Narratin Direct and Indirect | UP Board English 12th | Lesson 1|

Narration Class 12th Lesson 1 

Direct and Indirect 

For Class 6 to 12th

  NARRATION

(Direct & Indirect Speech)

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🔹 Definition of Narration

Narration is the method of reporting the words of the speaker.

There are two types of narration:

1. Direct Speech
2. Indirect (Reported) Speech

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🔹 1. Direct Speech – Definition

When the exact words of the speaker are quoted and written within inverted commas (“ ”), it is called Direct Speech.

Example:

He said, “I am tired.”

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🔹 2. Indirect (Reported) Speech – Definition

When the exact words of the speaker are transformed and said/ written with some grammatical changes, it is called Indirect Speech.

Example:

He said that he was tired.

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🔹 Parts of a Sentence in Narration

1. Reporting Verb
   → The outer part of  inverted commas (said, told, asked).

2. Reported Speech
   → The inner part of of the sentence inside the inverted commas.

Example:

He said, “I am happy.”
(said = Reporting Verb, I am happy = Reported Speech)

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 GENERAL RULES OF NARRATION

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🔹 Rule 1: Change of Tense

If the Reporting Verb is in Past Tense, the tense of the Reported Speech changes.

Tense Change Table

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Indefinite	Past Indefinite
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
Past Indefinite	Past Perfect
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
Will / Shall	Would / Should

Example:

He said, “I am happy.”
→ He said that he was happy.

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⚠️ Exception:

If the sentence expresses:

• Universal truth
• Habitual fact

👉 Tense does NOT change.

Example:
The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
→ The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

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🔹 Rule 2: Change of Person

Person	Rule
First Person (I, we)	Changes according to subject of reporting verb
Second Person (you)	Changes according to object of reporting verb
Third Person (he, she, they)	No change

Example:

He said to me, “I like you.”
→ He told me that he liked me.

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🔹 Rule 3: Change of Place & Time Words

Direct	Indirect
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day
yesterday	the previous day
here	there
this	that
these	those
last night	the previous night

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TYPES OF SENTENCES IN NARRATION

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🔹 1. Assertive Sentence

Definition:

A sentence that states a fact or opinion.

Rule:

• Use that
• Change said → said / told

Example:

He said, “I am ill.”
→ He said that he was ill.

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🔹 2. Interrogative Sentence

Definition:

A sentence that asks a question.

Types:

1. Yes/No Questions
2. Wh-Questions

Rules:

• said → asked / enquired
• Use if / whether (Yes/No)
• No inverted order

Example:

He said, “Are you ready?”
→ He asked whether I was ready.

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🔹 3. Imperative Sentence

Definition:

A sentence that expresses order, request, advice, command.

Rules:

• said → told / ordered / requested / advised
• Use to + verb
• Use not to for negative

Example:

He said, “Sit down.”
→ He ordered me to sit down.

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🔹 4. Optative Sentence

Definition:

A sentence that expresses wish, prayer, blessing or curse.

Rules:

• said → wished / prayed
• Use that + might

Example:

He said, “May you succeed.”
→ He wished that I might succeed.

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🔹 5. Exclamatory Sentence

Definition:

A sentence that expresses joy, sorrow, surprise, anger.

Rules:

• Remove interjection (Alas, Hurrah)
• said → exclaimed with joy/sorrow
• Use that

Example:

He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
→ He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

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✅ EXAM TIP (UP Board)

✔ Always check Reporting Verb tense
✔ Identify type of sentence
✔ Apply tense, person & time rules

This chart wil help you a lot

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DIRECT – INDIRECT NARRATION

(Solved Exercises 1 to 15)

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🔹 EXERCISE 1

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech

1. He said, “I write a letter.”
   → He said that he wrote a letter.

2. Mohan said, “I do not like songs.”
   → Mohan said that he did not like songs.

3. Ram said, “I am wrong.”
   → Ram said that he was wrong.

4. The teacher said, “He is a weak student.”
   → The teacher said that he was a weak student.

5. My father said, “She is writing a letter.”
   → My father said that she was writing a letter.

6. She said, “I have done my work.”
   → She said that she had done her work.

7. Radha said, “Ravi has passed the letter.”
   → Radha said that Ravi had passed the letter.

8. You said, “Ankit is running on the road.”
   → You said that Ankit was running on the road.

9. My mother said, “I played well.”
   → My mother said that she had played well.

10. Ramesh said, “My sister will never tell a lie.”
    → Ramesh said that his sister would never tell a lie.

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🔹 EXERCISE 2

Change into Indirect Speech

1. He said, “I am well.”
   → He said that he was well.

2. She said, “I am happy.”
   → She said that she was happy.

3. You said, “I write a letter to my father.”
   → You said that you wrote a letter to your father.

4. I said, “I am a student.”
   → I said that I was a student.

5. She said, “I like my house.”
   → She said that she liked her house.

6. He said to her, “You are my brother.”
   → He said to her that she was his brother.

7. Sita said to me, “I will play hockey.”
   → Sita said to me that she would play hockey.

8. Mohan said to him, “I am reading a book.”
   → Mohan said to him that he was reading a book.

9. Hari said to you, “You are laughing.”
   → Hari said to you that you were laughing.

10. He said to her, “I am singing in my house.”
    → He said to her that he was singing in his house.

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🔹 EXERCISE 3

1. Hari said, “I will punish you.”
   → Hari said that he would punish me.

2. You said, “I have no spectacles.”
   → You said that you had no spectacles.

3. Sita said, “I have seen the picture.”
   → Sita said that she had seen the picture.

4. He said to you, “You will go to Agra tomorrow.”
   → He said that I would go to Agra the next day.

5. He said to her, “You cannot read here if you make a noise.”
   → He said to her that she could not read there if she made a noise.

6. They said, “We are not doing well.”
   → They said that they were not doing well.

7. My father said, “I will come here next week.”
   → My father said that he would come there the next week.

8. You said to him, “I will send your book today.”
   → You said to him that you would send his book that day.

9. I said to him, “I did not send your bag yesterday.”
   → I said to him that I had not sent his bag the previous day.

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🔹 EXERCISE 4

1. Sita said, “I am ill.”
   → Sita said that she was ill.

2. Mohan said, “I am bathing in the river.”
   → Mohan said that he was bathing in the river.

3. You said, “Mohan is an honest boy.”
   → You said that Mohan was an honest boy.

4. Ravi said, “I am not singing in the east.”
   → Ravi said that he was not singing in the east.

5. Ram said, “I play cricket.”
   → Ram said that he played cricket.

6. Radha said, “The boy is crying outside.”
   → Radha said that the boy was crying outside.

7. My father said, “The boy has been running since yesterday.”
   → My father said that the boy had been running since the previous day.

8. The teacher said, “The thief will be caught soon.”
   → The teacher said that the thief would be caught soon.

9. The principal said, “Virtue is its own reward.”
   → The principal said that virtue is its own reward.

10. Mohan said, “I will go to Agra.”
    → Mohan said that he would go to Agra.

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🔹 EXERCISE 5

(Yes / No Questions)

1. Ram said to Mohan, “Are you reading a book?”
   → Ram asked Mohan whether he was reading a book.

2. She said to me, “Are you going?”
   → She asked me whether I was going.

3. Mohan said to you, “Do you sing songs?”
   → Mohan asked you whether you sang songs.

4. My father said to her, “Are you coming home today?”
   → My father asked her whether she was coming home that day.

5. She said to him, “Have you completed your work?”
   → She asked him whether he had completed his work.

6. Kamla said to him, “Are they playing hockey?”
   → Kamla asked him whether they were playing hockey.

7. The teacher said to the boys, “Have you done your homework?”
   → The teacher asked the boys whether they had done their homework.

8. The principal said to me, “Have you brought your book today?”
   → The principal asked me whether I had brought my book that day.

9. She said to us, “Have you ever fallen down?”
   → She asked us whether they had ever fallen down.

10. I said to Shyam, “Is your father ill?”
    → I asked Shyam whether his father was ill.

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🔹 EXERCISE 6

(Imperative Sentences)

1. My friend said to me, “Come tomorrow.”
   → My friend asked me to come the next day.

2. The teacher said to the boy, “Sit down.”
   → The teacher told the boy to sit down.

3. The doctor said to the patient, “Do not eat too much.”
   → The doctor advised the patient not to eat too much.

4. Father said to Mohan, “Do not waste time.”
   → Father warned Mohan not to waste time.

5. She said to me, “Write one more letter before you go.”
   → She requested me to write one more letter before I went.

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🔹 EXERCISE 7

1. The teacher said to me, “Learn the lesson.”
   → The teacher advised me to learn the lesson.

2. He said to him, “Help your brother.”
   → He told him to help his brother.

3. She said to me, “Let me play here.”
   → She told me to let her play there.

4. He said to her, “Do not waste time.”
   → He warned her not to waste time.

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🔹 EXERCISE 8

(Optative Sentences)

1. I said to Anand, “May you always be happy.”
   → I wished Anand that he might always be happy.

2. I said, “May God bless you.”
   → I prayed that God might bless you.

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🔹 EXERCISE 9

(Wh-Questions)

1. The teacher said to the boy, “What is your name?”
   → The teacher asked the boy what his name was.

2. Ram said to Shyam, “Why are you sad?”
   → Ram asked Shyam why he was sad.

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🔹 EXERCISE 10

1. He said to me, “Do not go there.”
   → He told me not to go there.

2. She said to her parents, “I will go tomorrow.”
   → She said to her parents that she would go the next day.

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🔹 EXERCISE 11

(Assertive Sentences – Mixed Tenses)

1. He said, “I am very tired.”
   → He said that he was very tired.

2. She said, “I cannot solve this question.”
   → She said that she could not solve that question.

3. Ram said, “I have lost my pen.”
   → Ram said that he had lost his pen.

4. Mohan said, “We are going to the market.”
   → Mohan said that they were going to the market.

5. The boy said, “I will not tell a lie.”
   → The boy said that he would not tell a lie.

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🔹 EXERCISE 12

(Imperative Sentences – Orders / Requests / Advice)

1. The teacher said to the boys, “Work hard.”
   → The teacher advised the boys to work hard.

2. Father said to me, “Respect your elders.”
   → Father advised me to respect my elders.

3. The officer said to the peon, “Bring me a chair.”
   → The officer ordered the peon to bring him a chair.

4. She said to me, “Please help me.”
   → She requested me to help her.

5. He said to the servant, “Do not open the door.”
   → He ordered the servant not to open the door.

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🔹 EXERCISE 13

(Yes / No Questions)

1. He said to me, “Are you ready?”
   → He asked me whether I was ready.

2. She said to him, “Have you finished your work?”
   → She asked him whether he had finished his work.

3. The teacher said to the student, “Do you understand the lesson?”
   → The teacher asked the student whether he understood the lesson.

4. Father said to me, “Will you go to school today?”
   → Father asked me whether I would go to school that day.

5. Mohan said to Ram, “Can you help me?”
   → Mohan asked Ram whether he could help him.

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🔹 EXERCISE 14

(Wh-Questions)

1. She said to me, “Where are you going?”
   → She asked me where I was going.

2. The teacher said to the boy, “Why are you late?”
   → The teacher asked the boy why he was late.

3. Ram said to Shyam, “What are you doing?”
   → Ram asked Shyam what he was doing.

4. The policeman said to the man, “Where do you live?”
   → The policeman asked the man where he lived.

5. Father said to me, “When will you return?”
   → Father asked me when I would return.

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🔹 EXERCISE 15

(Exclamatory & Optative Sentences)

1. He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
   → He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.

2. She said, “Hurrah! We have won the match.”
   → She exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

3. The old man said, “Oh! I am very tired.”
   → The old man exclaimed that he was very tired.

4. He said, “What a beautiful flower it is!”
   → He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.

5. She said, “How foolish I am!”
   → She exclaimed that she was very foolish.

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About Akmal farooqui

I am a lecturer at Saraswati Inter College Bharat Bhari.I have comleted MA And D.el.ed If you have any problems in provided study material you can contact Whatsapp No. 9172644126

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