📝 Narration
♨️ Direct and Indirect Speech
EXAMPLES OF
Direct Narration
To
Indirect Narration
☑️ ASSERTIVE SENTENCES
Direct : Reja said to me, 'I want to do this work.'
Indirect : Reja said to me that he wanted to do the work.
Direct : He said to me, 'I wonder if the book is available.'
Indirect : He told me that he wondered if the book was available.
Direct : Sadique said to Zaki, "I am going abroad tomorrow."
Indirect : Sadique told Zaki that he was going abroad the next day.
Direct : Mohammad said to me, ''You will get it back soon."
Indirect : Mohammad told me that I would get it (that) back soon.
Direct : You said to me, 'He is a liar and therefore, I do not trust him.'
Indirect : You said to me that he was a liar and you did not trust him.
Direct: They said to me, 'We went to college yesterday.'
Indirect: They said to me that they had gone to college the previous day.
Direct: Kamal said to Badal, ''I shall go to school tomorrow."
Indirect: Kamal said to Badal that he (K) would go to school the next day.
Direct: Nahid said Nazma, "The virtuous are blessed.''
Indirect: Nahid told Nazma that the virtuous are blessed.
Direct: Nawsin said to Rini, '' l will help you if I can."
Indirect: Nawsin told Rini that she (N) would help (R) if she (N) could.
Direct: The Independent says, " We draw the attention of the Mayor of this matter."
Indirect: The Independent says that it draws the attention of the Mayor of that matter.
Direct: Tania said, 'I was writing a letter to my friend.'
Indirect: Tania said that she had been writing a letter to her friend.
Direct: The teacher will say, " I did the work."
Indirect: The teacher will say that he did the work.
Direct: Quashem said to me, " I saw you long ago."
Indirect: Quashem told me that he had seen me long before.
Direct: Aslam said to me, " You were very small when I saw you last."
Indirect: Aslam told me that I had been very small when he had seen me last.
Direct: He said, " That's bad."
Indirect: He said that it was bad.
☑️ INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Direct: Father said to me, "How did you do the work?"
Indirect: Father asked me how I had done the work.
Direct: Ujjal said to Boby, 'Do you hear me?'
Indirect: Ujjal asked Boby if he (B) heard him (U).
Direct: He said to them, 'Do you want to return to Europe?’
Indirect : He asked them if they wanted to return to Europe.
Direct : Anik said to me, 'Why shall I not go there?'
Indirect : Anik asked me why I should not go there.
Direct: Badhan said to Shimi, 'Did you go there in time?'
Indirect : Badhan asked Shimi if she had gone there in time.
Direct: Omar said to me, 'Shall I take your pen?'
Indirect: Omar asked me if he would take my pen.
Direct : I said to him, 'Do you like to read novels?'
Indirect: I asked him if he liked to read novels.
Direct: The man said to you, 'Are you going home tomorrow?'
Indirect: The man asked you if you were going home the next day.
Direct: He said to me, 'Were you reading a book?"
Indirect: He asked me if I had been reading a book.
Direct: He said to you, 'When will you start for Chittagong?'
Indirect: He asked you when you would start for Chittagong.
Direct: The old man said to me, ‘How long have you been staying here?
Indirect: The old man asked me how long I had been staying there.
Direct: He said to me, 'Which book do you want?'
Indirect: He asked me which book I wanted.
Direct: Tareq said to Rafiq, 'Why do you always think about the bad side of things?'
Indirect: Tareq asked Rafiq why he (R) always thought about the bad side of things.
Direct: ''Have you seen her, Jerry?" said the writer.
Indirect: The writer asked Jerry if she had seen her.
Direct: ''Do you find your payment too little?" said the oldest of the girls to the porter.
Indirect: The oldest of the girls asked the porter if he had found his payment too little.
☑️ IMPERATIVE SENTENCES
Direct: He said to me, 'Please lend me a book.'
Indirect: He requested me to lend him a book.
Direct: Azim told me, ''Do it at once."
Indirect: Azim told (ordered) me to do that (it) at once.
Direct: The man said, ''Friends, please help me.''
Indirect: Adressing them as friends, the man requested them to help him.
Direct: The teacher said to the students, ''Do not make a noise in the class room."
Indirect: The teacher advised (ordered) the students not to make a noise in the class room.
Direct: My father said to me, 'Do not waste your time.'
Indirect: My father forbade me to waste my time.
Or, My father told/ordered/advised me not to waste my time.
Direct: I said to him, "Let us drop the matter."
Indirect: I proposed to him that we should drop the matter.
Direct: The General said to the soldiers,
'' March on.''
Indlract: The General ordered (commanded) the soldiers to march on.
Direct: The girl said to her teacher, ''Let me come in.''
Indirect: The girl requested (told) her teacher that she might (might be allowed to) come in.
Direct: The servant said to his master, 'Please excuse me, Sir.'
Indirect: The servant respectfully (with respect) requested his master to excuse him.
Direct: The beggar said to the man, 'Let me have a meal.'
Indirect: The beggar said to the man that he might have a meal.
Direct: I said to him, 'Good-bye.'
Indirect: I bade him good-bye.
Direct: Rahim said to you, ‘Let us go out for a walk.'
Indirect: Rahim proposed to you that you and Rahim should go out for a walk.
Direct: Rahim said, "Let us go out for a walk."
Indlract: Rahim proposed that they should go out for a walk.
Or, Rahim suggested going out for a walk.
☑️ EXCLAMATORY SENTENCES
Direct: The man said, "What a fool I am!"
Indirect : The man exclaimed with sorrow that he was a great fool.
Direct : The boy said, "What a terrible storm it is!"
Indirect : The boy exclaimed with fear that it was a very terrible storm.
Direct : He asid, 'Alas! How worthless I am.'
Indirect : He exclaimed with sorrow that he was very worthless.
Direct : The boy said, 'Hurrah! My father has come.'
Indirect: The boy exclaimed (cried out) with joy that his father had come.
Direct : I said to you, "How obliged are to you to me!"
Indirect : I exclaimed that you were greatly obliged to me.
Direct : The teacher said to him, "How funny you are!"
Indirect : The teacher exclaimed with wonder that he was very funny.
