Narration | Exam Fusion Prep

Narration / Speech — 2 Kinds

Direct Narration
Indirect Narration

Direct: Rahul says to me, "I want to be a singer."
Indirect: Rahul tells me that he wants to be a singer.

Direct: Tanu said to me, "I am in love with you."
Indirect: Tanu told me that she was in love with me.

Two Parts of Direct Narration

Rahul says to me, "I want to be a singer."

Reporting Verb

The part OUTSIDE the inverted commas.

Rahul says to me,

Reported Speech

The part INSIDE the inverted commas.

"I want to be a singer."

⚡ QUICK RECALL To convert Direct into Indirect, we first need to identify what KIND of sentence exists inside the Reported Speech — this determines which conversion rules apply.

The 5 Kinds of Sentences in English

1. Assertive Sentence

To give information

Affirmative: Sub+HV+MV+Obj (Sachin is playing cricket)
Negative: Sub+HV+not+MV+Obj (Sachin is not playing cricket)

2. Interrogative Sentence

To ask questions

Yes/No: HV+Sub+MV+Obj? (Are you hungry?)
Wh: Wh-word+HV+Sub+MV+Obj? (What do you want to eat?)

3. Imperative Sentence

To express Order, Advise, Request

Structure: V1, Do, Do not, Let
Stay quiet. / Let me go. / Do not go outside. / Please, don't make a noise.

4. Exclamatory Sentence

To express strong feelings, emotions, reactions

Structure: What/How, or Interjections (Hurrah! Wow! Alas!)
What a movie! / Alas! My team lost the match.

5. Optative Sentence

To express blessing, curse, wish

Structure: May+Sub+V1! or May+Sub+V1.
May God bless you! / May you do well in life!

Two Categories of Conversion Rules

General Rules

Applicable on EACH type of sentence.

Special Rules

Applicable on a PARTICULAR type of sentence.

General Rules — Overview

1. Change of Tenses
2. Change of Pronouns
3. Change of Words related to Time & Tense

1. Change of Tenses

If the reporting verb is in Present or Future tense, tenses DON'T change when converting Direct into Indirect

Direct: She says to me, "I like mangoes."
Indirect: She tells me that she likes mangoes.

⚠ EXAM TRAP If the reporting verb is in the Past tense, tenses DO get changed according to the backshift table below. This is the single most important branch point in narration.

Direct	Indirect
V1 + s/es	V2
Is/am/are + V1+ing	Was/were + V1+ing
Has/have + V3	Had + V3
Has/have + been + V1+ing	Had been + V1+ing
V2	Had + V3
Was/were + V1+ing	Had been + V1+ing
Had + V3	No change
Had been + V1+ing	No change
Can/shall/may/will	Could/should/might/would

2. Change of Pronouns

Reporting Verb's Subject → 1st person pronoun in reported speech
Reporting Verb's Object → 2nd person pronoun in reported speech
Everything else → No change (3rd person stays)

Person	Number	Subject	Object	Possessive Adj.	Possessive Pronoun
1st	Singular	I	Me	My	Mine
1st	Plural	We	Us	Our	Ours
2nd	Singular	You	You	Your	Yours
2nd	Plural	You	You	Your	Yours
3rd	Singular	He	Him	His	His
	Singular	She	Her	Her	Hers
	Singular	It	It	Its	—
	Plural	They	Them	Their	Theirs

Direct	Indirect
She said to me, "I have completed my task."	She told me that she had completed her task.
He said to me, "I have completed my task."	He told me that he had completed his task.
He said to her, "You have completed your task."	He told her that she had completed her task.
He said to them, "You have completed your task."	He told them that they had completed their task.
She said, "You have completed your task."	She said that I had completed my task.
He said to me, "He has completed his task."	He told me that he had completed his task.

⚠ EXAM TRAP Note — Hidden Object [I/He]: prefer 1st person. When the reporting verb has no explicit indirect object stated (just "She said, ...") and the reported speech has "you," treat the speaker's own perspective as reference and default the ambiguous "you" to 1st person.

3. Change of Words Related to Time & Tense

Direct	Indirect
Ago	before
Now	then
Today	that day
Tomorrow	the next day
Tonight	that night
Yesterday	the previous / last day
This / these	that / those
Here	there
Last night / week	the previous night / week
Next week	the following week
Thus	so
Hence	thence
Hither	thither

Special Rule 1: Assertive Sentence in Reported Speech

Direct	Indirect
said / say / says	said / say / says
said to / say to / says to	told / tell / tells
"......"	that
Rest of the things change according to General Rules

⚡ QUICK RECALL "Said" without "to" stays "said" in indirect too; "said to" (with an object/listener) becomes "told" — this distinction is the single most tested conversion in narration.

Direct	Indirect
He said to her, "I do not want to play now."	He told her that he did not want to play then.
She said, "Kids are sleeping now."	She said that kids were sleeping then.
I said to my brother, "I have bought a bicycle for you."	I told my brother that I had bought a bicycle for him.
She said to him, "I have been looking for you for an hour."	She told him that she had been looking for him for an hour.
Piyush said, "He completed his Ph.D. a year ago."	Piyush said that he had completed his Ph.D. a year before.
She said to Rohan, "My friend was looking for you last week."	She told Rohan that her friend had been looking for him the previous week.
She said to me, "I shall visit you next week."	She told me that she would visit me the following week.
He said, "I can decode this riddle."	He said that he could decode that riddle.

Point 1 — Universal Truth

When there is a "Universal Truth" in the reported speech, tenses WON'T change.

Direct: He said, "The Sun rises in the east." → Indirect: He said that the sun rises in the east.
Direct: She said, "Humans are mortal." → Indirect: She said that humans are mortal.

Point 2 — Hypothetical / Unreal Fact

When there is a "Hypothetical / Unreal fact" in the reported speech, tenses WON'T change.

Direct: He said, "If I were a politician, I would eliminate corruption."
Indirect: He said that if he were a politician, he would eliminate corruption.

Point 3 — Modal Words That Don't Backshift

When "Had+V3, Had+to+V1, Would, Could, Should, Must, Might, Ought to" appear in the reported speech, tenses WON'T change.

Direct: She said to me, "You must pass the examination."
Indirect: She told me that I must pass the examination.

Point 4 — Vocative Address (Name Called Out)

Direct: She said, "Avi, I am impressed with you."
Indirect: She told Avi that she was impressed with him.

⚡ QUICK RECALL When a name is called out inside the reported speech ("Avi, I am..."), that name becomes the object of "told" in the indirect version — "said" converts to "told [name]" instead of "told me/him."

Point 5 — Greeting Combined with Statement

Direct: Kavan said to me, "Good morning, I am happy to see you."
Indirect: Kavan wished me good morning and said that he was happy to see me.

⚡ QUICK RECALL A greeting ("Good morning," "Good night," etc.) combined with a statement splits into two parts in indirect speech: "wished [object] [greeting] and said that..." — the greeting itself is never put inside a "that" clause.

Special Rule 2: Interrogative Sentence in Reported Speech

Direct	Indirect
said / say / says	asked / ask / asks
said to / say to / says to	asked / ask / asks
"......"	If/whether (for Yes/No) OR wh-word (for Wh-questions)
Interrogative structure (H.V.+Sub+M.V.+Obj)	Assertive structure (Sub+H.V.+M.V.+Obj)
Rest of the things change according to General Rules

⚠ EXAM TRAP The word order INVERTS in indirect Wh/Yes-No questions — from question order (HV+Sub+MV) back to normal statement order (Sub+HV+MV). Students often forget to un-invert the word order, keeping question word order after "if/whether" or the wh-word.

Direct	Indirect
He said to me, "Have you completed these tasks?"	He asked me if I had completed those tasks.
She said, "Is he going to school?"	She asked if he was going to school.
They said to him, "Do you teach in this school?"	They asked him if he taught in that school.
He said to me, "Why have you broken this chair?"	He asked me why I had broken that chair.
Salman asked, "Where do you sleep?"	Salman asked where I slept.
She said to me, "Where will they go?"	She asked me where they would go.
He says, "How do we approach the problem?"	He asks how they approach the problem.
He says, "When do we play?"	He asks when they play.

Interrogative — Important Points

Point 1: Question tags in the reported speech are simply dropped — the sentence converts as a straightforward yes/no question.

Direct	Indirect
Simmi said to me, "You are going to visit Paris, aren't you?"	Simmi asked me if I was going to visit Paris.
She said to me, "You didn't beat my brother, did you?"	She asked me if I hadn't beaten her brother.

Point 2: When the reported speech contains a short "Yes"/"No" reply to a preceding question, convert it to "replied/answered in the affirmative/negative."

Rohan said to me, "Did you approach her?" I said, 'Yes' → Rohan asked me if I had approached her. I replied/answered in the affirmative.

Special Rule 3: Imperative Sentence in Reported Speech

Direct	Indirect
said	Ordered / Advised / Requested
said to	Ordered / Advised / Requested
"......"	to + V1, not + to + V1
Rest follows General Rules

Teacher said to me, "Complete your homework." → Teacher ordered me to complete my homework.
Radha said, "Begin the meeting." → Radha ordered me to begin the meeting.
Avi said to his wife, "Please do not take too much time in store." → Avi requested his wife not to take too much time in store.
He said to me, "Do not spend mindlessly." → He advised me not to spend mindlessly.

⚡ QUICK RECALL — Choosing Ordered/Advised/Requested There's no strict mechanical rule — the choice depends on the TONE of the original: a command → "ordered," friendly guidance → "advised," a polite ask (often with "please") → "requested." Judge from context.

Direct	Indirect
She said to the boy, "Do not follow me."	She ordered the boy not to follow her. / She prevented the boy from following her.

Extra Information — Special preposition patterns:
Prohibit / Prevent + from + V1+ing
Forbid + to + V1

Direct	Indirect
Aman says to me, "Sir, show me your ID card, please?"	Aman requests me respectfully to show him my ID card.

⚡ QUICK RECALL When the speaker uses a respectful title like "Sir," it's reflected as "requests...respectfully" in indirect speech, rather than by keeping the title itself.

Direct	Indirect
He said to his friends, "Let's go to watch a movie."	He proposed/suggested to his friends that they should go to watch a movie.
He said to his girlfriend, "Let's go on a museum date."	He proposed to his girlfriend that they should go on a museum date.

"Let's" special pattern: said to + "Let's..." → Proposed/Suggested to + that + we/they should + V1

Special Rule 4: Optative Sentence in Reported Speech

Direct	Indirect
said / said to	Blessed / wished / cursed
"......"	Blessed / wished / cursed that
May + Sub + V1	Sub + may / might + V1

My mother said to me, "May God bless you." → My mother blessed me that God might bless me.
She said to me, "May you burn in hell!" → She cursed me that I might burn in hell!
Naman said, "You keep succeeding." → Naman wished that I might keep succeeding.
She said, "May you have a healthy life!" → She blessed that I might have a healthy life!

⚡ QUICK RECALL The choice among Blessed/Wished/Cursed depends on whether the optative sentence is a positive wish for someone's good (blessed/wished) or a negative wish for someone's harm (cursed).

Special Rule 5: Exclamatory Sentence in Reported Speech

Direct	Indirect
said / said to	Exclaimed with joy / Exclaimed with sorrow-grief / Exclaimed with surprise / Exclaimed with applause / Confessed with regret
"......"	that
Exclamatory structure	Assertive structure

Joy

Hurrah! Yay!

Surprise

Wow! Ok! My God! My Goodness!

Applause

Bravo! Well done!

Sorrow

Alas! Ah! No! Oh! Shit! Oh dear! For God's sake! For Heaven's sake!

"What a/an + Noun!" → S + V + appropriate Adjective + Noun

What a sight! → It is a very beautiful sight.
What a beautiful girl! → She is a very beautiful girl.

"How + Adjective!" → S + V + very + Adjective

How sad! → It is very sad.

Direct	Indirect
He said, "Oh! Damn, I have brushed my toe against the side of table."	He exclaimed with grief that he had brushed his toe against the side of table.
She said, "Yay! I have cleared the exam."	She exclaimed with joy that she had cleared the exam.
Anurag said, "Alas! I lost my wallet."	Anurag exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his wallet.
Raju said, "Hurray! I am going to London."	Raju exclaimed with joy that he was going to London.
Anita said, "Wow, what a place!"	Anita exclaimed with surprise that it was a very beautiful place.
Gaurav said, "How cool!"	Gaurav exclaimed with joy that it was very cool.
Sachin said, "Wow, what a stunning car!"	Sachin exclaimed with surprise that it was a very stunning car.

Consolidated Narration Conversion Practice

#	Direct	Indirect
1	She said, "Kids are sleeping now."	She said that kids were sleeping then.
2	He said, "I can decode this riddle."	He said that he could decode that riddle.
3	He said, "The Sun rises in the east."	He said that the sun rises in the east. (Universal Truth — no tense change)
4	He said, "If I were a politician, I would eliminate corruption."	He said that if he were a politician, he would eliminate corruption. (Hypothetical — no tense change)
5	She said to me, "You must pass the examination."	She told me that I must pass the examination. (Must — no tense change)
6	Kavan said to me, "Good morning, I am happy to see you."	Kavan wished me good morning and said that he was happy to see me.
7	He said to me, "Have you completed these tasks?"	He asked me if I had completed those tasks.
8	Salman asked, "Where do you sleep?"	Salman asked where I slept.
9	Simmi said to me, "You are going to visit Paris, aren't you?"	Simmi asked me if I was going to visit Paris.
10	Teacher said to me, "Complete your homework."	Teacher ordered me to complete my homework.
11	Avi said to his wife, "Please do not take too much time in store."	Avi requested his wife not to take too much time in store.
12	He said to his friends, "Let's go to watch a movie."	He proposed to his friends that they should go to watch a movie.
13	My mother said to me, "May God bless you."	My mother blessed me that God might bless me.
14	She said, "May you burn in hell!"	She cursed me that I might burn in hell!
15	She said, "Yay! I have cleared the exam."	She exclaimed with joy that she had cleared the exam.
16	Anita said, "Wow, what a place!"	Anita exclaimed with surprise that it was a very beautiful place.

Master Table — Complete Chapter Revision

Topic	Key Rule / Fact
Narration kinds	Direct (exact words in quotes), Indirect (reported without quotes)
Direct narration parts	Reporting Verb (outside quotes) + Reported Speech (inside quotes)
5 kinds of sentences	Assertive (info), Interrogative (question), Imperative (order/advise/request), Exclamatory (feelings), Optative (blessing/curse/wish)
General Rule 1 — Tense	No change if reporting verb is Present/Future; backshift if reporting verb is Past
General Rule 2 — Pronoun	Reporting verb's subject→1st person; object→2nd person; else no change
General Rule 3 — Time words	Ago→before, Now→then, Today→that day, Tomorrow→next day, Yesterday→previous day, This/these→that/those, Here→there
Assertive special rule	said→said; said to→told; "..."→that
No-tense-change Point 1	Universal Truth in reported speech
No-tense-change Point 2	Hypothetical/Unreal fact (if-clauses with were/would)
No-tense-change Point 3	Had+V3, Had to+V1, Would, Could, Should, Must, Might, Ought to already present
No-tense-change Point 4	Vocative name address → becomes object of "told"
No-tense-change Point 5	Greeting+statement → wished + greeting + and said that...
Interrogative special rule	said/said to→asked; "..."→if/whether (yes-no) or wh-word; question word order→statement word order
Interrogative — tag questions	Question tag dropped; converts as plain yes/no question
Interrogative — Yes/No reply	"replied/answered in the affirmative/negative"
Imperative special rule	said/said to→Ordered/Advised/Requested; "..."→to+V1 or not+to+V1
Prohibit/Prevent	+ from + V1+ing
Forbid	+ to + V1
"Let's" pattern	said to+"Let's..."→Proposed/Suggested to+that+we/they should+V1
Optative special rule	said/said to→Blessed/Wished/Cursed; "..."→that; May+Sub+V1→Sub+may/might+V1
Exclamatory special rule	said/said to→Exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise/applause, Confessed with regret; "..."→that; structure→assertive
"What a/an+Noun!"	→ S+V+appropriate Adjective+Noun (very + adj)
"How+Adjective!"	→ S+V+very+Adjective