to her son, “Do not run in the sun.”

The mother advised her son not to run in the sun.

]Or] Mother forbade her son to run in the sun.

ü The Priest said to the boy, “Never tell a lie.”

The priest told the boy not to tell a lie.

Rule 3: Modal verbs such as must could and would normally remain unchanged in the Indirect Speech. You should keep in mind that some sentences with would and could are interrogative in form but imperative in nature.

ü Rohan said to Rohit, “You must do it.”

Rohan told Rohit that he must do it.

ü Karim said to Rahim, “Would you help me to do my homework?”

ü Karim requested Rahim to him to do his homework.

Rule 4: In the case of nominative case of address, the name will be considered as an object of reporting verb.

ü Karim said, “Rahim, don’t do this.”

ü Karim advised Rahim not to do this.

Rule 5: In case of calling in the name of relations

ü The student said, “Sir, please explain the matter again.” (addressing as a brother, sister, friend, sir)

Addressing as sir the student requested kindly to explain the matter.

Rule 6: By Allah, by God, by love, by my Jove, by my life is replaced by swearing by Allah, God, Jove, love, life,

ü James said, “By God, I will help you.”

Swearing by God, He told that he would help him.

Rule 7: Imperative sentence with a tag question.

ü Salman said to Jamal, “Finish the work, will you? (We have to omit tag questions and follow the rules of an imperative sentence.

Salman requested Jamal to finish the work.

Rule 8: If let denotes a proposal, reporting verb should be turned into ‘propose’ or suggest’, and ‘let’ will be replaced by ‘should’.

ü Karim said, “Let us go for a walk.”

Karim proposed that we should go for a walk.

Rule 9: If let does not express a proposal, we do not change reporting verb. Let is only replaced by ‘may’ or ‘might’ or might be allowed or any other verb as per the relevant meaning.

ü Rohan said, “Let me do the work.”

Rohan wished that he might (might be allowed) do the work.

Rule 10: It is better to use tell for us to use in the Indirect Speech if there is any doubt about the proper word to introduce the Reported Speech.

ü Karim said to me angrily, “do it.”

Karim told me angrily to do it.

4. Optative Sentence

In an optative sentence, we use ‘wish’ or ‘pray’ in the place of ‘said to’ or ‘said’.

ü The old man said, “May you live long.”

The old man wished that I might live long.

ü Father said to his son, “God bless you.”

Father prayed for his son that God might bless him.

ü Karim said, “Would that I were here.”

Karim wished that he had been there.

ü They said, “O that! We had won the match.”

They wished that they had won the match.

Note: Notice that we are to remove “O that” and “Would that” in the indirect speech.

5. Exclamatory Sentence

In an exclamatory sentence, we use hurrah - exclaim with joy, Alas - exclaim with sorrow, fie - exclaim with shame, wow - exclaim with wonder/surprise, cry out, wish, or pray in the place of ‘said’ / ‘said to’.

ü The boy said, “How beautiful the scenery is!”

The boy exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.

ü Karim said, “Good-bye, my friends!”

Karim bade his friends goodbye.

Rohit said, “By God! I have not done anything wrong.”

Rohit sore by God that he had done nothing wrong

ü My friend said to me, “Thanks! / Congratulations!”

My friend thanked/congratulated me.

ü My friend said, “Help! Help!” – The girl cried out for help.

Rules of Changing Passage Narration

Rule-01:

We should read the passage narration thoroughly from beginning to end to understand the speakers and their speeches. We have to differentiate each speech and its speaker. We may not get the name of the speaker in each speech. But observing the context of speeches, we have to spot that.

Example and explanation

You have lost my new bag today. Why have you gone outside leaving it then?”, asked the Master. “I went outside for drinking a glass of water sir, said the servant. “But you could go after my coming. Now pay for the bag.” “Yes, I am guilty of my carelessness but now I have no money”, replied the servant.

In this passage, notice the sentences “But you could go after my coming. Now pay for the bag.” And you will get that there is no speaker mentioned after the speeches. Bur because of context, we get that it is the speeches of the master.

Rule 02:

We have to write the name of the speaker and listener of each speech during change. In question, you may not get the name with each sentence and you may get the name of each sentence and you may get the name of the speaker at first or last. But during the changing into indirect, you have to put the name of the speaker and listener at first.

Example and explanation:

Direct: “I have called you today. Were you so much busy?”, he said. “I was busy with some official works”, said I.

Indirect: He told me that he had called me that day. He asked me if I was so much busy. I replied that I had been busy with some official works.

So, you have noticed that I have mentioned the name of speaker and listener before each sentence and though it is not mentioned before each speech indirect passage. Yes, you have to put the part reporting verb before each speech in the passage.

Rule-3: You will mention the name of both speaker and listener for the first time. Next, you have to address them by pronoun words such as: “he, she and they,”. If the pronouns of the two persons become the same, you will mark the pronoun words with the first alphabet in a bracket after it such as: “He (m) / He (s)”. But if there is the name mentioned after any speech, you will also mention the name again.

Example and Explanation

Direct: “You have lost my new bag today. Why have you gone outside leaving it then? ask the master. “I went outside for drinking a glass of water sir”, said the servant.

Rule – 4: Reporting verb may be placed in the middle or at the end of the sentence. But while converting it into indirect you have to put it after the subject at starting of the sentence.

§ “What are you thinking?”, said the teacher. “I am thinking about the story.”, said the student.

The teacher asked the student what he was thinking. The student replied that he was thinking about the story.

Rule –5: If reported speech has only “yes”, we use the subject + replied in the affirmative, or subject + auxiliary verb is used. If reported speech has other speech after “yes”, then we use the subject + replied in the affirmative and said that.

§ I said to him, “Have you finished reading this book?” “Yes. I have also finished another one.”

I asked him if he had finished reading that book. He replied in affirmative. Or, he said that he had. And he said that he had done another one.

Rule –6: When reported speech has only “no”, then we use the subject + replied in the negative or subject + auxiliary verb + no is used.

§ I said to him, “Have you finished reading this book?” “No. I’ll finish it by tomorrow .”

I asked him if he had finished reading that book. He replied in the negative. [Or] he said that he had not. And he said that he would finish it by the following day.

Rule –7: When direct speech has sir, the indirect speech will use respectfully/politely/ with respect instead of “Sir”.

§ The boy said to the man, “Sir, will you show me the path of success?”

The boy asked the man respectfully/politely/ with respect if he would show him the path of success.

Rule –8: When someone is addressed indirect speech, the indirect speech will use ‘addressing as’.

§ “Are you studying seriously, John?” said Alex.

Addressing as John, Alex asked if he was studying seriously.

Rule – 9: If there is a note of interrogation after an assertive sentence, the indirect speech will use “being surprised” before the reporting verb.

§ Jamal said to Kamal, “You made it?”

Being surprised he (J) asked him (K) if he had done it.

Rule—10: If reported speech has “Thank”, we use reported verb’ subject + thanked + reported verb’s object.

§ Jamal said to Kamal, “Thank you.”

Jamal thanked Kamal.

Rule –11: When reported speech has “Goodbye”, we use the reported verb’s subject + bade + reported verb’s object + goodbye

§ Rohan said to Rohit, “Goodbye.”

Rohan bade Rohit goodbye.

Rule-12. If reported speech has a good night/good morning/good evening, the indirect speech will use reported verb’s subject + wished + reported verb’s object + good night/good morning/good evening.

§ Jamal said to Kamal, “Good evening.”

Jamal wished Kamal a good evening.

Rule-13. Sometimes, reported speech may not be a complete sentence, in those cases, we have to follow the speaker’s speech in an indirect speech to find the complete meaning.

§ “Two hundred taka”, the salesman said to me.

The salesman told me that it had been two hundred takas.

Rule-14. Sometimes reported speech does not mention the speaker and the listener, in these cases you have to mention the speaker and the listener while converting it into indirect speech.

§ “What are you doing now?” “I am writing a book.”

The speaker asked the listener what he was doing then. The listener replied that s/he was writing an article.

Rule-15. When reported speech has asked/cried/replied/muttered, reporting verb remains same in indirect speech.

§ “Help me”, he cried

He cried to help him.

TRANSFORMATION OF STRUCTURAL SENTENCE: PART ONE

TRANSFORMATION OF STRUCTURAL SENTENCE: PART TWO

ENGLISH GUIDELINE

SENTENCE CONNECTORS

ARTICLE: A, AN & THE (H.S.C.)

PUNCTUATION

PHRASE

Pronoun Reference