Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration) is the art of reporting what someone has said. In CUET English, this topic is tested through tense changes, pronoun shifts, time/place word adjustments, and special sentence types including statements, questions, commands, exclamations, and optative sentences.
1. What is Direct and Indirect Speech?
Direct Speech repeats the exact words spoken by a person, placed inside quotation marks (inverted commas).
- Riya said, “I love reading books.”
Indirect Speech (Reported Speech) conveys the meaning without quoting the exact words, using no quotation marks and making necessary changes to pronouns, tenses, and time expressions.
- Riya said that she loved reading books.
Key Difference:
- Direct: Quotation marks, exact words, no changes.
- Indirect: No quotation marks, changes in tense, pronouns, time/place words.
2. Parts of a Sentence in Narration
Every sentence in Direct Speech has two parts:
- Reporting Verb (Outside): The part outside inverted commas — e.g., He said to me.
- Reported Speech (Inside): The part inside inverted commas — e.g., “I am going.”
CUET Tip: Always check the inside part first when converting; the outside part (reporting verb) comes second.
3. Change of Reporting Verb
| Situation | Direct Speech Reporting Verb | Indirect Speech Reporting Verb |
|---|---|---|
| Declarative (Statement) | said | said (if no object) OR told (if said + to + object) |
| Interrogative (Question) | said / said to | asked / enquired |
| Imperative (Command/Request) | said / said to | ordered / commanded / requested / advised / forbade |
| Exclamatory | said | exclaimed with joy / sorrow / surprise |
| Optative (Wish/Prayer) | said | wished / prayed / blessed |
Key Rules:
- said + to + object → told (e.g., He said to me → He told me)
- said (no object) → said (e.g., He said → He said)
- Questions → asked / enquired (e.g., He said to me → He asked me)
4. Change of Conjunctions (Connectors)
| Type of Sentence | Conjunction Used |
|---|---|
| Declarative / Exclamatory | that |
| Imperative (Command/Request) | to (infinitive) |
| Yes/No Questions | if / whether |
| Wh-Questions | wh-word itself (what, where, why, when, how, who, etc.) |
Special Note:
- If the question contains 'or', use whether (e.g., “Do you like tea or coffee?” → asked whether I liked tea or coffee).
- Wh-questions keep the same wh-word as the conjunction.
5. Change of Pronouns
Pronouns change based on the speaker (subject) and listener (object) in the reporting verb.
The SON Rule (1-2-3):
- 1st Person (I, we) → changes according to the subject of the reporting verb.
- 2nd Person (you) → changes according to the object of the reporting verb.
- 3rd Person (he, she, it, they, names) → No change.
Examples:
- He said to me, “I am happy.” → He told me that he was happy. (1st person → subject 'he')
- He said to me, “You are happy.” → He told me that I was happy. (2nd person → object 'me')
- He said to me, “She is happy.” → He told me that she was happy. (3rd person → no change)
6. Change of Tense
When Reporting Verb is in Past Tense: The tense of the reported speech shifts one step back.
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present (write) | Simple Past (wrote) |
| Present Continuous (is writing) | Past Continuous (was writing) |
| Present Perfect (has written) | Past Perfect (had written) |
| Simple Past (wrote) | Past Perfect (had written) |
| Past Continuous (was writing) | Past Perfect Continuous (had been writing) |
| Simple Future (will write) | Conditional (would write) |
| Future Perfect (will have written) | Conditional Perfect (would have written) |
Tenses That DO NOT Change:
- Universal Truths / Scientific Facts: “The sun rises in the east.” → He said that the sun rises in the east.
- Habitual Actions / Proverbs: “Honesty is the best policy.” → He said that honesty is the best policy.
- Historical Facts: “Ashoka ruled India.” → He said that Ashoka ruled India.
- When Reporting Verb is in Present/Future Tense: (says, will say) → No tense change.
7. Change of Modal Verbs
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| can | could |
| may | might |
| will | would |
| shall | would (or should) |
| must | had to / must (if obligation) |
| could, would, should, might, ought to | No change |
Special Note on 'Shall' and 'Will':
- Shall / Will → Would (preferred in most cases).
- If 'would' is not available in options, consider should.
8. Change of Time and Place Words
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| yesterday | the previous day / the day before |
| this | that |
| these | those |
| here | there |
| ago | before |
| last night | the previous night |
Special Note: If the time/place is still relevant (e.g., reporting the same day), changes may not be required.
9. Interrogative Sentences
Yes/No Questions:
- Use asked as the reporting verb.
- Conjunction: if or whether.
- Remove question mark; change to statement word order (subject + verb).
Example:
- She said to me, “Do you like pizza?” → She asked me if I liked pizza.
Wh-Questions:
- Use the wh-word itself as the conjunction.
- Change question to statement word order.
Example:
- He said, “Where are you going?” → He asked where I was going.
Special Case: 'Do/Does/Did' in Questions
- When do/does appears in a wh-question: Remove 'do/does' and change the main verb to past tense.
- “Where do you live?” → He asked where I lived.
- If 'not' is present with 'do/does' → Change 'do/does' to 'did' and keep the verb unchanged.
- “Why do you not come?” → He asked why I did not come.
10. Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences express commands, requests, advice, or prohibitions.
General Formula: Reporting Verb + Object + to + V1
| Type | Reporting Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Command / Order | ordered / commanded | He said, “Leave the room.” → He ordered me to leave the room. |
| Request | requested (if 'please' or 'kindly') | He said, “Please help me.” → He requested me to help him. |
| Advice | advised | He said, “Work hard.” → He advised me to work hard. |
| Prohibition (Don't) | forbade (without 'not') | He said, “Don't go there.” → He forbade me to go there. |
Key Points:
- The verb after 'to' does not change (remains V1).
- If the reporting verb is asked/told (when relation unknown), use told/asked as the reporting verb.
- For 'Don't' without 'please/kindly': forbade + to OR told + not + to.
11. Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory sentences express strong emotions — joy, sorrow, surprise, anger, etc.
Formula: Reporting Verb + that + statement
| Emotion | Reporting Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Joy | exclaimed with joy | He said, “Hurrah! We won!” → He exclaimed with joy that they had won. |
| Sorrow | exclaimed with sorrow | He said, “Alas! I failed.” → He exclaimed with sorrow that he had failed. |
| Surprise | exclaimed with surprise | He said, “Wow! What a view!” → He exclaimed with surprise that the view was beautiful. |
Key Rules:
- Remove exclamatory words like 'Hurrah!', 'Alas!', 'Wow!', 'What', 'How'.
- Use that as the conjunction.
- Change the sentence to a statement (subject + verb).
- Use words like very before adjectives (e.g., What a beautiful view! → the view was very beautiful).
12. Optative Sentences (Wishes & Prayers)
Optative sentences express wishes, blessings, or prayers.
Formula: Reporting Verb + that + subject + may/might + V1
| Type | Reporting Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Blessing | blessed / prayed | He said, “May God bless you.” → He prayed that God might bless me. |
| Wish | wished | He said, “May you succeed.” → He wished that I might succeed. |
Key Points:
- If the optative sentence begins with 'May', change to might or keep as may (if reporting verb is present).
- For blessings, use blessed / prayed.
- For good wishes (e.g., 'Good Morning'), use wished or bade.
13. Sentences with 'Let'
Sentences beginning with 'Let' or 'Let's' are special:
- 'Let us' / 'Let's' → Suggestion / Proposal.
- Suggested / Proposed + that + should
- He said, “Let's go to the park.” → He suggested that we should go to the park.
- 'Let' + object (e.g., Let him go) → Permission / Order.
- Told + to OR asked + to
- He said, “Let him go.” → He told me to let him go.
Key Points:
- If reporting verb is said to, use suggested to / proposed to.
- Use 'should' inside the reported clause.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to change the tense when the reporting verb is in past tense.
- Using 'that' after 'asked' or 'enquired' — 'that' is not used in questions.
- Using 'said to' in indirect speech instead of 'told' or 'asked'.
- Confusing 'will' with 'would' and 'shall' with 'should'.
- Not changing time/place words like 'today', 'tomorrow', 'here', 'now'.
- Using a question mark in indirect speech (indirect questions end with a full stop).
- Forgetting to change 'do/does' in wh-questions — remove them and change the verb to past tense.
- Using 'not to' instead of 'to' in imperative sentences or vice versa.
- In exclamatory sentences: forgetting to remove exclamatory words like 'Hurrah!' or 'Alas!'.
- Not using 'very' before adjectives when converting exclamatory sentences.