LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

How to change speech of any passage:-

Read the bellow passage:-

The teacher said,"Do you know that sincerity is the key to success?""Yes,sir;I know so."said the boy."How excellent you are!Learn to be sincere from your boyhood."Thank you ,sir;I shall try my best."said the boy."May Allah bless you."said the teacher.

From the above passage ,we can see the  bellow reported speeches

1)Do you know that sincerity is the key to success?

2)Yes,sir;I know so.

3)How excellent you are!

4)Learn to be sincere from your boyhood.

5)Thank you,sir.

6)I shall try my best

7)May Allah help you.

The first reported speech is an interrogative sentence and the teacher is the subject to the reporting verb 'said'and the boy is the object to the reporting verb.So,ask will be used \instead of say,if  will be used deleting comma and inverted comma.As the reporting verb is in past tense and the verb of reported speech is in present tense.I n indirect  speech auxiliary verb 'do' will be deleted and know will be in past tense.There is second person word 'you' in reported speech.he refereeing  the boy will be used instead of 'you'for the first reported speech,the indirect speech will be 'The teacher asked the boy if he knew that sincerity is the key to success.'Here that +clause is a universal truth.so it will remain unchanged.

The second reported speech 'I know so' is an assertive sentence and there are 'yes' and 'sir' before it.The boy is the subject to the reporting verb  and the teacher is the object.There is first person word I ,'I'he verb of reported speech is in present tense but the reporting verb is in past tense.Here reply in the affirmative will be used instead of said for yes.respectfully will be used before the conjunction for sir, that will be used deleting comma and inverted comma.he for I and know will be  in past tense and thus for so will be used.The indirect speech will be 'The boy replied in the affirmative respectfully that he knew thus.

The third reported speech is an exclamatory sentence,the teacher is the subject to the reporting verb and the by is its object.There is second person word in reported speech .the verb is in present tense.So,exclaim /cry out will used for say,that as conjunction,very for how,he for you,was for are will be used.The indirect speech will be 'He(T) exclaimed/cried out that he(B) was very excellent.

The fourth reported speech is an imperative sentence,the teacher is the subject to the reporting verb and the is its object.Advise/tell will be for say,to in the place of conjunction for comma and inverted comma,his for your will be used.The indirect speech will be 'He(T) advised/told him(B) to learn to be sincere from his (B) boyhood.

The fifth reported speech will be changed according to an exceptional rules.The boy is the subject to the reporting verb and the teacher is its object. Here thank for say will be used and respectfully for sir.So,the indirect speech will be 'He(B) thanked him (T) respectfully.'

The sixth reported speech is an assertive sentence ,the is the subject to the reporting verb and the teacher is its object.Its tense of verb is in future .add/again say/also say for say,he for I,would for shall and his for my will be used.The indirect speech will be 'He(B) added/again said/also said that he (B)would try his(B) best.'

The seventh and the last reported speech is an optative sentence,the teacher is the subject to the reporting verb and the boy is its object.Here wish/pray for say,that as an conjunction for comma and inverted comma ,might for may and him for you will be used.The reported speech will be'He(T) wished/prayed that Allah might help him(B).

The indirect speech for the passage will be following:-

The teacher asked the boy if he (B) knew that sincerity is the key to success.He (B) replied in the affirmative respectfully that he knew thus.He(T) exclaimed/cried out that he(B) was very excellent.He(T) advised/told him(B) to learn to be sincere from his (B) boyhood.He(B) thanked him (T) respectfullyHe(B) added/again said/also said that he (B)would try his(B) best.He(T) wished/prayed that Allah might help him(B).

HOW TO CHANGE NARRATION IN A PASSAGE

Changing Narration of Any Passage:-

Change  of passage narration depends on some rules.First, we have to know the rules changing narration of different kinds of sentence.Then we have to know some other things.

With a view to changing narration of any passage,we should find out the bellow things:-

1)which words are the subject and object of reporting verbs

2)what kinds of sentence the reported speeches are

3)what the reporting verbs are

4)what the tense form of reporting verb and verb of reported speech

5)what person words there are in reported speech

6)which adverbs there are in reported speech

After finding out the above things,we have to do the following things:-

1)we have to use reporting verb according to the type of sentence in reported speech i.e.for assertive ,it will be say or tell; for interrogative,it will be ask;for imperative it will be order/advise/request/forbid/command//suggest/propose to/ask/tell;for optative ,it will be wish/pray;for exclamatory,it will be cry out / exclaim .Besides,thank,bid,wish,add ,again say,also say,further ask are also used for different reported speech.

2)we have to use conjunction/preposition deleting comma and inverted comma i.e.for assertive/optative/exclamatory/imperatives with let,that is used as conjunction;for wh-question,wh-word will be used;for yes/no question ,if will be used;for imperative with verb, to and for imperative with do not verb ,not to will be used.

3)we have to change different person word s of reported speech according to person changing rules i.e.first person words will be changed according to the subject of reporting verb;second person words will be changed according to the object of reporting verb and third person words will remain unchanged.

4)we have to change the tense of verb of reported speech according to the tense changing rules  i.e.when reporting verb is in present or future tense or reported speeches are  universal truth /habitual fact of present tense,the tense of reported speech will remain unchanged.But  for reporting verb of past tense,the tense of reported speech will be the same past tense as its previous tense form in direct speech.

5)we have to change adverbs of reported speech according to rules

If we are able to find out the above things properly and change them accordingly,we can easily change the narration of a passage perfectly.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

passage narration

Read the bellow speech:

Direct: The old man said,"Can you give me some food?I've been starving for a week."The maid said,"Why do you beg?Can't you work? " "No,I am unable to work."

Indirect: The old man asked the maid if she could give him some food.He added that he had been starving for a week.The maid asked him why he begged.She again asked if he could not work.The old man replied in the negative and said that he was unable to work.

Direct:- "When will your test exam commence?"said Mina."On 10 November next."said John."Your test exam is knocking at the door.You don't have enough time."added Mina."You are right.Thank you.I am trying to take a good preparation for this with profound attention."John replied.

Indirect:- Mina asked John when his test exam would commence.He replied that it would commence on 10 November.She again said that his test examination was knocking at the door.She added that he didn't have enough time.John replied that she was right.He thanked her added that he was trying to take a good preparation for that with a propound attention.

Change the following narration:-

Direct:-The teacher said,"Why are you making a noise?You should behave yourself."Kamal said ,"I am sorry, sir.My pen has run out.So,I am asking Denny to lend me his pen."The teacher said,"Be attentive to my lecture."

Direct:-Once I asked a sweet little girl,What is your mother's name?She said,I know my mother's name.But I won't you tell that.What a clever girl you are!Inever tell my mother's name to anybody whom I don't know.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Passage narration

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:- "You can go now. You may come again day after tomorrow.I shall let you do the job then,"he said to the boy."Thank you ,sir."said the boy.

Indirect:- He told the boy that he could go then and added that he might come again day after the next day.He further again also added that he would let him do the job then.The boy thanked him respectfully.

Direct:- "Why are you wasting away your time?Won't you appear in the final examination."said his father."I am sorry.I would amend myself."replied Ran.

Indirect:- His father asked Ran why he was wasting away his time.He further again also asked if he would not appear in the final examination.Ran replied that he was sorry and added that he would amend himself.

In order to change passage narration,we should find out the subject to the reporting verb(speaker) and object to the reporting verb(listener or the person spoken to).Then we should detect what kind of sentence the reported speeches are.We also detect the tense for reporting verb and verb of reported speech.

If there are too many assertive sentence used as reported speech for the same speaker,say or tell, add,

further add,again say,also say are used as reporting by turns alternately.Other changes using conjunction,changing person and

tense and adverb of reported speech will be according to the rules of sentence normal narration.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Read the following sentence: 

Direct:       "By Allah,"He said,"I will help." 

Indirect:     Swearing by Allah he said that he would help.

If there is' by Allah /God/ Jove/ My life' in reported speech,the indirect speech will be started with swearing by Allah/God/Jove/ my life.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:   Returning home,My father said to me ,"Why did I make too late."

Indirect: Returning home,my father asked me why I had made too late.

If there is any phrase outside the reported speech which is used as an ewtra part of reporting verb,in indirect speech the phrase or extra part of reporting verb outside the rep.speech will be used first.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:   She said to me,You have remembered how she looked then?

Indirect: Being surprise,she asked me if I had remembered how she had looked then.

If there is a question mark at the end of an assertive sentence,the indirect speech will be started with being surprise and the reported speech will be changed accoqding to the interrogative sentence changing rule.

If there are asked.replied,muttered,cried,shouted as reporting verb before any reported speech,these will be unchanged in indirect speech.

If there are a pronoun atfirst and a noun afterword, in indirect speech the noun will be at first and the pronoun will be afterword.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Read the following sentence:

Direct:     He said ,"How are you?"

                 I said,"I am fine."

Indirect:  He asked me how I was.I replied that I was fine.

Direct:    They said,"Why do you like to play?"

                We said,"To defeat you."

Indirect:  They asked us why we liked to play.We replied that we played to defeat them.

If any one ask a question and the other answer ,ask will be used as reporting for question and reply will be used for answer.Other changes will be according to the previous changing rules.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:    He said."Yes.I can do."

Indirect:  He replied in the affirmative that he could do.

Direct:    She said,"No, I can not swim."

Indirect:  She replied in the negative that she could not swim.

If there is 'yes /no' in a reported speech,the reporting verb will be replaced by reply in the affirmative for yes and reply in the negative for no.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:   He said,"Are you well ,Hans?"

Indirect: He asked Hasan if he was well.

Direct:   They said,"Why are you crying,Deb?

Indirect: They asked Deb why he was crying.

If there is any proper noun in a reported speech,the proper noun will be the object of the reporting in indirect speech.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:    He said,Are you hungry,friends?

Indirect:  Addressing them as friend he asked if they were hungry.

If there is any vocative case in reported speech,the indirect speech will be started with addressing as.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Imperative sentence

Read the following sentence:

Direct:      He said to me," Let me go out."

Indirect:   He told me that he might go out.

Direct:     Hasan said to her, "Let him say whatever he likes."

Indirect:   Hasan told her that he maight say whatever he liked.

Structure:

Direct:      subj. +reporting verb (say) +obj."Let +subj.+verb+ext."

Indirect:    subj.+tell/ask+obj. +subj.+might +verb+ext.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:      He said to me, "Let us go out."

Indirect:    He proposed to me that we should go out

              Or  He proposed to/suggested me going out.

Direct:      She said to him, "Let us play."

Indirect:    She proposed to/suggested her that they should play.

              Or  She proposed to/suggested her playing.

Structure:

Direct:      subj.+reporting verb (say) +obj., "Let +us +verb +ext."

Indirect:    subj.+propose to/suggest +obj. +that +we/they +should+verb +ext.

            Or    subj.+propose to /suggest +obj. +verb-ing +ext.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct: He said to them," Friends,help me."

Indirect: Addressing them as friend ,he requested/told them to help him.

Direct: The old lady said to us, "Fathers,show me the way."

Indirect: Addressing us as father,the old lady requested/told us to show her the way.

Structure:

Direct:          subj. +reporting verb (say) +obj., "Vocative case, verb+ext."

Indirect:        Addressing +obj. +as +vocative case , subj.+tell/request +obj. +to +verb +ext.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Imperative sentence

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:      He said to me,"Sir,lend me your pen."

Indirect:    He requested /told me respectfully(with respect( to lend him my pen.

Direct:      They said to you,"Sir,hetp me understand the matter."

Indirect:    They requested you respectfully to help them to understand the matter.

Here sir will be replaced by respectfull/with respect and will be put after rep.verb. Other changes will be according to the changing rules of imperative sentence.

Optative sentence

Read the bellow the sentence:

Direct:     He said to me,"May you be happy."

Indirect:   He wished me that I might be happy.

Direct:     She said to him ,"May Allah help you."

Indirect:   She prayed that Allah might help him.

Structure:

Direct:      subj. +reporting verb (say) +obj. "May +subj. +verb +ext."

Indirect:    subj. +wish/pray +that +changing person of subj. +might +verb +ext.

Exclamatory sentence

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:      He said to me,"How nice you sing!"

Indirect:    He exclaimed /cried out that I sang very nice.

Direct:      She said to him,"What a clever boy you are!"

Indirect:    She exclaimed that he was a very clever boy.

Structure:

Direct:       subj.+reporting verb (say )+obj,"What/How +adj. +ext .+subj. +verb!"

Indirect:   subj. +exclaim/cry out +that +changing person of subj.+changing tense of verb+very +adj. +ext.

Here a /an will be used before very for what.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Imperative sentence

Read the following speeches:

Direct:   He said to me,"Please, help me".

Indirect: He requested/asked me to help him.

Direct:   The teacher said to the students,"Always speak the truth."

Indirect: The teacher advised/told the students to speak the truth always.

Direct:   The officer said to the soldiers,"Fire on."

Indirect:  The officer commanded/told the soldiers to fire on.

Direct:    The teacher said to the students,"Go out of the class."

Indirect:  The teacher ordered/told the students to go out of the class.

Structure:

Direct:    subj. +reporting verb(say) +obj. ,"verb +ext."

Indirect:  subj+order/ask/request/command/ tell/ask+obj.+to +verb +ext.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:    He said to me, "Do not make a noise."

Indirect:  He forbade me to make a noise.

          Or He tole me not to make a noise.

Direct:    The teacher said to the students ,"Do not tell a lie."

Indirect:  The teacher forbade the students to tell a lie.

          Or The teacher advised/told the students not to tell a lie.

Structure

Direct:      subj. +reporting verb +obj. "Do not/never +verb +ext."

Indirect:    subj. +forbid +obj. +to +verb +ext.

            Or  subj. *advise/ask/tell *obj. *not to *verb *ext.

Narration/Speech

Interrogative sentence

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:    He said to her,who are you?

Indirect:  He asked her who she was.

Direct:    They said to me whom do you want?

Indirect:  They asked me whom I wanted.

Direct:    You said to him ..what is your father?

Indirect:  You asked him what his father was.

Direct:    I said to them ,how did you go there?

Indirect:  I asked them how they had gone there.

Direct:    She said to me,why are you making late,?

Indirect: She asked me why I was making.

Direct:    He said to us,when were you going?

Indirect: He asked us when we had been going.

Direct:   You said to her,where have you gone?

Indirect: You asked her where she had gone. 

Structure:

Direct:    subj.+say/say to +obj. ,"Wh-word +aux.verb +subj.+verb+obj.+ext?"

Indirect: subj.+ask+obj+wh-word+changing person of subj.  of reported speech +changing tense of (aux.verb+verb)/verb of reported speech+changing person of obj. of reported speech+ext.

Here wh- word  (who,whom,where,when,why,how,what) will be the conjunction and the question should be turned into an assertive sentence.person ,tense and adverb will be changed according to  person,tense and adverb changing rules.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Interrogative sentence

Read the following sentence

Direct:  He said to me,"Will you help you?"

Indirect: He asked me if I would help him.

Direct: She said to you, "Can you do it for me?"

Indirect: She asked you if you could do it for her.

Direct: Mother said her son,,"'Are you well now?"

Indirect: Mother asked her son if he was well then.

Direct: He said to me, " Do you love me?"

Indirect: He asked me if I loved her.

Direct: You said to me, "Have you done this sum?"

Indirect: You asked me if I had done the sum.

Direct: They said to us , "Are you laughing?"

Indirect: They asked us if we were laughing.

Direct: He said to his father, "Did you help me?"

Indirect: He asked his father if he had helped him.

Direct: You said to me, "Were you making a noise?"

Indirect: You asked me if I had been making a noise.

Structure:

Direct: subj. +say/say to +obj., "Aux.verb+ subj. +verb +obj. +ext?"

Indirect: Subj. +ask +obj.+if +changing person of subj. of reported speech + changing tense of reported speech (aux. verb+verb)/verb+ +changing person of obj. of reported speech +ext.

If the reporting verb is in present or future tense,the tense of verb of reported speech remain unchanged.On the otherhand,if the reporting verb is in past tense,the tense of verb of reported speech will be in past tense also.

While changing an interrogative sentence of direct speech ,aux.verb will be used after subj.in indirect speech.if the question starts with to do verb in direct speech,this to do verb in indirect speech will be deleted and the main verb will be used according to the tense changing rules.Other aux.verb will not be deleted but will be used according to the tense changing rules and this changed aux. Verb will be used after subj.in indirect speech.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

Assertive sentence

Read the following sentence

Direct: He said,''I am honest.''

Indirect:He said that he was honest.

Direct:You said to me,''I am driving a car.''

Indirect: You told me that you were driving a car.

Direct:  He said,''I have passed in the exam.''

Indirect: He said that he had passed in the exam.

Direct: They said,''It has been raining for two hours.''

Indirect: They said that it had been raining for two hours.

Direct: You said to her,''You made this.''

Indirect: You told her that she had made it.

Direct: The boy said to me ,''I was playing.''

Indirect: The boy told me that he had been playing.

Direct: He said,''I had gone .''

Indirect: He said that he had gone.

Direct: They said,''We had been sleeping.''

Indirect: They said that they had been sleeping.

Direct: He said,''I shall go.''

Indirect: He said that he would go.

Direct: She said,''I shall be reading.''

Indirect: She said that she would be reading.

Direct: I said," I can swim."

Indirect: I said that I could swim.

Direct: They said ,"It may rain today."

Indirect: They said that it might rain thatday.

Direct:You said to her,"We should do our duty."

Indirect:You told her that you should do your duty.

Structure:

Direct: subj. +said/said to +obj," subj.+verb+obj. +ext."

Indirect: subj.+said/told+obj.+that +changing person of subj.in reported speech +verb(past) of reported speech+changing person of obj. of reported speech+ext.

When there is an obj. after reporting verb,tell wil be used for reporting verb ( say to) and told for reporting verb (said to).otherwise reporting verb ( say or said) remain unchanged.

Again when reporting verb is in present or future tense,the tense of verb of reported speech remains unchanged but when the reporting verb is in past tense,the tense of verb of reported speech will be the similar past tense that means in direct speech if the verb of reported speech was in present or future tense,in indirect speech it would be in the same past tense.i.e.

Am/ is /are  would be  was /were

have/ has    would be   had

was /were   would be   had been

verb(present) would be   verb(past)

verb(past)  would be     had +verb(past participle)

shall /will     would be   would

may           would be     might

can           would be      could

must         would be     had to

had,would,should,could,might,used to,ought to remain unchanged in indirect speech.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/speech

Assertive sentence

Read the following sentence:

Direct:   He says,''I am unwell.''

Indirect: He says that he is unwell.

Direct :   I will say ,''I can help Rana.''

Indirect :I will say that I can help Rana.

Direct :  You have said,''I did this.''

Indirect :You have said that you did it .

Direct :I say to him,''You are honest.''

Indirect: I tell him that he is honest.

Direct :He says to me,''you are intelligent''

Indirect :He tells me that I am intelligent.

Direct :They will say to you,''You were clever.''

Indirect:They will tell you that you were clever.

Structure:

1.Direct :subj.+say/says/will say,''subj.+verb+ext.''

Indirect : subj.+say/says/will say +that +changing person of the subj. +verb +ext.

2.Direct:subj.+say/says/will say  +to +obj.,''subj.+verb+ext.''

Indirect:subj.+tell/tells/will tell +obj. +that+changing person of subj.+verb +ext.

Note when the reporting verb is in present or future tense ,the tense of verb in reported speech will be unchanged.only the person of subject and object in reported will be changed according to the person changing rules.Here we can recollect the rules again

a.first person word of reported speech will be changed according to the subj.of reporting verb.

b.second person word of reported speech will be changed according to the obj.of reporting verb.

c.third person word will remain unchanged.

Read the bellow sentence:

Direct:He said,''Man is mortal''

Indirect:He said that man is mortal.

Direct :The teacher said,''The earth moves round the sun''

Indirect :The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Here the reported speech is a universal truth or habitual fact.Therefore,instead of the reporting verb in past tense,the tense of verb in reported speech will remain unchanged.Only a conjunction (that) is used here deleting comma and inverted comma.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

In order to convert a dirrect speech into an indirect speech,when the reporting verb is in past tense,the tense of verb of reported speech will be changed also.

How to change tense of verb

direct                                                                                                                           indirect

am/is/are.....................................................................................................................was,were

have/has .....................................................................................................................had

verb (present) ............................................................................................................verb(past)

do/does .....................................................................................................................did

shall/will ....................................................................................................................would

can ..........................................................................................................................could

may ..........................................................................................................................might

How to change adverb

direct                                                                                                                            indirect

now ...............................................................................................................................then

today .............................................................................................................................that day

tomorrow.......................................................................................................................the next day or

the following day

here ...............................................................................................................................there

thus ...............................................................................................................................so

ago.................................................................................................................................before

this .................................................................................................................................that

these ..............................................................................................................................those

yesterday .................................................................................................................... the previous day

last month/night ................................................................................................the previous month/night

next day/week ...........................................................................................................the following week

If there is time after this ,that will be used for this.when this or these is used adjective,the will be used for them.when here indicates any place clearly,there will be used for it.otherwise; here will be changed according to meaning.

When we indicate human being ,both speaker and person spoken to(listener),we remain unchanged.

For editorial we,it should be used for we then.

Usually had to is used for must.For a future obligation,'would have to'  is used for must.if must is used.

 For a universal obligation,must remain unchanged.

LEARNING TO CHANGE NARRATION/SPEECH

Narration/Speech

In order to turn a direct speech into an indirect speech,the following things of reported speech will have to change also:

a.person of subject , object and possessive adjective.

b.tense of verb

c.some adjective and adverb

How to change person

1.If there is first person word (I,We,me,us,my,our) in reported speech,the word will be changed according to the person and number and gender of the subject of reporting verb.

2.If there is second person word (you,your) in reported speech ,the word  will be changed according to the person and number and gender of the object of reporting verb.

3.If there is third person word( he,him,his,she,her,they,them,their,it,its,noun etc) in reported speech,the word will not be changed.

How to change tense of verb

1.If the reporting verb is in present tense or future tense,the tense of the verb of reported speech will be unchanged.

2.If the reported speech express any habitual fact or univesal truth in present tense,despite the reporting verb is in past tense,the tense of verb of reported speech will be unchanged.

3.If the reporting verb is in past tense ,the tense of the verb of reported speech will be changea in the following way:

a.present/future simple will be past simple

b.present/future continuous will be past continuous

c.present/future perfect will be past perfect

d.present/future perfect continuous will be past perfect continuous

e.past simple will be past perfect

f.past continuous will be past perfect continuous

past perfect and past perfect continuous will be unchanged.

Modals will be changed in the bellow way

  can...................................................................................................... could,

  shall.....................................................................................................should,

   may....................................................................................................might,

   will ................................................................................................... would,

    must .................................................................................................had to

    (could,should .would,might,used to ,ought to ,had to remain unchanged.)