Introduction (प्रस्तावना): Direct Indirect
English Grammar में Narration (Direct Indirect Speech) एक बहुत ही important topic है।
जब हम किसी व्यक्ति की कही हुई बात को exact words में या अपनी भाषा में बताते हैं, तो इसे Narration कहते हैं।
हम रोज़ की life में भी ऐसा करते हैं:
Ram said, “I am busy.”
= Ram said that he was busy.
यानी किसी की बात को बताने (report करने) का तरीका ही Narration कहलाता है।
Narration की Definition
Narration means telling or reporting what someone has said.
या
Narration is the way of reporting someone’s speech.
सरल शब्दों में:
किसी के कहे हुए words को बताना ही Narration कहलाता है।
Narration के दो प्रकार होते हैं:
Direct Speech (Direct Narration)
जब speaker के exact words उसी रूप में लिखे जाते हैं, तो उसे Direct Speech कहते हैं।
Rules:
- Inverted commas (” “) का use होता है
- Exact words same रहते हैं
Examples:
Ram said, “I am tired.”
She said, “I will come tomorrow.”
2 Indirect Speech / Reported Speech
जब हम किसी के words का meaning अपने words में बताते हैं, तो उसे Indirect / Reported Speech कहते हैं।
Rules:
- Inverted commas नहीं होते
- Sentence का tense, pronoun, time आदि बदल जाते हैं
Examples:
Ram said that he was tired.
She said that she would come the next day.
Important Terms of Narration( Direct Indirect )
Reporting Verb
जो verb sentence में speech को introduce करता है।
Ram said, “I am happy.”
(said = Reporting Verb)
Reported Speech
जो बात कही गई है।
“I am happy.” = Reported Speech
Rule 1: Change of Tense (काल बदलने का नियम) –
जब Reporting Verb (said, told, etc.) Past Tense में होता है, तो Reported Speech का tense बदल जाता है।
लेकिन अगर Reporting Verb Present या Future में हो, तो tense नहीं बदलता।
Case 1: जब Reporting Verb PAST में हो (said, told)
Tense Change Chart (Complete)
Direct Speech (Reported Speech) | Indirect Speech में बदलेगा |
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 |
Past Perfect | Past Perfect (No change) |
Past Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous (No change) |
Will / Shall | Would / Should |
Can | Could |
May | Might |
Must | Had to |
Examples (Each Tense)
He said, “I write a letter.”
→ He said that he wrote a letter.
She said, “I am writing a letter.”
→ She said that she was writing a letter.
He said, “I have written a letter.”
→ He said that he had written a letter.
- Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
She said, “I have been writing a letter.”
→ She said that she had been writing a letter.
- Past Indefinite → Past Perfect
He said, “I wrote a letter.”
→ He said that he had written a letter.
- Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
She said, “I was writing a letter.”
→ She said that she had been writing a letter.
- Future (will) → would
He said, “I will write a letter.”
→ He said that he would write a letter.
- Can → Could
He said, “I can solve this sum.”
→ He said that he could solve that sum.
- May → Might
She said, “I may come today.”
→ She said that she might come that day.
- Must → Had to
He said, “I must work hard.”
→ He said that he had to work hard.
Case 2: जब Reporting Verb PRESENT या FUTURE में हो
अगर Reporting Verb है:
- says / says to / tells / will say / has said etc.
तो tense change नहीं होता
Examples:
He says, “I am tired.”
→ He says that I am tired. (No change)
He will say, “I am ready.”
→ He will say that he is ready. (No change)
Case 3: Universal Truth / Habitual Fact
अगर sentence सच्चाई / नियम / universal truth बताता है, तो tense नहीं बदलता, भले ही reporting verb past में हो।
Examples:
The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
→ The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.
He said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
→ He said that honesty is the best policy.
Note:
यदि Reporting Verb = Past → Tense change होगा
यदि Reporting Verb = Present/Future → Tense change नहीं होगा
यदि Sentence = Universal Truth → Tense change नहीं होगा
Rule 2: Change of Pronoun (सर्वनाम बदलने का नियम)
Indirect Speech में Pronoun को बदलते समय हमें 3 चीज़ें ध्यान रखनी होती हैं:
Subject के अनुसार Pronoun बदलता है:
- First Person → Reporting Verb के Subject के अनुसार
- Second Person → Reporting Verb के Object के अनुसार
- Third Person → No change
Step-by-step Explanation with Examples
- First Person Pronouns (I, we, me, my, our, etc.)
ये Reporting Verb के SUBJECT के according बदलते हैं।
Example:
Ram said, “I am poor.”
→ Ram said that he was poor.
(Ram = subject, so I → he)
Sita said, “We are ready.”
→ Sita said that they were ready.
Change Pronoun (Person change rule)
In reported speech:
We → becomes they
Because:
- “We” is spoken by Sita
- But in indirect speech, the speaker becomes third person
So:
We → They
- Second Person Pronouns (you, your, etc.)
ये Reporting Verb के OBJECT के according बदलते हैं।
Example:
He said to me, “You are clever.”
→ He said to me that I was clever.
(object = me, so you → I)
The teacher said to the boys, “You are late.”
→ The teacher said to the boys that they were late.
- Third Person Pronouns (he, she, they, etc.)
इनमें कोई change नहीं होता।
Example:
He said, “She is ill.”
→ He said that she was ill. (No change)
Personal Pronoun Table ( Direct Indirect)
Base Pronoun | Subject Pronoun | Object Pronoun | Possessive Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun |
I | I | me | mine | myself |
We | we | us | ours | ourselves |
You (singular) | you | you | yours | yourself |
You (plural) | you | you | yours | yourselves |
He | he | him | his | himself |
She | she | her | hers | herself |
It | it | it | its | itself |
They | they | them | theirs | themselves |
How to Read This Table (For Students)
Example (He):
He (subject) → him (object) → his (possessive) → himself (reflexive)
Rule 3: Change of Time, Place & Other Words In Direct Indirect
(समय, स्थान और पास-दूर बताने वाले शब्दों का बदलाव)
जब Reporting Verb Past Tense में होता है, तो Reported Speech में आने वाले:
- समय (time) के words
- स्थान (place) के words
- पास-दूर (this/that, here/there) बताने वाले words
change हो जाते हैं।
Complete Change Table (Very Important)
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 | the previous night |
next day / next week | the following day / the following week |
ago | before |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
come | go |
bring | take |
Examples
now → then
He said, “I am busy now.”
→ He said that he was busy then.
today → that day
She said, “I will go today.”
→ She said that she would go that day.
yesterday → the previous day
He said, “I met him yesterday.”
→ He said that he had met him the previous day.
tomorrow → the next day
She said, “I will come tomorrow.”
→ She said that she would come the next day.
here → there
He said, “I live here.”
→ He said that he lived there.
this → that
She said, “This is my book.”
→ She said that that was her book.
these → those
He said, “These are my shoes.”
→ He said that those were his shoes.
ago → before
He said, “I came here two days ago.”
→ He said that he had gone there two days before.
come → go
He said, “I will come tomorrow.”
→ He said that he would go the next day.
bring → take
She said, “Bring my bag.”
→ She told him to take her bag.
Note:- If reporting verb is in past tense, words showing time, place and nearness are changed.
Rule 4: Change of Reporting Verb, Linking Word & Removal of Inverted Commas In Direct Indirect
(Reporting Verb, “that/if/to” और Inverted Commas बदलने का नियम) – COMPLETE
Direct Speech से Indirect Speech बनाते समय हमें 3 काम करने होते हैं:
Part 1: Inverted Commas हटाना
Direct Speech में जो ” ” (inverted commas) होते हैं,
Indirect Speech में उन्हें हटा दिया जाता है।
Example:
He said, “I am tired.”
→ He said that he was tired.
Part 2: Comma ( , ) हटाना
Reporting Verb के बाद जो comma ( , ) होता है,
Indirect Speech में वह भी हटा दिया जाता है।
Example:
He said, “I am happy.”
→ He said that he was happy.
(Comma गायब)
Part 3: सही Linking Word लगाना
(That / If / Whether / To)
Sentence के type के according linking word लगता है:
(A) Assertive Sentence → that
He said, “I am poor.”
→ He said that he was poor.
She said, “I like tea.”
→ She said that she liked tea.
कई बार “that” हट भी सकता है, लेकिन exam में लगाना safe रहता है।
(B) Interrogative Sentence → if / whether / wh-word
(i) Yes/No type question → if / whether
He said, “Are you ready?”
→ He asked if / whether I was ready.
She said, “Do you like tea?”
→ She asked if / whether I liked tea.
(ii) Wh-word question → same wh-word
He said, “Where do you live?”
→ He asked where I lived.
She said, “Why are you crying?”
→ She asked why I was crying.
(C) Imperative Sentence → to
Imperative sentences में:
- said / said to → बदलकर
ordered / requested / advised / told / asked etc. - और verb से पहले to लगाते हैं
Examples:
The teacher said, “Work hard.”
→ The teacher advised the students to work hard.
He said to me, “Open the door.”
→ He ordered me to open the door.
She said to him, “Please help me.”
→ She requested him to help her.
Negative Imperative → not to
He said, “Do not smoke.”
→ He advised me not to smoke.
The teacher said, “Do not make noise.”
→ The teacher ordered the students not to make noise.
Part 4: Change of Reporting Verb (said → asked / told / advised etc.) In Direct Indirect
Sentence के meaning के according said / said to बदलता है:
Sentence Type | New Reporting Verb |
Statement | said / told |
Question | asked / inquired |
Order | ordered / commanded |
Request | requested / begged |
Advice | advised |
Suggestion | suggested |
Warning | warned |
Note:
In indirect speech, inverted commas and comma are removed and suitable linking words (that, if, to, etc.) and reporting verbs are used.
In Short:
- Inverted commas हटते हैं
2. Comma हटता है
3. Sentence type के अनुसार that / if / wh-word / to लगता है
4. “said” बदलकर asked / advised / ordered / requested etc. हो सकता है
Rule 5: Change of Sentence Structure In Direct In direct
(Sentence के प्रकार के अनुसार structure बदलने का नियम) – COMPLETE
Direct Speech से Indirect Speech बनाते समय हमें सिर्फ tense, pronoun या time ही नहीं बदलना होता,
बल्कि sentence का structure भी उसके type के अनुसार बदलना होता है।
English में मुख्य रूप से 4 types के sentences होते हैं:
- Assertive (Statement)
- Interrogative (Question)
- Imperative (Order/Request/Advice)
- Exclamatory (Feeling)
- Optative(wish) (curse) (blessing)
Assertive Sentence In Direct indirect
Rule:
- that का use करें
- Normal statement structure रखें
- said / told का use करें
Examples:
He said, “I am poor.”
→ He said that he was poor.
She said to me, “I like tea.”
→ She told me that she liked tea.
Interrogative Sentence (Question) In Direct Indirect
Common Rules:
- said → asked / inquired
- Question mark (?) हटा दें
- Helping verb (do/does/did) हटा दें
- Sentence को statement order (S + V) में लिखें
(A) Yes / No Type Questions
Rule:
- if / whether का use करें
Examples:
He said, “Are you ready?”
→ He asked if I was ready.
She said to him, “Do you like tea?”
→ She asked him whether he liked tea.
(B) Wh-word Type Questions
Rule:
- Wh-word same रहता है (what, where, why, etc.)
- But sentence becomes statement order
Examples:
He said, “Where do you live?”
→ He asked where I lived.
She said, “Why are you crying?”
→ She asked why I was crying.
Imperative Sentence In Direct Indirect (Order / Request / Advice / Suggestion)
पहचान:
- Sentence verb से start होता है
(Open, Go, Sit, Do, Please, etc.)
Rules:
- said / said to → बदलकर:
ordered / requested / advised / told / begged etc. - Verb से पहले to लगाते हैं
- Negative में: not to
(A) Order / Command:
The officer said, “Stand up.”
→ The officer ordered them to stand up.
(B) Request:
He said, “Please help me.”
→ He requested me to help him.
(C) Advice:
The teacher said, “Work hard.”
→ The teacher advised the students to work hard.
(D) Negative Imperative: Direct Indirect
He said, “Do not smoke.”
→ He advised me not to smoke.
Exclamatory Sentence (Feeling / Emotion) In Direct Indirect
पहचान:
- What / How से शुरू होता है
- या (!) sign लगा होता है
Rules:
- said → exclaimed / cried / shouted (according to feeling)
- that का use करें
- ! हटाकर normal sentence बनाएं
- Words like: very, great, big आदि add कर सकते हैं
Examples:
He said, “What a beautiful flower!”
→ He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful flower.
She said, “How sad the news is!”
→ She exclaimed that the news was very sad.
He said, “Alas! I am ruined.”
→ He exclaimed with sorrow that he was ruined.
Optative Sentence in Narration (Direct Indirect)
Rule:
- said → wished / prayed / blessed / cursed (meaning के अनुसार)
- that का use होता है
- May हटा दी जाती है
Examples:
He said, “May you live long!”
→ He wished that I might live long.
She said, “May God bless you!”
→ She prayed that God might bless me.
He said, “May he fail!”
→ He cursed that he might fail.
He said, “Long live our country!”
→ He wished that our country might live long
Special Case in Narration( Direct Indirect)
Narration में “Good morning, Good bye, Happy New Year, Congratulations, Thanks” जैसे sentences को Special Case माना जाता है।
इन्हें normal assertive / exclamatory की तरह नहीं बदलते, बल्कि इनके लिए special reporting verbs use होते हैं।
जब Direct Speech में ये words हों:
- Good morning / Good evening / Good night
- Good bye / Farewell
- Happy New Year / Happy Birthday
- Congratulations
- Thank you / Thanks
- Welcome
तो Indirect Speech में हम said का use नहीं करते, बल्कि:
wished / greeted / congratulated / thanked / bade आदि verbs use करते हैं।
Common Reporting Verbs Table
Direct Words | Indirect में Verb |
Good morning / Good evening / Welcome | greeted |
Good bye / Farewell | bade |
Happy New Year / Happy Birthday | wished |
Congratulations | congratulated |
Thank you / Thanks | thanked |
Examples (Very Important)
- Good morning
He said to me, “Good morning.”
→ He greeted me.
She said to the teacher, “Good evening.”
→ She greeted the teacher
- Good bye / Farewell
He said to me, “Good bye.”
→ He bade me good bye.
She said, “Farewell, my friends.”
→ She bade her friends farewell.
- Happy New Year / Happy Birthday
He said to me, “Happy New Year.”
→ He wished me a happy new year.
She said to him, “Happy Birthday.”
→ She wished him a happy birthday.
- Congratulations
He said to me, “Congratulations!”
→ He congratulated me.
The teacher said to the boy, “Congratulations on your success.”
→ The teacher congratulated the boy on his success.
- Thank you / Thanks
He said to me, “Thank you.”
→ He thanked me.
She said to him, “Thanks for your help.”
→ She thanked him for his help.
- Welcome
He said to me, “Welcome!”
→ He welcomed me.
30 MCQs on Direct Indirect speech
Q1. Indirect speech is also called:
- A) Direct speech
B) Active speech
C) Reported speech
D) Passive speech
Q2. The verb that introduces the speech is called:
- A) Main verb
B) Helping verb
C) Reporting verb
D) Object
Q3. “He said, ‘I am happy.’ ” This is:
- A) Indirect speech
B) Direct speech
C) Passive
D) Optative
Q4. “He said that he was happy.” This is:
- A) Direct
B) Indirect
C) Active
D) Passive
Q5. If reporting verb is in past, tense of reported speech:
- A) Never changes
B) Always changes
C) Sometimes changes
D) Remains future
Q6. “now” changes into:
- A) today
B) then
C) there
D) that
Q7. “tomorrow” changes into:
- A) yesterday
B) that day
C) the next day
D) before
Q8. “I” changes according to:
- A) Object
B) Tense
C) Subject of reporting verb
D) Verb
Q9. “You” changes according to:
- A) Subject
B) Object of reporting verb
C) Tense
D) Adverb
Q10. “He said, ‘The sun rises in the east.’ ” In indirect, tense will:
- A) Change
B) Become past
C) Not change
D) Become future
Q11. In assertive sentences we use:
- A) if
B) whether
C) to
D) that
Q12. In Yes/No questions we use:
- A) that
B) to
C) if / whether
D) because
Q13. In Wh-questions we keep:
- A) that
B) if
C) same wh-word
D) to
Q14. Imperative sentences take:
- A) that
B) if
C) to / not to
D) whether
Q15. “He said, ‘Open the door.’ ” becomes:
- A) He said that open the door
B) He ordered to open the door
C) He ordered me to open the door
D) He told that open the door
Q16. Negative imperative uses:
- A) no
B) don’t
C) not to
D) never
Q17. Exclamatory sentences use reporting verb like:
- A) said
B) told
C) exclaimed
D) asked
Q18. Optative sentences express:
- A) Order
B) Question
C) Wish / prayer
D) Statement
Q19. “May you succeed!” is:
- A) Imperative
B) Exclamatory
C) Optative
D) Assertive
Q20. “Good morning” in indirect becomes:
- A) said
B) told
C) greeted
D) asked
Q21. “Thank you” in indirect becomes:
- A) greeted
B) thanked
C) wished
D) bade
Q22. “Congratulations!” in indirect becomes:
- A) thanked
B) wished
C) congratulated
D) greeted
Q23. “Good bye” in indirect becomes:
- A) wished
B) bade
C) thanked
D) greeted
Q24. “here” changes into:
- A) this
B) that
C) there
D) then
Q25. “ago” changes into:
- A) before
B) then
C) there
D) that
Q26. “will” changes into:
- A) shall
B) would
C) should
D) may
Q27. “can” changes into:
- A) may
B) could
C) should
D) must
Q28. “He said, ‘Are you ready?’ ” becomes:
- A) He said that I was ready
B) He asked if I was ready
C) He asked that I was ready
D) He told if I was ready
Q29. “She said, ‘Where do you live?’ ” becomes:
- A) She asked where did I live
B) She asked where I lived
C) She asked where do I live
D) She said where I lived
Q30. Narration means:
- A) Changing active to passive
B) Telling someone’s words
C) Changing tense
D) Changing voice
Answer Key:
1-C, 2-C, 3-B, 4-B, 5-B, 6-B, 7-C, 8-C, 9-B, 10-C,
11-D, 12-C, 13-C, 14-C, 15-C, 16-C, 17-C, 18-C, 19-C, 20-C,
21-B, 22-C, 23-B, 24-C, 25-A, 26-B, 27-B, 28-B, 29-B, 30-B
अगर आपको Narration (Direct Indirect Speech) यह पोस्ट useful लगी हो, तो इसे अपने दोस्तों के साथ share जरूर करें और कोई भी doubt हो तो comment में पूछें।
Also Read :Active Passive Voice in Hindi – Rules, Chart, 10 Examples & Exercises

