Grammar - Change of Narration







Change of Narration

Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)
Direct Speech/Narration: When the exact words used by the speaker are reproduced by the person reporting what the speaker has said/says/will say, the speech is known as the direct speech/narration.
Indirect Speech:  when the narrator reproduces in his own words what the speaker has said/says/will say, the speech is said to be the indirect/reported speech/narration.
Change of Speech/Narration
Direct to Indirect: Three basic types of changes are effected while changing direct speech into indirect speech. Rules to be followed for these are given below:
  1. Rules applicable to all types of sentences
  1. Change of Pronouns: The following formula is followed for the change of pronouns:  
           1 ---- S
                    2 --- O
                   3 --- N
This formula, known as the 1,2,3 son formula, says that
  1. The pronouns belonging to the first person in the reported speech are changed into the person of the subject of the reporting verb.
  2. The pronouns belonging to the second person in the reported speech are changed into the person of the object of the reporting verb.
  3. The pronouns belonging to the third person in the reported speech are not changed.
It is to be remembered that we have to change only the person of the pronouns. The case, number and gender (where gender distinction is there) remain unchanged. The following table will clarify what has been said here.
Person
Sub.
Sing.
Sub.
Pl.
Ob.
Sing.
Ob.
Pl.
Poss.
Adj.
Sing.
Poss.
Adj.
Pl.
Poss.
Nom.
Sing.
Possessive
Nominal
Pl.
Reflexive.
Sing.
Reflexive.
Pl.
first
i
we
me
us
my
our
mine
ours
myself
ourselves
second
you
you
you
you
your
your
yours
yours
yourself
yourselves
Third
Masc.
he
they
him
them
his
their
his
theirs
himself
themselves
Third
Fem.
she
they
her
them
her
their
hers
theirs
herself
themselves
We have to remember that while effecting the change of pronouns, we have to remain within the column. Crossing the columns is not allowed because doing so means changing the case/number/gender.
Change of Tense:
  1. If the reporting verb is in the present tense or future tense, no change is made in the tense of the reported speech.
  2. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verb is changed according to the following rules:
Present tenses                change into          corresponding past tenses
Past indefinite                changes into          past perfect
Past continuous              changes into          past continuous
Past perfect                       No change
Past perfect continuous         no change
Future tenses                 will or shall changes into would.
                                         Shall changes into should only in questions containing a                    
                                         Proposal, a request for permission or an offer of help.    
Can (possibility or ability)      changes into    could  
Can (performance)                   changes into      was/were able to
May                                        changes into           might   
Must (present)                    changes into           had to
Must (future)                       changes into          would have to
  1. If the reported speech contains a universal truth, a habitual fact or a scientific or geographical truth, the tense of the reported speech is not changed even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
Words denoting nearness or remoteness (distance) in place or time
Some words denoting nearness or remoteness (distance) in place or time are also changed as follows if the tense of the verbs is changed in accordance with the above rules.
This ………that,      these …………..those,        here ……….. there     now ……..then
Hence ………. Thence,       hither ……… thither     today …….. that day
Yesterday …… the previous day or the day before,
Tomorrow ………. The next day or the day after
Last week/ month/year ………. The previous week/month/year
  1. Sentence type specific rules:
  1. Affirmative Sentences or Statements
  1. The reporting verb say is change into tell, inform etc. if the object is present. If there is no object, tell can be retained or changed into announce, declare, state, affirm, announce, promise etc. according to the sense.
  2. Inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’. Sometimes, no conjunction is used in their place.  
  1. Interrogative Sentences or Questions
  1. Yes/No Questions
  1. The reporting verb say is changed to ask or inquire. If the object is present, it comes directly after ask. But if inquire is used, the preposition ‘of’ is inserted before the object. ‘Demand’ or ‘want to know’ can also sometimes be used. Even the verb ‘wonder’ can be used in some cases.
  2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘if’ or ‘whether’.
  3. The helping verb is moved after the subject.
  4. The question mark is replaced by the period (full stop).
  1. Wh—questions
  1. The reporting verb ‘say’ is replace by ‘ask’ etc. as in the case of yes/no questions
  2. The inverted commas are removed but no conjunction is used in their place.
  3. The helping verb is moved behind the subject. However, in some sentences beginning with an interrogative adjective or pronoun, it is already placed behind the subject and we do not have to move it. This is   the case when the question word itself is the subject.
  4. The question mark at the end is replaced by the period (full stop).
  1. Imperative sentences or commands
  1. The reporting verb say is replaced by request or order/command or advise according to the sense.
  2. If there is no object after the reporting verb, it has to be supplied before the sentence ic changed into the indirect.
  3. The inverted commas are replaced by ‘to’. If the command is a negative one, do is removed and ‘not is placed before ‘to’. If the command begins with the word ‘always’ or ‘never’, ‘to’ is placed after these words.
  4. The form of the verbs in the imperative mood is not changed. But when the indicative mood comes in, normal tense change rules begin to be applied.
  1. Imperatives beginning with ‘let’.
Request or permission
If an imperative sentence beginning with ‘let’ is a request for permission or an advice/counsel, it can be changed like the other imperative sentences not beginning with ‘let’.
However, if it contains a suggestion or proposal, a different set of rules has to be applied.
Proposal or suggestion
  1. The reporting verb say is replaced by the verb suggest or propose.
  2. Inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction that.
  3. The word ‘let’ is omitted and the case of the pronoun following it is changed from objective to subjective.
  4. The subject is then followed by ‘should’.
  5. The rules for the change of pronouns are also different. The person of the pronoun us is changed as follows:
If either the subject or the object is in the first person, it continues to be in the first person.
If neither of the two is in the first person but one of the two is in the second person, it changes into the second person.
If both the subject and the object are in the third person, it changes into the third person.
  1. The other rules relating to the change of tense etc. are applied.
  1. Exclamatory sentences
  1. Beginning with an exclamatory interjection
Important interjections and their meanings:
Hurrah – joy,            Alas – sorrow, regret, grief           Bravo – Applause,
Oh – wonder/surprise, joy, appreciation, admiration,     Ah – regret, sorrow, grief
  1. The reporting verb say is replaced by ‘exclaim with joy, sorrow, wonder, admiration, appreciation, applause, regret, delight etc. as the case may be. ‘Exclaim joyfully, sorrowfully etc. may also be used.
  2. The conjunction ‘that replaces the inverted commas.
  3. The interjection is then omitted.
  4. If the sentence that follows the interjection is an ordinary affirmative sentence, it is given after ‘that’ with due changes of tense, pronouns etc.
  5. If the sentence following the interjection is an exclamation beginning with what or how, it is changed as explained in the next section.
  6. The sign of exclamation is replaced by a period (full stop).
  1. Beginning with what or how
  1. The reporting verb say is changed as explained in the section above.
  2. The conjunction ‘that’ replaces the inverted commas’
  3. The exclamation is changed into an affirmative sentence. (The sentence now starts with the subject, ‘what’ or ‘how’ is omitted and the adverb ‘very’ is inserted before the adjective for emphasizing the emotion.)
  4. The sign of exclamation is replaced by the period (full stop.
  1. Optative sentences
There are two kinds of optatiive sentences. i. Containing a wish
And ii. Containing a blessing or a curse.
Wish
These sentences may begin with ‘I wish’, ‘would that’, ‘oh that’, or ‘oh for’.
  1. The reporting verb say is replaced by wish.
  2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’.
  3. Then the words ‘I wish’, ‘oh that’ or ‘would that’ are omitted and the remaining part of the sentence is given with due changes of tense, pronouns etc.
  4. The sign of exclamation at the end is replaced by the period.
Blessing or curse   
  1. ‘Say’ is replaced by ‘pray’.
  2. The inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction ‘that’.
  3. The modal verb ‘may’ is moved behind the subject.
  4. Due changes of tense and pronouns are made.
  5. Sometimes, ‘bless or ‘curse’ may be used to replace ‘say’. But they must be followed by an object which may be supplied if it is not already there.
  6. When this is the case, the inverted commas are replaced by ‘saying that’ instead of simply ‘that’.

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