Q. What is Narration?
Ans. Narration is the way of reporting the words spoken by a person. It has two forms: Direct Speech and Indirect Speech.
Q. What is Direct Speech?
Ans. Direct Speech reports the exact words of a speaker within quotation marks. Example: He said, "I am happy."
Q. What is Indirect Speech?
Ans. Indirect Speech reports the meaning of the speaker’s words without quoting them exactly. Example: He said that he was happy.
Q. What is a reporting verb?
Ans. A reporting verb introduces the reported speech. Common examples are said, told, asked and replied.
Q. Change into indirect speech: He said, "I am tired."
Ans. He said that he was tired.
Q. Change into indirect speech: She said, "I have finished my work."
Ans. She said that she had finished her work.
Q. Change into indirect speech: Ravi said, "I will help you."
Ans. Ravi said that he would help me.
Q. Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "You are late."
Ans. He told me that I was late.
Q. Change into indirect speech: She said, "I can swim."
Ans. She said that she could swim.
Q. Change into indirect speech: Ram said, "I bought a book yesterday."
Ans. Ram said that he had bought a book the previous day.
Q. Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "Are you ready?"
Ans. He asked me whether I was ready.
Q. Change into indirect speech: She said to him, "Where do you live?"
Ans. She asked him where he lived.
Q. Change into indirect speech: The teacher said to the students, "Work hard."
Ans. The teacher advised the students to work hard.
Q. Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "Please help me."
Ans. He requested me to help him.
Q. Change into indirect speech: Mother said to me, "Do not waste time."
Ans. Mother advised me not to waste time.
Q. Change into indirect speech: He said, "What a beautiful flower!"
Ans. He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.
Q. Change into indirect speech: She said, "Alas! I have lost my purse."
Ans. She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.
Q. When does the tense generally change in indirect speech?
Ans. When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported clause generally shifts back, subject to context and exceptions.
Q. What happens to pronouns in indirect speech?
Ans. Pronouns change according to the speaker, listener and context.
Q. How are yes/no questions reported in indirect speech?
Ans. They are generally introduced by if or whether, and the reported clause uses statement word order.