Other Words Changing Rules-Direct & Indirect speech

Some words must be changed while going from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration to convey the same thing with the right meanings. The list of these words is here as under:

1. This/ These
2. Here
3. Now
4. Sir/ Madam
5. Today/ Tonight
6. Tomorrow
7. Yesterday
8. Hello/Yes/No
9. All right/Well
10. Good morning/ Good evening/ Good noon/ Good day
11. Good-bye/Farewell/ Good night

This/These

“This” and “these” are changed into “that” and “those”, respectively. These two words are always changed when they appear in the Reported Speech. Whatever the situation or tense (Present, Past, Future), they must be changed.

Examples (This/ These)

1. She says,” I do not like this dress.”
   • She says that she does not like that dress.
2. He will say,” My father has bought these books for me.”
   • He will say that his father has bought those books for him.
3. They said,” We live in this house.”
   • They said that they lived in that house.
4. She said to him,” These books are very interesting.”
   • She said to him that those books were very interesting.
5. The boy said to us,” Father bought these toys for me.”
   • The boy said to us that his father had bought those toys for him.
6. He said to them,” I have bought these apples just now.”
   • He said to them that he had bought those apples just then.
7. She said to me,” These books are not mine.”
   • She said to me that those books were not hers.
8. He said to me,” You will find my house at the end of this street.”
   • He said to me that I would find his house at the end of that street.
9. We said to them,” No, you cannot enter this room.”
   • We said to them that they could not enter that room.
10. I said to her,” These hens were bought by your uncle just today.”
    • I said to her that those hens had been bought by her uncle just that day.

Here

“Here” is converted into “there”, while conversion from Direct Narration into Indirect Narration.

Examples (Here)

1. He said to me,” I shall stay here with you today.”
   • He said to me that he would stay there with me that day.
2. You said to him,” Your brother did not come here.”
   • You said to him that his brother had not come there.
3. He said to you,” I shall leave this book here.”
   • He said to you that he would leave that book there.
4. He said to me,” I shall again come here tomorrow.”
   • He said to me that he would again come there the next day.
5. The lion said to the fox,” Many animals come here every day.”
   • The lion said to the fox that many animals came there every day.
6. She said,” I placed my purse here on this table.”
   • She said that she had placed her purse there on that table.

Now

“Now” is changed into “then”, while going from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Now)

1. He said to them,” Many customers will come now.”
   • He said to them that many customers would come then.
2. She said to him,” I live in this house now.”
   • She said to him that she lived in that house then.
3. They said to him,” They have bought these mangoes just now.”
   • They said to him that they had bought those mangoes just then.
4. He said to him,” I go there now.”
   • He said to him that he went there then.
5. She said to them,” I shall stay in their house now.”
   • She said to them that she would stay in their house then.
6. They said to him,” Your sister does not come now.”
   • They said to him that his sister did not come then.
7. He said to them,” They are going to bed now.”
   • He said to them that they were going to bed then.
8. The teacher said to us,” It is 9 O’clock by my watch now.”
   • The teacher said to us that it was 9’O clock by his watch then.

Sir/Madam

“Sir” or “Madam” take the word “respectfully” while converting from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Sir/Madam)

1. The monitor says to the teacher,” Sir, the bell has gone.”
   • The monitor says to the teacher respectfully that the bell has gone.
2. They said to him,” Sir, we are very sorry for coming late today.”
   • They said to him respectfully that they were very sorry for coming late that day.
3. We said to her,” Madam, we shall not come to school tomorrow.”
   • We said to her respectfully that we would not come to school the next day.
4. He said to me,” All right, Sir, I shall be very regular from tomorrow.”
   • He said to me respectfully that he would be very regular from the next day.
5. He said to her,” Madam, I have a headache.”
   • He said to her respectfully that he had a headache.
6. I said to him,” Sir, my book was stolen by somebody from my desk yesterday.”
   • I said to him respectfully that my book had been stolen by somebody from my desk the previous day.
7. He said to her,” Madam, my daughter forgets to send a medical certificate with her application.”
   • He said to her respectfully that his daughter forgot to send a medical certificate with her application.
8. “Well, sir,” said I to the doctor,” I shall see you again tomorrow morning.”
   • I said to the doctor respectfully that I would see him again the next day morning.
9. You said to her,” Well, madam, I shall leave this book here on your table today.”
   • You said to her respectfully that you would leave that book there on her table that day.

Today/Tonight

“Today” is changed into “that day” and “Tonight” is changed into “that night”, while going from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Today/Tonight)

1. The boys said,” It is Quaid’s birthday today.”
   • The boys said that it was Quaid’s birthday that day.
2. He said,” It will rain tonight.”
   • He said that it would rain that night.
3. They said,” We are going to London today.”
   • They said that they were going to London that day.
4. She said to us,” I am going to tell you a very strange story tonight.”
   • She said to us that she was going to tell us a very strange story that night.
5. He said to me,” Yes, I shall stay here with you tonight.”
   • He said to me that he would stay there with me that night.
6. You said to him,” I am too busy today to see you.”
   • You said to him that you were too busy that day to see him.
7. They said,” We shall stay in this hotel tonight.”
   • They said that they would stay in that hotel that night.
8. She said to me,” I buy a precious gift for you today.”
   • She said to me that she bought a precious gift for me that day.
9. He said,” I am very sorry for coming late today.”
   • He said that he was very sorry for coming late that day.
10. He said to us,” They will come to your house tonight.”
    • He said to us that they would come to our house that night.
11. I said to them,” This parrot was bought by your uncle just today.”
    • I said to them that that parrot had been bought by their uncle just that day.

Tomorrow

The word “tomorrow” is changed into “the next day” or “the following day” while going from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Tomorrow)

1. I shall tell my friends,” Tomorrow is a holiday.”
   • I shall tell my friends that the next day is a holiday.
2. The teacher said to us,” Tomorrow is not a holiday for you.”
   • The teacher said to us that the next day was not a holiday for us.
3. He said to me,” I shall again come here tomorrow.”
   • He said to me that he would again come there the next day.
4. She said to us,” You can see me tomorrow.”
   • She said to us that we could see her the following day.
5. They said,” It will rain tomorrow.”
   • They said that it would rain the following day.
6. They said to her,” He will not come to school tomorrow.”
   • They said to her that he would not come to school the next day.
7. I said to him,” I shall see you tomorrow morning.”
   • I said to him that I would see him the following day morning.

Yesterday

“Yesterday” is changed into “the previous day” or “the last day”, while going from Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Yesterday)

1. She said,” I did not go to school yesterday.”
   • She said that she had not gone to school the previous day.
2. She said to me,” I bought this book from Karachi yesterday.”
   • She said to me that she had bought that book from Karachi the previous day.
3. He said,” My mother bought these shirts for me yesterday.”
   • He said that his mother had bought those shirts for him the previous day.
4. She said to him,” It was my birthday yesterday.”
   • She said to him that it had been her birthday the last day.
5. They said,” We went to Islamabad yesterday.”
   • They said that they had gone to Islamabad on the last day.
6. I said to him,” My pen was stolen by her from my desk yesterday.”
   • I said to him that my pen had been stolen by her from my desk the previous day.
7. You said to him,” Your father came here yesterday.”
   • You said to him that his father had come there on the last day.
8. He said to me,” I waited for you till sunset yesterday.”
   • He said to me that he had waited for me till sunset on the last day.

Hello/Yes/No

The words “hello, yes, no” are completely deleted from Reported Speech, while converting Direct Narration to Indirect Narration.

Examples (Hello/Yes/No)

1. You said to him,” Yes, she is ill.”
   • You said to him that she was ill.
2. He said to me,” No, you are not at fault.”
   • He said to me that I was not at fault.
3. You said to him,” No, your brother did not come here yesterday.”
   • You said to him that his brother had not come there the previous day.
4. He said to me,” No, I am not pleased with your work.”
   • He said to me that he was not pleased with my work.
5. They said,” Hello! Mr. Salman, we are very glad to see you.”
   • They said to Mr. Salman that they were very glad to see him.
6. We said to them,” No, you cannot enter this room.”
   • We said to them that they could not enter that room.
7. He said to me,” Yes, I shall stay here with you tonight.”
   • He said to me that he would stay there with me that night.
8. “Hello, Arif,” said he,“ You have again come here after two days.”
   • He said to Arif that he had again come there after two days.

All right/Well

“All right” and “well” are the words of the Reported Speech that must be cut while forming Indirect Narration from Direct Narration.  

Examples (All right/Well)

1. He said to me,” All right, sir, I shall be very regular from tomorrow.”
   • He said to me respectfully that he would be very regular from the next day.
2. She said to us,” Well, I am going to tell you a very strange story tonight.”
   • She said to us that she was going to tell us a very strange story that night.
3. “Well, sir,” said I to the doctor,” I shall see you again tomorrow morning.”
   • I said to the doctor respectfully that I would see him again the next day morning.
4. He will say to you,” All right, I shall come.”
   • He will say to you that he will come.
5. She said to me,” Well, you may go now.”
   • She said to me that I might go then.
6. Father said to us,” All right, I allow you to go to the pictures today.”
   • Father said to us that he allowed us to go to the pictures that day.
7. You said to her,” Well, madam, I shall leave this book here on your table today.”
   • You said to her respectfully that you would leave that book there on her table that day.

Good morning/Good evening/Good noon/Good day

Words like “Good morning/Good evening/Good noon/Good day”, may be converted into the word “greeted” or keep the as same as in Direct Narration from Indirect Narration.

Examples (Good morning/Good evening/Good noon/Good day)

1. She said,” Good morning, Miss Naghma.”
   • She said good morning to Miss Naghma.
2. He said,” Good night, my friend.”
   • He said good night to his friend.
3. “Good morning, Sir,” said the stranger to me.
   • The stranger said very respectfully good morning to me.

Good-bye/Farewell/ Goodnight

The words “Goodbye/Farewell/ Goodnight”, remain the same in both Direct and Indirect Narration.

Examples (Good-bye/Farewell/ Goodnight)

1. “Goodbye,” said he, as he shut the door.
   • He said goodbye, as he shut the door.
2. “Good night, Mr. Javed,” said he,” I am going to bed now.”
   • He said good night to Mr. Javed and said that he was going to bed then.
3. He said,” Goodbye, my friends.”
   • He said goodbye to his friends.
4. He said to them,” Goodbye! My friends.”
   • He said goodbye to his friends.

The rest of the changes (Pronouns, Changes in Tenses, General Changes) can be done by following the following rules:

• General Rules for Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech
• Pronouns Changing Rules
• Rule # 1, Rule # 2, and Rule # 3 of Changes in the Tenses