Narration

Direct Speech: The reporting of speech by repeating the actual words of a speaker.
For example;
“I am going,” she said.

Indirect Speech: Another term for reported speech. It is expressing the content of statement without
quoting them explicitly as is done in direct speech. For example;
He said “I am coming” is direct speech; whereas He said that he was coming is indirect speech.

Change in personal pronoun:

1) The entire 1st person pronoun in reported speech will be changed according to subject of
reporting speech. For example:
He says, “My mother loves me”. In this sentence there are two 1st personal pronouns in reported speech
“my,” me” so these will be changed according to subject of reporting speech “he”.
He says that his mother loves him.

2) The entire 2nd person pronoun in reported speech will be changed according to object of
reporting speech. For example:
He says to me, “Your mother loves you”. In this sentence there are two 2nd personal pronouns in
reported speech “your,” you” so these will be changed according to object of reporting speech “me”.
He says to me that my mother loves me.

3) 3rd person pronoun will be no changed. For example:

He says, “His mother loves him”.
He says that his mother loves him.

Change in verb:

1) If there is 1st form of verb in reporting speech then there will be no change in verb of reported
speech. Just pronouns will be changed. For example;
Direct He says, “I do my duty”
Indirect He says that he does his duty.

2) If there is 2nd form of verb in reporting speech then following changes will be done in verb of
reported speech.
 If there is 1st form of verb in reported speech, it will be changed into 2nd form of verb.
For example;
He said,” I write a poem”.
He said that he wrote a poem.

 If there is 2nd form of verb in reported speech, it will be changed into had+3rd form of
verb. For example;
He said,” I wrote a poem”.
He said that he had written a poem.

1 Prepared by: Ali Hussain Jamu = 03127332380

 Narration

 If there is a maxim or universal truth in reported speech then there will be no change
in verb. For example;
1) Direct He said, “Two and two make four”.
Indirect He said that two and two make four.
2) Direct He said, “Union is strength”.
Indirect He said that union is strength.
3) Direct He said, “The earth revolves around the sun”.
Indirect He said that the earth revolves around the sun.

Change in helping verb:

Helping verb of reported speech will be changed according to form of verb in reporting speech.
For example;
1) Direct He says, “I am going to college”.
Indirect He says that he is going to college.
2) Direct He said, “I am going to college”.
Indirect He said that he was going to college.
3) Direct He said, “I can help you”.
Indirect He said that he could help me.
4) Direct He said, “It may rain”.
Indirect He said that it might rain.
5) Direct He said, “He was sleeping”.
Indirect He said that he had been sleeping.

2 Prepared by: Ali Hussain Jamu = 03127332380