Narration (Direct-Indirect)
Complete Rules & All Tense Examples
1. Pronoun Change (The SON Rule)
S
1st Person (I, We): Changes according to Subject.
O
2nd Person (You): Changes according to Object.
N
3rd Person (He, She, It, They): No Change.
2. Present Tense Changes (5 Examples Each)
Simple Present → Simple Past
V1 / s-es → V2
- D: He said, “I write.”
I: He said that he wrote. - D: She said, “I love music.”
I: She said that she loved music. - D: They said, “We play.”
I: They said that they played. - D: Ram said, “I go home.”
I: Ram said that he went home. - D: I said, “I eat bread.”
I: I said that I ate bread.
Present Cont. → Past Cont.
is/am/are + ing → was/were + ing
- D: He said, “I am singing.”
I: He said that he was singing. - D: You said, “I am reading.”
I: You said that you were reading. - D: She said, “It is raining.”
I: She said that it was raining. - D: They said, “We are working.”
I: They said that they were working. - D: He said, “I am dancing.”
I: He said that he was dancing.
3. Past Tense Changes (5 Examples Each)
Simple Past → Past Perfect
V2 → had + V3
- D: He said, “I wrote a letter.”
I: He said that he had written a letter. - D: She said, “I went there.”
I: She said that she had gone there. - D: They said, “We won.”
I: They said that they had won. - D: I said, “I saw him.”
I: I said that I had seen him. - D: He said, “She died.”
I: He said that she had died.
Past Cont. → Past Perfect Cont.
was/were + ing → had been + ing
- D: He said, “I was waiting.”
I: He said that he had been waiting. - D: She said, “I was cooking.”
I: She said that she had been cooking. - D: They said, “We were playing.”
I: They said that they had been playing. - D: I said, “I was sleeping.”
I: I said that I had been sleeping. - D: Ram said, “It was raining.”
I: Ram said that it had been raining.
4. Future Tense Changes (5 Examples Each)
Future Simple → Conditional (Would)
will/shall → would/should
- D: He said, “I will go.”
I: He said that he would go. - D: She said, “I will help.”
I: She said that she would help. - D: They said, “We will win.”
I: They said that they would win. - D: I said, “I will come.”
I: I said that I would come. - D: Ram said, “She will sing.”
I: Ram said that she would sing.
5. Imperative (5 Examples)
Rules: Command/Request → Change ‘said’ to ‘ordered/requested’ & use ‘to’
- D: Teacher: “Open the door.”
I: Teacher ordered to open the door. - D: He: “Please help me.”
I: He requested to help him. - D: Doctor: “Take medicine.”
I: Doctor advised to take medicine. - D: Father: “Don’t smoke.”
I: Father forbade to smoke. - D: Captain: “March on.”
I: Captain commanded to march on.
Narration: Continuous & Perfect Tenses
1. Present Perfect → Past Perfect
has/have + V3 → had + V3
- D: He said, “I have finished.”
I: He said that he had finished. - D: She said, “I have lost my key.”
I: She said that she had lost her key. - D: They said, “We have won.”
I: They said that they had won. - D: Ram said, “I have seen it.”
I: Ram said that he had seen it. - D: I said, “I have cooked.”
I: I said that I had cooked.
2. Present Perfect Cont. → Past Perfect Cont.
has/have been + ing → had been + ing
- D: He said, “I have been waiting.”
I: He said that he had been waiting. - D: She said, “It has been raining.”
I: She said that it had been raining. - D: They said, “We have been playing.”
I: They said that they had been playing. - D: You said, “I have been working.”
I: You said that you had been working. - D: He said, “I have been studying.”
I: He said that he had been studying.
3. Past Perfect → NO CHANGE
had + V3 → had + V3 (Remains Same)
- D: He said, “I had already left.”
I: He said that he had already left. - D: She said, “The movie had started.”
I: She said that the movie had started. - D: They said, “We had won the race.”
I: They said that they had won the race. - D: Ram said, “He had died.”
I: Ram said that he had died. - D: I said, “The bird had flown.”
I: I said that the bird had flown.
4. Past Perfect Cont. → NO CHANGE
had been + ing → had been + ing
- D: He said, “I had been living here.”
I: He said that he had been living there. - D: She said, “It had been snowing.”
I: She said that it had been snowing. - D: They said, “We had been dancing.”
I: They said that they had been dancing. - D: Ram said, “He had been running.”
I: Ram said that he had been running. - D: Teacher said, “I had been teaching.”
I: Teacher said that she had been teaching.
5. Future Continuous → Would be
will be + ing → would be + ing
- D: He said, “I will be playing.”
I: He said that he would be playing. - D: She said, “I will be cooking.”
I: She said that she would be cooking. - D: They said, “We will be waiting.”
I: They said that they would be waiting. - D: I said, “I will be sleeping.”
I: I said that I would be sleeping. - D: Ram said, “He will be driving.”
I: Ram said that he would be driving.