Direct and Indirect

Complete Direct & Indirect Narration Course

Master the art of converting direct speech to indirect speech with comprehensive rules, detailed examples, and practical exercises

9 In-Depth Modules

75+ Examples

50+ Exercises

Course Progress

Complete all modules to finish the course

Module 1: Introduction to Narration

Narration is the method of reporting the words of a speaker. There are two main types of narration:

Direct Speech: The exact words spoken by a person, enclosed in quotation marks.

Indirect Speech: Reporting what someone said without using their exact words, and without quotation marks.

Key Differences

Aspect	Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Quotation Marks	Always used	Never used
Reporting Verb	Said, says, etc.	Said, told, asked, etc.
Pronouns	Remain unchanged	Change according to context
Tenses	Remain unchanged	Often shift back in time
Time/Place	Now, here, today, etc.	Then, there, that day, etc.

Basic Structure

Type	Structure	Example
Direct Speech	Reporting Clause + "Exact Words"	He said, "I am going to school."
Indirect Speech	Reporting Clause + that + Reported Clause	He said that he was going to school.

Module 2: Basic Concepts

Understanding the fundamental rules and structure of narration conversion.

Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs are used to introduce the reported speech:

Said: Used when no object follows (He said that...)
Told: Used when an object follows (He told me that...)
Asked: Used for questions (She asked if...)
Ordered/Requested: Used for commands (He ordered me to...)

Sentence Structure Changes

Direct: "I love this book," she said.

Indirect: She said that she loved that book.

Direct: "We are playing football," they said.

Indirect: They said that they were playing football.

Punctuation Rules

Element	Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Quotation Marks	Required ("...")	Not used
Comma	After reporting verb	Not used
Capitalization	First word capitalized	First word not capitalized
Question Mark/Exclamation	Retained	Removed

Practice Exercise

Convert the following to indirect speech:

1. "I need your help," John said to me.

2. "The sun rises in the east," the teacher said.

1. John told me that he needed my help.

2. The teacher said that the sun rises in the east. (Universal truth - no tense change)

Module 3: Pronoun Changes

Pronouns change according to the perspective of the reporter in indirect speech.

Golden Rule: First person pronouns (I, we) in direct speech change according to the subject of the reporting verb. Second person pronouns (you) change according to the object of the reporting verb.

Pronoun Change Rules

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech	Condition
I, me, my, mine	he/she, him/her, his/her, his/hers	When speaker is someone else
we, us, our, ours	they, them, their, theirs	When speaker is someone else
you, your, yours	I/me, my/mine or he/she, his/her	Depending on context

Examples of Pronoun Changes

Easy

Direct: She said, "I like ice cream."

Indirect: She said that she liked ice cream.

Medium

Direct: John said to me, "You should help your friend."

Indirect: John told me that I should help my friend.

Hard

Direct: "We will complete our project tomorrow," they said to her.

Indirect: They told her that they would complete their project the next day.

Note: Third person pronouns (he, she, it, they) generally do not change in indirect speech.

Practice Exercise

Convert the following to indirect speech, paying attention to pronouns:

1. "I have finished my homework," Tom said.

2. "You should respect your elders," she told the children.

1. Tom said that he had finished his homework.

2. She told the children that they should respect their elders.

Module 4: Tense Changes

When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech usually changes.

Tense Change Rules

Direct Speech Tense	Indirect Speech Tense	Example
Present Simple	Past Simple	"I eat" → He said that he ate
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	"I am eating" → He said that he was eating
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	"I have eaten" → He said that he had eaten
Past Simple	Past Perfect	"I ate" → He said that he had eaten
Will	Would	"I will eat" → He said that he would eat
Can	Could	"I can eat" → He said that he could eat
May	Might	"I may eat" → He said that he might eat
Must	Had to	"I must eat" → He said that he had to eat

Exceptions to Tense Changes

Tenses do not change in the following cases:

Universal truths: "The teacher said, 'The earth revolves around the sun.'" → The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
Historical events: "He said, 'World War II ended in 1945.'" → He said that World War II ended in 1945.
When reporting verb is in present/future: "She says, 'I am happy.'" → She says that she is happy.
Habitual actions: "He said, 'I go for a walk every morning.'" → He said that he goes for a walk every morning.

Practice Exercise

Convert the following sentences to indirect speech:

1. She said, "I am reading a book."

2. They said, "We have finished our homework."

3. He said, "I will call you tomorrow."

4. "Water boils at 100°C," the scientist said.

1. She said that she was reading a book.

2. They said that they had finished their homework.

3. He said that he would call me the next day.

4. The scientist said that water boils at 100°C. (Universal truth)

Module 5: Time & Place Changes

Words indicating time and place often change in indirect speech to reflect the new context.

Direct: "I saw him here today," she said.

Indirect: She said that she had seen him there that day.

Time and Place Changes

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Now	Then
Today	That day
Yesterday	The day before / The previous day
Tomorrow	The next day / The following day
Last night	The night before / The previous night
Next week	The following week
Here	There
This	That
These	Those
Ago	Before

Exception: If the reporting happens at the same time and place, these words may not change.

Practice Exercise

Convert to indirect speech, changing time and place expressions:

1. "I will meet you here tomorrow," he said.

2. "We visited Paris last year," they said.

1. He said that he would meet me there the next day.

2. They said that they had visited Paris the year before.

Module 6: Questions

Converting questions to indirect speech requires special attention to structure and word order.

Yes/No Questions

Use 'if' or 'whether' to introduce reported yes/no questions:

Direct: She asked, "Are you coming?"

Indirect: She asked if I was coming.

Direct: He said, "Do you like coffee?"

Indirect: He asked whether I liked coffee.

Wh- Questions

Use the same question word to introduce reported wh- questions:

Direct: "Where do you live?" she asked.

Indirect: She asked where I lived.

Direct: "When will they arrive?" he inquired.

Indirect: He inquired when they would arrive.

Important Rules

The word order changes to subject + verb (no inversion)
Question marks are removed
Auxiliary verbs 'do', 'does', 'did' are omitted
Tense, pronoun, and time/place changes follow standard rules

Practice Exercise

Convert these questions to indirect speech:

1. "Have you finished your work?" the teacher asked.

2. "Why are you late?" the manager inquired.

3. "Will they attend the meeting?" she asked.

1. The teacher asked if I had finished my work.

2. The manager inquired why I was late.

3. She asked whether they would attend the meeting.

Module 7: Commands & Requests

Commands, requests, and advice in indirect speech use infinitives and different reporting verbs.

Commands

Use 'ordered', 'commanded', or 'told' + object + infinitive:

Direct: "Stand up!" the officer said to the soldiers.

Indirect: The officer ordered the soldiers to stand up.

Direct: "Don't move!" the policeman said.

Indirect: The policeman told us not to move.

Requests

Use 'requested', 'asked', or 'begged' + object + infinitive:

Direct: "Please help me," she said to him.

Indirect: She requested him to help her.

Direct: "Could you open the window?" he asked.

Indirect: He asked me to open the window.

Advice

Use 'advised', 'urged', or 'suggested' + object + infinitive:

Direct: "You should see a doctor," he said to me.

Indirect: He advised me to see a doctor.

Direct: "Don't waste your time," the teacher said.

Indirect: The teacher advised us not to waste our time.

Practice Exercise

Convert to indirect speech:

1. "Close the door," she said to the boy.

2. "Please don't smoke here," the attendant requested.

3. "You ought to apologize," he told me.

1. She told the boy to close the door.

2. The attendant requested us not to smoke there.

3. He advised me to apologize.

Module 8: Special Cases

Special cases require unique approaches in narration conversion.

Exclamatory Sentences

Rule: Replace exclamations with phrases like 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow' and convert the exclamation to a statement.

Direct: "What a beautiful painting!" she said.

Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.

Optative Sentences (Wishes/Prayers)

Rule: Use 'wished', 'prayed', or 'hoped' and convert the sentence.

Direct: He said, "May you live long!"

Indirect: He prayed that I might live long.

Universal Truths

Rule: Tenses do not change for universal truths.

Direct: The teacher said, "The earth revolves around the sun."

Indirect: The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.

Conditional Sentences

Rule: Second and third conditionals don't change tense.

Direct: She said, "If I were rich, I would travel."

Indirect: She said that if she were rich, she would travel.

Modal Verbs

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Can	Could
May	Might
Must	Had to
Should	Should (no change)
Would	Would (no change)
Could	Could (no change)

Practice Exercise

Convert these special cases:

1. "How clever you are!" she said.

2. "May God bless you," the priest said.

3. "Honesty is the best policy," my father said.

1. She exclaimed that I was very clever.

2. The priest prayed that God might bless me.

3. My father said that honesty is the best policy.

Module 9: Practice & Exercises

Test your knowledge with comprehensive exercises covering all aspects of narration.

Beginner Level

1. "I like ice cream," she said.

2. "We are going to the park," they said.

3. "He plays football," she said.

Intermediate Level

1. "I have been waiting for two hours," he said.

2. "What are you doing?" she asked.

3. "Please close the window," he said.

Advanced Level

1. "If I were you, I would accept the offer," he said.

2. "How beautiful the sunset is!" she exclaimed.

3. "You must finish this by tomorrow," the boss said.

Comprehensive Exercise

Convert the following paragraph to indirect speech:

John said, "I'm going to the market today. Mary asked me, 'Can you buy some fruits?' I told her, 'I will buy apples and bananas.' She then said, 'Don't forget to get milk too!'"

John said that he was going to the market that day. He added that Mary had asked him if he could buy some fruits. He told her that he would buy apples and bananas. He further said that she had then told him not to forget to get milk too.

Tip: Practice regularly with different types of sentences. Pay attention to pronouns, tenses, time expressions, and sentence structure when converting from direct to indirect speech.