Direct and Indirect Speech
Subject: English | Topic: Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)
For TLT, ECT, PST, JEST & All Competitive Exams
In our last topic, we learned how Active Voice and Passive Voice change the structure of a sentence. Now we look at Narration — how the exact words of a speaker are reported, either directly or indirectly. This topic combines tense change, pronoun change, and punctuation rules, making it a favorite for MCQs in TLT, ECT, PST, and JEST exams.
What is Narration?
Narration is the way we report what someone has said. There are two types of narration:
- Direct Speech: the exact words of the speaker are repeated, placed inside quotation marks. Example: She said, "I am reading a book."
- Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): the meaning of the speaker's words is reported without quotation marks, often with changes in tense, pronoun, and time expressions. Example: She said that she was reading a book.
Direct vs Indirect Speech
Basic Rules for Changing Direct to Indirect Speech
- Remove the quotation marks and use "that" (optional in informal speech) to join the two parts.
- Change the reporting verb if needed — "says/say" stays the same, but "says to/say to" changes to "tells/tell", and past tense "said to" changes to "told".
- Change the tense of the reported speech, usually one step back (Present → Past, Past → Past Perfect), unless the reporting verb is in the present or future tense.
- Change pronouns according to the subject and object of the sentence.
- Change time and place expressions (today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, here → there, etc.).
Tense Change Chart (Direct → Indirect)
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Present Indefinite | Past Indefinite |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Past Indefinite | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| will / shall | would / should |
| can / may | could / might |
Common Time and Place Word Changes
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Now | Then |
| Today | That day |
| Tomorrow | The next day |
| Yesterday | The day before / the previous day |
| Here | There |
| This | That |
Narration of Questions and Commands
When changing a question into indirect speech, the reporting verb "said/said to" changes to "asked", and the word order becomes like a statement (no question mark, no auxiliary at the start). Example: He said, "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.
When changing a command or request into indirect speech, the reporting verb changes to "ordered/requested/advised", and "to" is used before the verb. Example: He said, "Close the door." → He ordered me to close the door.
Why This Topic Matters
Narration questions combine tense, pronoun, and punctuation rules all in one — testing multiple grammar concepts at once. This makes it a high-value, frequently repeated topic in the English section of TLT, ECT, PST, and JEST exams.
Practice MCQs
1. Change into Indirect Speech: He said, "I am tired."
a) He said that he is tired b) He said that he was tired c) He said that he has been tired d) He said that he will be tired
2. Change into Indirect Speech: She said, "I will call you tomorrow."
a) She said that she would call me the next day b) She said that she will call me tomorrow c) She said that she called me the next day d) She said that she calls me tomorrow
3. Which reporting verb is used when reporting a question?
a) Told b) Said c) Asked d) Ordered
4. Change into Indirect Speech: He said, "Close the door."
a) He said to close the door b) He ordered me to close the door c) He asked if I would close the door d) He said that he closed the door
5. In indirect speech, "here" is usually changed to:
a) There b) Now c) Then d) This
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