ENGLISH GRAMMAR (CLASS 3–10) · NARRATION

Direct and indirect speech

With a past reporting verb (said, asked, told), shift tenses back (am → was, will → would, past → had + V3), change pronouns to fit the speaker, and change time words (tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the previous day). Universal truths do not change.

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Worked examples

Example 1 · level 1

Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech, following the usual backshift rules: Fatima said, “I have finished my work.”

Fatima said that she had finished my work.
Fatima said that she has finished her work.
Fatima said that I had finished my work.
Fatima said that she had finished her work.

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Present perfect → past perfect: have finished → had finished; I → she, my → her.
Correct answer: “Fatima said that she had finished her work.”

Answer: Fatima said that she had finished her work.

Example 2 · level 2

Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech, following the usual backshift rules: Vihaan said, “I met my cousin yesterday.”

Vihaan said that he had met my cousin the previous day.
Vihaan said that he had met his cousin the next day.
Vihaan said that he met his cousin yesterday.
Vihaan said that he had met his cousin the previous day.

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met → had met; I → he, my → his; yesterday → the previous day.
Correct answer: “Vihaan said that he had met his cousin the previous day.”

Answer: Vihaan said that he had met his cousin the previous day.

Example 3 · level 3

Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech, following the usual backshift rules: The guide said, “Let us visit the fort.”

The guide suggested that they should visit the fort.
The guide suggested them to visit the fort.
The guide suggested that let us visit the fort.
The guide told that they should visit the fort.

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"Let us" (a suggestion) → suggested that + they/we + should + verb.
Correct answer: “The guide suggested that they should visit the fort.”

Answer: The guide suggested that they should visit the fort.