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Direct/Indirect Narration

English Language & Comprehension — Paper-I · Official 2026 Coverage

Useful for: SSC CGL

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Overview

Narration changes reported words into indirect speech with changes of pronoun, tense, time words and sentence type.

Key points

Statements: said → said that; said to → told.
Back-shift: is → was, has done → had done, will → would, can → could.
Questions: yes/no → if/whether; wh-questions keep the wh-word; statement order.
Commands/requests: told/ordered/requested + object + (not) to + verb.
Time words: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, ago → before.

Explanation

No back-shift for universal truths or when the reporting verb is in the present.
Exclamations: exclaimed with joy/sorrow that…
"Let’s" → suggested that we should…
Pronouns change according to the speaker and listener.

Step by step

Read the full sentence or passage first.
Apply the exact grammar or vocabulary rule.
Re-read the final answer in context.

Examples

He said, "I will finish it tomorrow." → He said that he would finish it the next day.
She asked me, "Where do you live?" → She asked me where I lived.
He said, "Let’s go for a walk." → He suggested that we should go for a walk.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Keeping question word order.
Trap: Back-shifting universal truths.
Trap: Forgetting time-word changes.

Quick revision

One tense back.
if/whether for yes/no questions.
Let’s → suggested.

Practice MCQs

He said, "I am busy." →
1. He said that I was busy.
2. He told that he was busy.
3. He said that he is busy.
4. He said that he was busy.
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Answer: (d) He said that he was busy.. is → was.
She said to me, "I will help you." →
1. She told me that she would help me.
2. She said me that she will help me.
3. She told me that I would help you.
4. She told that she would help.
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Answer: (a) She told me that she would help me.. said to → told; will → would.
He said, "I have finished the work." →
1. He said that he has finished the work.
2. He said that he had finished the work.
3. He said that he finished the work.
4. He said he have finished.
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Answer: (b) He said that he had finished the work.. has done → had done.
She asked, "Are you coming?" →
1. She told if I am coming.
2. She asked if I was coming.
3. She asked that I was coming.
4. She asked was I coming.
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Answer: (b) She asked if I was coming.. Yes/no question → if/whether.
He asked, "Where do you live?" →
1. He asked where did I live.
2. He asked where I live.
3. He asked that where I lived.
4. He asked where I lived.
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Answer: (d) He asked where I lived.. Wh-word kept; statement order.
The teacher said, "Sit down." →
1. The teacher said us sit down.
2. The teacher told that sit down.
3. The teacher asked sit down.
4. The teacher told us to sit down.
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Answer: (d) The teacher told us to sit down.. Command → told + to.
"Tomorrow" in indirect speech becomes —
1. yesterday
2. today
3. that day before
4. the next day
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Answer: (d) the next day. Time word shift.
"Today" in indirect speech becomes —
1. now
2. that day
3. the next day
4. tomorrow
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Answer: (b) that day. Time word shift.
He said, "I can swim." →
1. He said that he could swam.
2. He told he can swim.
3. He said that he can swim.
4. He said that he could swim.
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Answer: (d) He said that he could swim.. can → could.
He said, "The sun rises in the east." →
1. He told the sun rises.
2. He said that the sun rose in the east.
3. He said that the sun rises in the east.
4. He said the sun had risen in the east.
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Answer: (c) He said that the sun rises in the east.. Universal truths keep the present tense.