Direct and Indirect Speech

1. Universal Truth (सामान्य सत्य)

Statements expressing universal truths do not change their verbs:

• Example (i):

  Direct: The teacher said, "The earth moves round the sun."

  Indirect: The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

• Example (ii):

  Direct: Ram said, "The sun rises in the east."

  Indirect: Ram said that the sun rises in the east.

2. Habitual Facts (आदत से जुड़े तथ्य)

Verbs describing habitual facts remain unchanged:

Example:

Direct: His father said, "I get up early in the morning daily."

Indirect: His father said that he gets up early in the morning daily.

3. Proverbs (मुहावरे)

Proverbs containing universal truths do not change their verbs:

• Example (i):

  Direct: He reminded, "A bad workman quarrels with his tools."

  Indirect: He reminded that a bad workman quarrels with his tools.

• Example (ii):

  Direct: Mohan said, "When the cat is away, the mice will play."

  Indirect: Mohan said that when the cat is away, the mice will play.

4. Historical Facts (ऐतिहासिक तथ्य)

Verbs in historical facts do not change:

Example:

Direct: He said, "Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India."

Indirect: He said that Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India.

Additional Information (विशेष जानकारी)

• (i) "Must" is often changed to "Had to":

  Direct: He said, "I must go."

  Indirect: He said that he had to go.

• (ii) "Must" for rules, permanent orders, or assumptions is not changed:

  • Direct: He said, "Students must respect their teachers."

    Indirect: He said that students must respect their teachers.

  • Direct: The policeman said, "Passengers must not cross the line."

    Indirect: The policeman said that passengers must not cross the line.

  • Direct: He said, "I must leave tomorrow."

    Indirect: He said that he must leave the next day.

• (iii) For states or conditions, past tense verbs do not change even if the reporting verb is in the past:

  • Direct: Ram said, "He was ready."

    Indirect: Ram said that he was ready.

  • Direct: He said, "I lived many years in China."

    Indirect: He said that he lived many years in China.

• (iv) When multiple past tense verbs are present, only the first one changes to past perfect:

  Direct: He said, "I finished the novel two days ago. I then gave it to Ramesh who kept it for a long time."

  Indirect: He said that he had finished the novel two days before, then he gave it to Ramesh, who kept it for a long time.

Assertive Sentences में Reporting Verb तथा Reported Speech को Inverted Commas हटाकर that जोड़ा जाता है। जैसे-

Direct: Ram said to him, "He is reading a book."

Indirect: Ram told him that he was reading a book.

(यहाँ Reporting Verb तथा Reported Speech को that से जोड़ा गया है)

2. Reporting Verb Changes

Reporting Verb के स्थान पर यदि say या says हो तो उसे say या says में किन्तु say to व says to को क्रमाः tell या tells में बदल देते हैं। इस प्रकार के वाक्यों में यह ध्यान रखना चाहिए कि Reported Speech के Verb के Tense में कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होता है। जैसे-

Direct: Ram says to me, "He reads a book."

Indirect: Ram tells me that he reads a book.

विशेष: यदि Reporting Verb का Tense, Present या Future Tense में हो तो Reported Speech का Tense नहीं बदलता है।

3. Proper Nouns as Address

यदि Inverted Commas के अन्दर कोई व्यक्तिवाचक संज्ञा (Proper Noun) सम्बोधन कारक Case of Address के रूप में रहे तो उसे Reporting Verb का Object मानकर Direct से Indirect Speech में बदलना चाहिए। जैसे-

Direct: The teacher said, "Ram, I am pleased with you."

Indirect: The teacher told Ram that he was pleased with him.

4. Common Nouns as Address

यदि Inverted Commas के अन्दर friend, father, mother, brother, sister, ladies and gentlemen आदि Common Noun सम्बोधन के शब्द के रूप में आये हो तो Addressed as से इन्हें जोड़कर Reporting Verb के बाद रख दें। जैसे-

Direct: The President said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I should thank you all."

Indirect: The President addressed as ladies and gentlemen and said that he should thank them all.

Or

Addressing ladies and gentlemen, the President said that he should thank them all.

5. Greetings and Farewell

यदि Inverted Commas के अन्दर स्वागत या विदाई (Welcome or Farewell) जैसे good morning, good night आदि प्रकार के शब्द आयें तो Idiom के अनुसार इसके पहले bid या bade को जोड़कर Reporting Verb के पहले रख देना चाहिए। जैसे-

Direct: My friend said to me, "Good morning, I am happy to see you."

Indirect: My friend bade me good morning and said that he was happy to see me.

6. Multiple Assertive Sentences

यदि Inverted Commas के अन्दर एक से अधिक Assertive Sentences रहें तो उन्हें and से जोड़ देना चाहिए या further/added आदि का प्रयोग कर सभी वाक्यों को मिला देना चाहिए। जैसे-

Direct: The king said, "It is enough. My mother is yet alive. I will go and see her before I die."

Indirect: The king said that it was enough that his mother was yet alive and that he would go and see her before he died.

7. Yes/No in Reported Speech

यदि Inverted Commas के अन्दर yes/no आये तो उनका भाव लेकर replied in the Affirmative or Negative लिख दिया जाता है। जैसे-

Direct: I asked him, "Are you ill?" He said, "Yes."

Indirect: I asked him if he was ill. He replied in the affirmative.

किन्तु यह प्रयोग अच्छा नहीं समझा जाता है, इसलिए इसको इस प्रकार बदलना चाहिए:

Indirect: I asked him if he was ill. He replied that he was.

1. Begining with the helping verb

Definition: Yes/No type Questions सामान्यतः सहायक क्रिया से प्रारम्भ होते हैं जिनका उत्तर हाँ या नहीं में दिया जाता है।

Examples:

• (i) Do you go to school?
• (ii) Are you playing here?

ऐसे वाक्य जो do, does, did, is, am, are, was, were, will, shall, can, may, has, have, had आदि से प्रारम्भ होते हैं, उन्हें Yes/No answer type question कहा जाता है।

2. Wh Type Questions

Definition: ऐसे वाक्य जो प्रश्नवाचक शब्द who, what, where, when, why, whenever से प्रारम्भ होते हैं और जिनका उत्तर Yes या No में नहीं दिया जा सकता है।

Examples:

• (i) Who are you?
• (ii) What are you doing?
• (iii) How are you?

विशेष: सभी प्रश्नवाचक वाक्यों के अन्त में प्रश्नवाचक चिन्ह (?) लगा रहता है।

General Rules for Question Conversion

• Reporting Verb say या tell को ask या enquire में बदल देते हैं।
• सवाल को प्रश्नवाचक से साधारण वाक्य में बदल देते हैं।
• प्रश्नवाचक चिन्ह को हटाकर full stop (.) लगा देते हैं।
• Person या Tense का परिवर्तन Assertive Sentences की तरह होता है।

Special Rules for 'Yes/No' Answer Type Questions

• Inverted Commas हटाने पर that नहीं लगाया जाता, इसके बजाय if या whether का प्रयोग किया जाता है।
• Examples:
• (i) Direct: He said to me, "Are you going to school today?"
• Indirect: He asked me if I was going to school that day.
• (ii) Direct: He said to him, "Will you listen to such a man?"
• Indirect: He enquired him whether he would listen to such a man.
• (iii) Direct: The boy said to him, "Are you ill?"
• Indirect: The boy asked him if he was ill.

Special Rules for Wh Type Questions

• Person, Tense, और समीप वाले शब्द Assertive Sentence की भाँति ही बदले जाते हैं।
• इस प्रकार के प्रश्नवाचक वाक्यों में Connective (that, if, whether) का प्रयोग नहीं किया जाता है। प्रश्नवाचक शब्द ही Connective का काम करते हैं।
• Examples:
• (i) Direct: Ram said to him, "Who are you?"
• Indirect: Ram asked him who he was.
• (ii) Direct: He said to me, "Where are you going today?"
• Indirect: He asked me where I was going that day.
• (iii) Direct: The boy said to him, "What is your name?"
• Indirect: The boy asked him what his name was.

Exercise

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

1. Ram said to Mohan, "Are you reading a book?"
2. She said to me, "Will you sing a song?"
3. Mohan said to him, "Do you eat mangoes?"
4. My father said to her, "Are you coming home today?"
5. She said to him, "Have you completed your work?"
6. Kamla said to him, "Were they playing hockey?"
7. The teacher said to the boys, "Are you doing your homework?"
8. The principal said to me, "Have you brought your book today?"
9. She said, "Is your father well now?"
10. I said, "Shall I ever see him again?"

1. Commands

विशेष: जिन वाक्यों से Commands (आदेश) का बोध होता है, उनके 'Reporting Verb' said को क्रमशः asked या ordered में भाव के अनुसार बदल दिया जाता है।

• वाक्य का प्रारम्भ क्रिया के First Form से होता है। Indirect Speech बनाते समय that या if का प्रयोग न करके to का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

Examples:

• Direct: The teacher said to the boys, "Get out from the class."
• Indirect: The teacher ordered the boys to get out from the class.
• Direct: "Call the first witness," said the Judge.
• Indirect: The Judge ordered to call the first witness.

Negative Commands:

• Negative Commands में 'Do not' का प्रयोग होने पर 'Do' को हटाकर 'Not' के बाद to लगाया जाता है।
• Or 'Do not' को हटाकर forbade का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

Examples:

• Direct: He said to me, "Do not laugh at me."
• Indirect: He asked me not to laugh at him. Or He forbade me to laugh at him.
• Direct: The teacher said to the boys, "Do not speak loudly."
• Indirect: The teacher ordered the boys not to speak loudly. Or The teacher forbade the boys to speak loudly.

2. Requests

विशेष:

• 'Said to' के स्थान पर requested का प्रयोग किया जाता है।
• 'Please' या 'Kindly' जैसे शब्द हटा दिए जाते हैं।
• 'Sir/Madam' को हटाकर respectfully का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

Examples:

• Direct: He said to me, "Please give me your pen."
• Indirect: He requested me to give him my pen.
• Direct: Ram said to me, "Sir, help me."
• Indirect: Ram requested me respectfully to help him.

Request with Questions:

• Direct: The boy said to me, "Will you please help me to lift the box?"
• Indirect: The boy requested me to help him to lift the box.
• Direct: The stranger said to the passerby, "Can you tell me the way to the railway station?"
• Indirect: The stranger requested the passerby to tell him the way to the railway station.
• Direct: He said to him, "Could you lend me your book for a minute?"
• Indirect: He requested him to lend him his book for a minute.

3. Advice

कभी-कभी वाक्य परामर्श या सलाह का भाव प्रदर्शित करते हैं।

Examples:

• Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "Take complete rest."
• Indirect: The doctor advised the patient to take complete rest.
• Direct: My friend said to me, "Invest your money in Unit Trust of India."
• Indirect: My friend advised me to invest my money in Unit Trust of India.
• Direct: My elder brother said, "Do not smoke."
• Indirect: My elder brother advised me not to smoke.

4. Use of 'Let'

'Let' का प्रयोग तीन भाव व्यक्त करने के लिए किया जाता है:

I. Request का भाव:

• Direct: I said to my friends, "Let me work."
• Indirect: I requested my friends to let me work.
• Direct: I said to my father, "Let me sleep now."
• Indirect: I requested my father to let me sleep then.

II. Proposal and Suggestion का भाव:

• Direct: I said to Ram, "Let us go home."
• Indirect: I proposed to Ram that we should go home.
• Direct: He said to me, "Let us go for a walk."
• Indirect: He suggested to me that we should go for a walk.
• Direct: He said, "Let us wait for the result."
• Indirect: He suggested that they should wait for the result.

III. Order का भाव:

• Direct: The Principal said to the teacher, "Let the boys go home."
• Indirect: The Principal ordered the teacher to let the boys go home.
• Direct: The Captain said, "Let the soldiers go."
• Indirect: The Captain ordered to let the soldiers go.

IV. Shouted का प्रयोग:

• Direct: He shouted, "Let me go."
• Indirect: He shouted to let him go.

Exercise

Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

1. She said to me, "Let me play here."
2. He said, "Let us play together."
3. The father said, "Don't waste your time."
4. Hari said to me, "Let me sing a song."
5. The principal said, "Let the boys play in the evening."
6. The General said, "Let the soldiers advance."
7. He said, "Let us wait for the result."
8. The Colonel said, "Soldiers, don't let the enemy pass."

1. Optative Sentences

Definition: Optative sentences are those that express wishes, prayers, or blessings.

Rules for Conversion:

• Reporting Verb said or said to is replaced with wished, prayed, or blessed depending on the context.
• The conjunction that is used to connect the reported speech.
• Person and Tense are changed as per the standard rules of narration.
• Exclamatory words like may, might, or should are retained in Indirect Speech if necessary.

Examples:

• Direct: He said, "May you live long."

  Indirect: He wished that I might live long.

• Direct: She said, "May God bless you."

  Indirect: She prayed that God might bless me.

• Direct: The teacher said to the students, "May you succeed in your exams."

  Indirect: The teacher wished the students that they might succeed in their exams.

• Direct: He said, "May peace prevail in the world."

  Indirect: He prayed that peace might prevail in the world.

2. Exclamatory Sentences

Definition: Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings like joy, sorrow, surprise, or wonder.

Rules for Conversion:

• Reporting Verb said or said to is replaced with exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow, exclaimed with surprise, or exclaimed with wonder based on the emotion expressed in the sentence.
• The conjunction that is used to introduce the reported speech.
• Exclamation marks (!) are removed in Indirect Speech.
• Interjections such as oh, alas, hurrah, etc., are replaced with phrases conveying the emotion (e.g., joy, sorrow).
• Person and Tense are changed as per the rules of narration.

Examples:

• Direct: He said, "Hurrah! We have won the match."

  Indirect: He exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

• Direct: She said, "Alas! I have lost my purse."

  Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her purse.

• Direct: He said, "Oh! What a beautiful scene it is."

  Indirect: He exclaimed with wonder that it was a very beautiful scene.

• Direct: The boy said, "Wow! This car is amazing!"

  Indirect: The boy exclaimed with wonder that the car was amazing.

• Direct: She said, "What a terrible accident it was!"

  Indirect: She exclaimed with sorrow that it had been a terrible accident.

3. Exercise

Convert the following sentences into Indirect Speech:

1. He said, "May God help you in your troubles."
2. She said, "Hurrah! We have completed our project."
3. The old man said, "May you always remain happy."
4. The teacher said, "What a brilliant idea it is!"
5. He said, "Alas! We lost the game."
6. The child said, "Wow! This chocolate is delicious."
7. She said, "May you achieve great success in life."
8. He said, "What a splendid performance that was!"