Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
Narrative change, or converting direct speech into indirect speech, is a fundamental skill in English grammar. It involves reporting what someone said without using their exact words. This transformation necessitates changes in tense, pronouns, and adverbs of time and place to maintain grammatical accuracy and convey the original meaning effectively. Mastering this skill is essential for clear and concise communication, particularly in formal writing and examinations like the UPSC Civil Services Examination, where precise language is highly valued. The following provides the converted narration for each of the given sentences.
Sentence 1: The teacher said to me, "Why are you late?"
This is an interrogative sentence. When converting to indirect speech, we use 'if' or 'whether' and change the tense.
Indirect Speech: The teacher asked me why I was late.
Sentence 2: He said that his mother was just then absent from home.
This sentence is already in indirect speech. However, the phrasing "just then" is somewhat archaic. It can be simplified.
Indirect Speech (Revised): He said that his mother was absent from home at that time.
Sentence 3: A wrote to B, "Your letter reached me here early this morning."
This sentence requires converting direct speech within a reporting verb in the past tense (wrote). We need to adjust the tense and adverbs of time.
Indirect Speech: A wrote to B that his letter had reached him there early that morning.
Sentence 4: Ramesh requested his sister, "Please keep my things ready when I return from my trip tomorrow."
This is a request. We use 'to' before the infinitive when converting requests to indirect speech. Also, 'tomorrow' needs to be changed.
Indirect Speech: Ramesh requested his sister to keep his things ready when he would return from his trip the following day.
Sentence 5: He said, "What a strange man you are!"
This is an exclamatory sentence. When converting to indirect speech, we use 'that' and express the exclamation as a statement.
Indirect Speech: He said that you were a very strange man.
Summary of Changes
- Tense Changes: Past Simple to Past Perfect, Present Simple to Past Simple, etc.
- Pronoun Changes: 'I' to 'he/she', 'you' to 'he/she/they', 'my' to 'his/her/their', etc.
- Time Expressions: 'Today' to 'that day', 'Tomorrow' to 'the next day/the following day', 'Here' to 'there', 'This' to 'that', etc.
- Reporting Verbs: 'Said' can be replaced with 'told', 'asked', 'requested', 'exclaimed', etc., depending on the sentence's nature.
| Direct Speech Feature | Indirect Speech Change |
|---|---|
| Tense | Backshifting (e.g., Present Simple -> Past Simple) |
| Pronouns | Change according to the context |
| Time Adverbs | Adjust to reflect the change in reporting time |
| Place Adverbs | Often changed to reflect the speaker's perspective |
Conclusion
Successfully converting direct speech to indirect speech requires a thorough understanding of grammatical rules and careful attention to detail. The key lies in accurately adjusting the tense, pronouns, and time/place expressions to maintain the original meaning while adhering to the conventions of indirect speech. Practicing with various sentence structures is crucial for mastering this skill, which is essential for effective written and verbal communication.
Answer Length
This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.