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English Grammar · Chapter 13 · Narration

Narration — Direct & Indirect Speech

Direct speech quotes the exact words in inverted commas — He said, "I am busy." Indirect (reported) speech reports them without quoting — He said that he was busy. Converting between them follows a fixed set of changes: the reporting verb, the tense (backshift), the pronouns, and the words of time and place. Then each sentence type — statement, question, command, exclamation — has its own pattern. This chapter builds all of it.प्रत्यक्ष कथन उद्धरण चिह्नों में सटीक शब्द देता है — He said, "I am busy." अप्रत्यक्ष कथन बिना उद्धरण के बताता है — He said that he was busy। इनके बीच बदलाव निश्चित परिवर्तनों से होता है: कथन-क्रिया, काल (पीछे खिसकना), सर्वनाम, और समय व स्थान के शब्द। फिर हर वाक्य-प्रकार — कथन, प्रश्न, आदेश, विस्मय — का अपना पैटर्न है। यह अध्याय सब बनाता है।
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Topic 01

Reporting Verb & Tense Change

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The reporting verb ("said", "said to") introduces the speech. In indirect speech, "said to" becomes told; "said" (with no listener) stays "said". When the reporting verb is in the past, the reported verb shifts one step back in time (present → past, will → would, can → could, may → might, must → had to). If the reporting verb is in the present/future, or the statement is a universal truth, the tense does not change.कथन-क्रिया ("said", "said to") कथन का परिचय देती है। अप्रत्यक्ष में "said to" बनता है told; "said" (बिना श्रोता) "said" रहता है। जब कथन-क्रिया भूत में हो, तो कथित क्रिया एक कदम पीछे खिसकती है (present → past, will → would, can → could, may → might, must → had to)। यदि कथन-क्रिया वर्तमान/भविष्य में हो, या कथन सार्वभौमिक सत्य हो, तो काल नहीं बदलता।

DirectIndirect
write / is writingwrote / was writing
has written / wrotehad written
will / shallwould / should
can · may · mustcould · might · had to
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

In indirect speech, an assertive-sentence "said to" becomes:अप्रत्यक्ष में, कथन-वाक्य का "said to" बनता है:

  1. told
  2. exclaimed
  3. asked
  4. ordered
A. For a statement, "said to" → "told".A. कथन के लिए "said to" → "told"।

On backshift, "is writing" becomes:पीछे खिसकने पर "is writing" बनता है:

  1. writes
  2. had written
  3. has written
  4. was writing
D. Present continuous → past continuous "was writing".D. present continuous → past continuous "was writing"।

On backshift, "will" becomes:पीछे खिसकने पर "will" बनता है:

  1. shall
  2. can
  3. would
  4. will
C. will → would.C. will → would।

"He says, 'Ram is hungry.'" → indirect:"He says, 'Ram is hungry.'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. He said that Ram was hungry.
  2. He says that Ram was hungry.
  3. He says that Ram is hungry.
  4. He says that Ram had been hungry.
C. Reporting verb is present ("says") → no tense change.C. कथन-क्रिया वर्तमान ("says") → काल नहीं बदलता।
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Topic 02

Pronoun, Time & Place Changes

Pronouns change to match the reporter: the first person follows the subject of the reporting verb, the second person follows its object, and the third person stays the same (the SON rule). Words of nearness shift to distance:सर्वनाम बताने वाले के अनुसार बदलते हैं: प्रथम पुरुष कथन-क्रिया के कर्ता के अनुसार, द्वितीय पुरुष उसके कर्म के अनुसार, तृतीय पुरुष वही रहता है। निकटता के शब्द दूरी में बदलते हैं:

DirectIndirectDirectIndirect
nowthentodaythat day
tomorrowthe next dayyesterdaythe day before
this / thesethat / thoseherethere
agobeforetonightthat night
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

In indirect speech, "now" becomes:अप्रत्यक्ष में "now" बनता है:

  1. then
  2. that day
  3. here
  4. today
A. now → then.A. now → then।

In indirect speech, "tomorrow" becomes:अप्रत्यक्ष में "tomorrow" बनता है:

  1. then
  2. the next day
  3. the day before
  4. that day
B. tomorrow → the next day.B. tomorrow → the next day।

In indirect speech, "this" becomes:अप्रत्यक्ष में "this" बनता है:

  1. here
  2. that
  3. these
  4. those
B. this → that.B. this → that।

"The teacher said to me, 'You have not done your work.'" → indirect:"The teacher said to me, 'You have not done your work.'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. The teacher said me that I have not done my work.
  2. The teacher told me that I have not done my work.
  3. The teacher told me that you had not done your work.
  4. The teacher told me that I had not done my work.
D. "You" (object = me) → "I"; present perfect → past perfect.D. "You" (कर्म = me) → "I"; present perfect → past perfect।
Topic 03

Statements & Questions

  • Statement (assertive): use the conjunction that; "say to" → "tell". "He said, 'I am glad.'" → "He said that he was glad."कथन (assertive): conjunction that; "say to" → "tell"। "He said that he was glad."
  • Question (interrogative): reporting verb → asked; if it begins with a helping verb use if/whether, else keep the wh-word; drop do/does/did; use statement word order and no question mark.प्रश्न (interrogative): कथन-क्रिया → asked; helping verb से शुरू हो तो if/whether, वरना wh-शब्द रखें; do/does/did हटाएँ; कथन शब्द-क्रम और प्रश्नचिह्न नहीं।
Examples. "Where are you going?" → asked where I was going. · "Do you like mangoes?" → asked if I liked mangoes.
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

In an assertive sentence, the reported speech is joined with:कथन-वाक्य में कथित भाग किससे जुड़ता है:

  1. to
  2. that
  3. whether
  4. if
B. Statements use the conjunction "that".B. कथन "that" से जुड़ते हैं।

A yes/no question (starting with a helping verb) is reported with:yes/no प्रश्न (helping verb से शुरू) किससे रिपोर्ट होता है:

  1. the wh-word
  2. that
  3. if / whether
  4. to
C. Use "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions.C. yes/no प्रश्न के लिए "if" या "whether"।

"He said to me, 'Where are you going?'" → indirect:"He said to me, 'Where are you going?'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. He told me where I was going.
  2. He asked me where I was going.
  3. He asked me where was I going.
  4. He asked me where I am going.
B. Keep the wh-word, use statement order, backshift the verb.B. wh-शब्द रखें, कथन-क्रम, क्रिया पीछे खिसके।

"She said to him, 'Do you like tea?'" → indirect:"She said to him, 'Do you like tea?'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. She asked him if he liked tea.
  2. She asked him if he likes tea.
  3. She told him if he liked tea.
  4. She asked him does he like tea.
A. Drop "do", use "if", backshift → "if he liked tea".A. "do" हटाएँ, "if" लें, क्रिया पीछे → "if he liked tea"।
Topic 04

Commands, Exclamations & Wishes

  • Imperative — reporting verb → ordered / told / requested / advised; use to + verb (or not to for negatives); no "that". "Don't talk" → advised them not to talk.आदेशवाचक — क्रिया → ordered / told / requested / advised; to + verb (नकार के लिए not to); "that" नहीं। "Don't talk" → advised them not to talk
  • Exclamatory — change into a statement with "that"; drop Oh/Alas/How/What; add "very" if needed; reporting verb → exclaimed with joy / sorrow. "How beautiful she is!" → exclaimed with joy that she was very beautiful.विस्मयवाचक — "that" के साथ कथन बनाएँ; Oh/Alas/How/What हटाएँ; ज़रूरत हो तो "very" जोड़ें; क्रिया → exclaimed with joy / sorrow
  • Optative (wish/prayer) — reporting verb → prayed / wished that. "May you live long!" → prayed that he might live long.इच्छावाचक (कामना) — क्रिया → prayed / wished that। "May you live long!" → prayed that he might live long।
📝 Self-testस्वयं-परीक्षण 4 MCQs

"He said to her, 'Be careful.'" → indirect:"He said to her, 'Be careful.'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. He ordered her that she be careful.
  2. He said her to be careful.
  3. He told to her be careful.
  4. He ordered her to be careful.
D. An order → "ordered … to be careful".D. आदेश → "ordered … to be careful"।

"The teacher said, 'Do not make noise.'" → indirect:"The teacher said, 'Do not make noise.'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. The teacher ordered that not make noise.
  2. The teacher told them to not make noise.
  3. The teacher told them not to make noise.
  4. The teacher said them not to make noise.
C. Negative command → "not to make noise".C. नकारात्मक आदेश → "not to make noise"।

"She said, 'How beautiful the flower is!'" → indirect:"She said, 'How beautiful the flower is!'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. She asked how beautiful the flower was.
  2. She exclaimed that how beautiful the flower was.
  3. She said that the flower is very beautiful.
  4. She exclaimed with joy that the flower was very beautiful.
D. Exclamation of joy → "exclaimed with joy that … very beautiful".D. हर्ष का विस्मय → "exclaimed with joy that … very beautiful"।

"The old lady said, 'May you live long!'" → indirect:"The old lady said, 'May you live long!'" → अप्रत्यक्ष:

  1. The old lady prayed that he might live long.
  2. The old lady asked if he lived long.
  3. The old lady ordered him to live long.
  4. The old lady said that he may live long.
A. A wish → "prayed that … might live long".A. कामना → "prayed that … might live long"।

Test Yourself · Narration

12 questions on reporting verbs, backshift, word changes and all sentence types. Tap an option to check, then read Why.

कथन-क्रिया, काल-परिवर्तन, शब्द-परिवर्तन और सभी वाक्य-प्रकारों पर 12 प्रश्न। जाँचने के लिए विकल्प पर टैप करें, फिर Why पढ़ें।