Narration

Narration refers to the manner in which a story, event, or situation is communicated, whether orally or in writing. It focuses on the technique or style of conveying the information. Narration often involves the use of storytelling methods to engage the audience.

Definition of Narration from other sources:

Oxford English Dictionary: Narration is the action or process of narrating a story or giving an account of something.

Merriam-Webster: Narration is the act or process of telling a story.

Cambridge Dictionary: Narration refers to the act of narrating a story or giving a detailed account of an event or situation.

Narration refers to the way a story or information is conveyed. There are two main types of narration:

1. Direct Narration (Direct Speech)

In direct narration, the exact words of the speaker are quoted. It uses quotation marks (" ") and retains the original tense and pronouns.

Example:

• She said, I am going to the market.

2. Indirect Narration (Indirect Speech or Reported Speech)

In indirect narration, the speaker’s words are reported without quotation marks and with necessary changes in pronouns, tense, and time expressions.

Example:

• She said that she was going to the market.

Other Types of Narration Based on Perspective:

Apart from direct and indirect speech, narration can also be categorized based on the point of view in storytelling:

1. First-Person Narration: The narrator is a character in the story, using 'I' or 'we'.

Example:

• I went to the park and saw a beautiful sunset.

2. Second-Person Narration: The narrator directly addresses the reader using 'you'.

Example:

• You walk into the room and see a mysterious box.

3. Third-Person Narration: The narrator is outside the story and uses 'he', 'she', 'it', or 'they'.

Example:

• She felt nervous before the exam.
• She felt nervous, while her friend was completely confident.

Changes in Pronouns in Narration (Direct to Indirect Speech)

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, pronouns change based on the perspective of the speaker, listener, or subject. The general rules are as follows:

1. First-Person Pronouns (I, We, Me, Us, My, Our): Change according to the subject of the reporting verb.

Example:

• Direct: He said, "I am happy."
• Indirect: He said that he was happy.

2. Second-Person Pronouns (You, Your): Change according to the object of the reporting verb.

Example:

• Direct: She said to me, "You should study".
• Indirect: She told me that I should study.

3. Third-Person Pronouns (He, She, It, They, Him, Her, Them, His, Their): Remain unchanged in indirect speech.

Example:

• Direct: She said, "He is my best friend."
• Indirect: She said that he was her best friend.

Summary Table of Pronoun Changes

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
I	he/she
We	they
Me	him/her
Us	them
My	his/her
Our	their
You	I/we (if referring to the listener) or he/she/they (depending on the context)
Your	my/our/his/her/their (depending on the context)

Changes in Tenses in Narration (Direct to Indirect Speech)

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, the tense of the verb often changes, especially if the reporting verb is in the past tense. This follows the rule of 'backshifting', meaning the tense moves one step back in time.

1. Simple Present → Simple Past

• Direct: He said, "I eat an apple."
• Indirect: He said that he ate an apple.

2. Present Continuous → Past Continuous

• Direct: She said, "I am reading a book."
• Indirect: She said that she was reading a book.

3. Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Direct: He said, "I have finished my work." Indirect: He said that he had finished his work.

4. Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

Direct: She said, "I have been waiting for you." Indirect: She said that she had been waiting for me.

5. Simple Past → Past Perfect

• Direct: He said, "I went to the market."
• Indirect: He said that he had gone to the market.

6. Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous

• Direct: She said, "I was cooking dinner."
• Indirect: She said that she had been cooking dinner.

7. Past Perfect → No Change: Past Perfect remains the same in indirect speech.

• Direct: He said, "I had completed my task."
• Indirect: He said that he had completed his task.

8. Past Perfect Continuous → No Change: Past Perfect Continuous remains the same in indirect speech.

• Direct: She said, "I had been studying for two hours."
• Indirect: She said that she had been studying for two hours.

9. Future (Will) → Would

• Direct: He said, "I will call you."
• Indirect: He said that he would call me.

10. Future Continuous (Will be) → Would be

• Direct: She said, "I will be waiting for you."
• Indirect: She said that she would be waiting for me.

11. Future Perfect (Will have) → Would have

• Direct: He said, "I will have completed the work."
• Indirect: He said that he would have completed the work.

Exceptions (No Tense Change):

1. If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense in indirect speech remains unchanged.

• Direct: He says, "I like coffee."
• Indirect: He says that he likes coffee.

2. If the statement expresses a universal truth or general fact, no backshifting occurs.

• Direct: The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east."
• Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

When changing direct speech to indirect speech (also called reported speech), certain time and place words change to reflect the shift in perspective. Here are the common changes:

Changes in Time Words:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
now	then
today	that day
tonight	that night
yesterday	the previous day / the day before
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
last night/week/month/year	the previous night/week/month/year or the night before
next week/month/year	the following week/month/year
ago	before

Example:

• Direct: She said, 'I am coming today'.
• Indirect: She said that she was coming that day.

Changes in Place Words:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
here	there
this	that
these	those

Example:

• Direct: He said, 'I will meet you here'.
• Indirect: He said that he would meet me there.

These changes ensure that the reported speech makes sense from the new speaker's point of view.

Converting direct speech to indirect speech involves several changes in pronouns, tenses, time expressions, and sentence structure. Here are the key rules:

1. Change of Pronouns

The pronoun in indirect speech changes according to the subject and object of the reporting verb.

• Direct: He said, "I am tired."
• Indirect: He said that he was tired.

2. Change of Tenses

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech generally moves one step back (except for universal truths and habitual facts).

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Simple → Past Simple	"I like coffee," she said. → She said that she liked coffee.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous	"I am reading," he said. → He said that he was reading.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect	"I have finished," she said. → She said that she had finished.
Past Simple → Past Perfect	"I visited Paris," he said. → He said that he had visited Paris.
Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous	"I was playing," she said. → She said that she had been playing.

No tense change when the reporting verb is in present/future tense:

• Direct: She says, "I am happy."
• Indirect: She says that she is happy.

No tense change for universal truths:

• Direct: The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east."
• Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

3. Change of Time & Place Expressions

Certain words in direct speech change when reported:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Now → Then	"I am busy now," he said. → He said that he was busy then.
Today → That day	"I will go today," she said. → She said that she would go that day.
Tomorrow → The next day	"I will come tomorrow," he said. → He said that he would come the next day.
Yesterday → The previous day	"I saw her yesterday," he said. → He said that he had seen her the previous day.
Here → There	"I am here," she said. → She said that she was there.
This → That	"I like this book," he said. → He said that he liked that book.

4. Change in Modal Verbs

• Will → Would
  • Direct: She said, "I will call you."
  • Indirect: She said that she would call me.
• Can → Could
  • Direct: He said, "I can swim."
  • Indirect: He said that he could swim.
• May → Might
  • Direct: She said, "It may rain."
  • Indirect: She said that it might rain.
• Must → Had to
  • Direct: He said, "I must go now."
  • Indirect: He said that he had to go then.

5. Reporting Questions

• Yes/No Questions → Use if/whether
  • Direct: He asked, "Are you coming?"
  • Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
• Wh- Questions → No need for "that"
  • Direct: She asked, "Where do you live?"
  • Indirect: She asked where I lived.

6. Reporting Imperatives (Commands & Requests)

Use ‘to’ for positive commands and ‘not to’ for negative commands

• Direct: He said, "Close the door."
• Indirect: He told me to close the door.
• Direct: She said, "Don’t shout."
• Indirect: She told me not to shout.

7. Reporting Exclamations & Wishes

Use "exclaimed," "wished," or "said with joy/sorrow"

• Direct: He said, "Wow! What a beautiful painting!"
• Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that it was a beautiful painting.
• Direct: She said, "Alas! I lost my purse."
• Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.

In narration (direct and indirect speech), different types of sentences follow specific rules when being converted. The main types of sentences in narration are:

1. Declarative Sentences (Statements)

A declarative sentence is simply a statement — it declares or says something.

• Direct: He said, "I am happy."
• Indirect: He said that he was happy.

2. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

Interrogative sentences in narration refer to questions that are reported (indirectly) in narration. These sentences often start with question words (what, where, why, etc.) or helping verbs (do, does, did, is, are, etc.).

Yes/No Questions

• Direct: She asked, "Do you like coffee?"
• Indirect: She asked if I liked coffee.

WH- Questions

• Direct: He asked, "Where do you live?"
• Indirect: He asked where I lived.

3. Imperative Sentences (Commands, Requests, Advice)

In narration (reported speech), imperative sentences (used for commands, requests, advice, suggestions, etc.) are changed into indirect speech by following rules.

Commands

• Direct: The teacher said, "Finish your homework."
• Indirect: The teacher told me to finish my homework.

Requests

• Direct: She said, "Please help me."
• Indirect: She requested me to help her.

Advice

• Direct: He said, "You should study hard."
• Indirect: He advised me to study hard.

4. Exclamatory Sentences (Expressing Emotions)

Exclamatory sentences are used to express strong emotions like surprise, joy, anger, sorrow, or excitement. When converting these sentences into narration (indirect speech), we do not use the exclamation mark (!) and instead describe the emotion with an appropriate verb or phrase.

• Direct: He said, "Wow! What a beautiful place!"
• Indirect: He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful place.
• Direct: He said, "What a beautiful sunset!"
• Indirect: He exclaimed with wonder that it was a very beautiful sunset.
• Direct: She said, "Alas! I have lost my wallet."
• Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her wallet.
• Direct: They said, "Hurrah! We won the match!"
• Indirect: They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

In narration (direct and indirect speech), reporting verbs play a crucial role in introducing the reported speech. These verbs indicate how something was said, asked, or commanded.

Common Reporting Verbs

1. Say / Tell – Used for general statements.

• Direct: He said, "I am tired."
• Indirect: He said that he was tired.
• Direct: She told me, "I will help you."
• Indirect: She told me that she would help me.

2. Ask / Inquire – Used for questions.

• Direct: He asked, "Where do you live?"
• Indirect: He asked where I lived.
• Direct: She inquired, "Have you finished the project?"
• Indirect: She inquired whether I had finished the project.

3. Order / Command – Used for giving orders.

• Direct: The officer said, "Stand up!"
• Indirect: The officer ordered them to stand up.
• Direct: The teacher said, "Don't talk in class."
• Indirect: The teacher commanded them not to talk in class.

4. Request / Beg / Plead – Used for polite requests or pleas.

• Direct: He said, "Please help me."
• Indirect: He requested me to help him.
• Direct: She said, "I beg you to listen."
• Indirect: She begged me to listen.

5. Advise / Suggest / Recommend – Used for giving advice or suggestions.

• Direct: The doctor said, "You should exercise daily."
• Indirect: The doctor advised me to exercise daily.
• Direct: She said, "Let’s go for a walk."
• Indirect: She suggested that we go for a walk.

6. Promise / Assure / Swear – Used for commitments.

• Direct: He said, "I will never lie to you."
• Indirect: He promised that he would never lie to me.

7. Warn / Threaten – Used for warnings or threats.

• Direct: He said, "Be careful!"
• Indirect: He warned me to be careful.
• Direct: She said, "I will report you if you do this again."
• Indirect: She threatened to report me if I did it again.

Changes in Tense with Reporting Verbs

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reported speech usually shifts back:

• Present → Past (e.g., 'I am happy' → He said he was happy.)
• Past → Past Perfect (e.g., 'I visited Paris' → She said she had visited Paris.)
• Future → Future in the past (e.g., 'I will call you' → He said he would call me.)

Final Notes

• "Say" is not followed by an object, but "tell" must be (e.g., He told me vs. He said to me).
• Questions use "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions.
• Imperatives use "to" for positive commands and "not to" for negative commands.

Reporting questions refers to converting direct questions into indirect (reported) speech. The structure of the sentence changes, and question marks are removed.

Rules for Reporting Questions:

1. Change the reporting verb: Use verbs like asked, inquired, wanted to know, wondered, etc.

Example:

• Direct: He said, “Where is she?”
• Indirect: He asked where she was.

2. Remove the question format: The indirect speech follows a statement structure, not a question format. No question marks (?) in reported speech.

Example:

• Direct: She said, “What are you doing?”
• Indirect: She asked what I was doing.

3. Use 'if' or 'whether' for Yes/No questions: If the direct question is a Yes/No question, use if or whether.

Example:

• Direct: He said, “Do you like ice cream?”
• Indirect: He asked if I liked ice cream.

4. Change the tense (if needed) (Following the rules of tense shifting in reported speech):
- Present → Past
- Past → Past Perfect

Example:

• Direct: She asked, “Where does he live?”
• Indirect: She asked where he lived.

Examples of Reporting Questions:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
He said, “Where are you going?”	He asked where I was going.
She said, “Did you finish your homework?”	She asked if I had finished my homework.
They asked, “Why is she late?”	They asked why she was late.
The teacher said, “Who wrote this?”	The teacher asked who had written that.
He said, “Will you help me?”	He asked if I would help him.

When changing direct speech into indirect speech for commands and requests, we use verbs like ordered, requested, advised, asked, urged, commanded, forbade, etc. The imperative form of the verb in direct speech is changed into an infinitive (`to + verb`) in indirect speech.

1. Reporting Commands

Commands include orders, instructions, and prohibitions.

Rules:

• Use verbs like 'ordered, commanded, instructed, forbade (for negative orders)'.
• Change the verb in the imperative into an infinitive (`to + verb`).
• For negative commands, use 'not to + verb'.

Examples:

• Direct: The teacher said, "Write neatly."
• Indirect: The teacher ordered them to write neatly.
• Direct: The officer said, "Stand up!"
• Indirect: The officer commanded them to stand up.
• Direct: The doctor said, "Don't eat junk food."
• Indirect: The doctor advised me not to eat junk food.
• Direct: He said, "Do not talk during the meeting."
• Indirect: He ordered them not to talk during the meeting.

2. Reporting Requests

Requests are polite commands that often use 'please'.

Rules:

• Use verbs like 'requested, asked, begged, urged'.
• Remove "please" and use to + verb.
• For negative requests, use 'not to + verb'.

Examples:

• Direct: She said, "Please help me."
• Indirect: She requested me to help her.
• Direct: He said to the waiter, "Please bring some water."
• Indirect: He requested the waiter to bring some water.
• Direct: The old man said, "Please don't make noise."
• Indirect: The old man requested them not to make noise.
• Direct: The teacher said, "Please submit your homework on time."
• Indirect: The teacher asked the students to submit their homework on time.

Summary Table

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
"Sit down," he said.	He ordered me to sit down.
"Don’t touch that," she said.	She warned me not to touch that.
"Please open the door," he said.	He requested me to open the door.
"Don’t smoke here," the sign said.	The sign warned people not to smoke there.

When converting direct speech with exclamations and wishes into indirect speech, we follow these rules:

1. Reporting Exclamations

• Change the reporting verb: Use verbs like exclaimed, said with joy/sorrow/surprise, shouted, cried out, remarked, wished, etc.
• Remove the exclamation mark (`!`).
• Use expressions like "with joy," "in sorrow," "in surprise," etc. to convey emotion.
• Change the sentence structure: Exclamatory sentences often become statements.

Example

• Direct: He said, "Wow! What a beautiful painting!"
• Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that it was a very beautiful painting.
• Direct: She said, "Alas! I have lost my purse."
• Indirect: She exclaimed in sorrow that she had lost her purse.

2. Reporting Wishes

• Change the reporting verb: Use verbs like wished, prayed, hoped, longed for, etc.
• Remove interjections like "May" or "Would that."
• Convert the sentence into a statement.

Example

• Direct: He said, "May you live long!"
• Indirect: He wished that I might live long.
• Direct: She said, "Would that I were rich!"
• Indirect: She wished that she were rich.