WHAT IS SPEECH?

TYPES OF SPEECH – DIRECT/INDIRECT

• When we report what someone has said, we can
do it in two ways:
• Direct Speech
e.g.: Ram said to Shyam, “I am busy today.”
• Indirect Speech
e.g.: Ram told Shyam that he was busy that day.
• The change of direct to indirect and vice-versa is
done through Rules of Narration
(General/Special).
 SOME IMPORTANT TERMS
• Before learning Rules of Narration, one must
know certain terms. Let’s understand them
through example:
• Ram said to Shyam, “I am busy today.”
1. Reporting Verb – said
2. Reported Speech – “I am busy today.”
3. Verb of the Reported Speech – am.
 GENERAL RULES OF NARRATION
• Change of person
• Change of tense
• Change of other parts of speech

1. CHANGE OF PERSON – SON—Formula

1 2 3
S O N
1 – First Person S – Subject
2 – Second Person O – Object
3 – Third Person N – No change
 CHANGE OF PERSON
• EXAMPLES
1. Direct: He said to me, “I am writing.”
Indirect: He told me that he was writing.
2. Direct: He said to us, “You are writing.”
Indirect: He told us that we were writing.
3. Direct: He said to you, “You are writing.”
Indirect: He told you that you were writing.
4. Direct: He said to me, “You are writing.”
Indirect: He said to me that I was writing.
5. Direct: He said, “You have passed the examination.”
Indirect: He said that he/I (the person spoken to) had
passed the examination.
 SPECIAL RULES FOR CHANGE OF PERSON
1. Third person of reported speech never changes.
2. If ‘we’ is used in a sentence for whole human species, no change in
person.
• E.g.:
• Direct: He said to me, “We are mortal.”
• Indirect: He told me that we are mortal.
3. If any newspaper editor uses the word ‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’ in the
reported speech, they will be changed to ‘it’ or ‘its’.
• E.g.:
• Direct: The Hindustan Times says, “Our office will remain closed on
Sunday next.”
• Indirect: The Hindustan Times says that its office will remain closed
Sunday next.
 SPECIAL RULES FOR CHANGE OF PERSON

4. If both the subject and object of reporting verb are

in third person, then the first and second person of
the reported speech will be changed to third person.
But, for clear understanding, noun/pronoun related
to pronoun will be notified.
E.g.:
• Direct: Mohan said to Sohan, “You are wrong,
but I am right.”
• Indirect: Mohan told Sohan that he (Sohan) was
wrong but he (Mohan) was right.
 CHANGE OF TENSE
• RULES –
• If reporting verb is in present or future tense,
there will be no change in the verb of the
reported speech.
• If reporting verb is in past tense, the verb of
the reported speech will change its tense
according to the given tense chart.
 CHANGE OF TENSE
• EXAMPLES
1. Direct: The teacher says, “The boy was intelligent.”
Indirect: The teacher says that the boy was intelligent.
2. Direct: “The principal will say, “I shall punish
Mohan.”
Indirect: The principal will say that he will punish
Mohan.
3. Direct: Guddu said, “Chandan works very hard.”
Indirect: Guddu said that Chandan worked very
hard.
CHANGE OF OTHER PARTS
OF SPEECH
 EXERCISES
1. He says to me, “I am your friend.”
2. He says to me, “You are my friend.”
3. I will tell him, “You have not sent me the computer.”
4. The Magistrate will say, “This is my verdict and no one can change it.”
5. He said to me, “My father will come tomorrow.”
6. We said, “They can’t cross the river unless the boatmen help them.”
7. He said, “The earth moves round the sun.”
8. They said, “Time and tide wait for none.”
9. He said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
10. The teacher said, “The English left India in 1947.”
11. He said, “The earth moves round the sun.”
 REPORTED SPEECH HAVING UNIVERSAL TRUTH,
HABITUAL FACT, PROVERBIAL TRUTH, HISTORICAL FACT
• Direct: The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
• Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
• Direct: She said, “Two and two is four.”
• Indirect: She said that two and two is four.
• Direct: He said, “India became free on 15th August 1947.
• Indirect: He said that India became free on 15th August 1947.
• Direct: She said, “I drink two glass of milk daily.”
• Indirect: She said that she drinks two glass of milk daily.
• Direct: He said, “Karim was singing while Mohan was eating.”
• Indirect: He said that Karim was singing while Mohan was eating.
• Direct: She said to me, “If I were a bird, I would fly to you.”
• Indirect: She said to me if she were a bird, she would fly to me.