Narration in English Grammar – Narration Change Worksheet

Have you ever struggled to report someone’s words in a grammatically correct way? Narration is an essential aspect of English grammar, especially when transitioning between direct and indirect speech. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or language enthusiast, mastering narration can enhance your communication skills.

This blog will cover the basics of narration and provide a comprehensive worksheet with plenty of exercises to test your understanding. By the end, you’ll feel confident converting direct speech into indirect speech and vice versa.

What is Narration?

Narration refers to the act of reporting or telling a story, often through speech. It involves two main forms:

• Direct Speech: Quoting someone’s exact words.
  • Example: He said, “I am happy.”
• Indirect Speech: Reporting the content of someone’s speech without quoting their exact words.
  • Example: He said that he was happy.

Rules for Changing Narration

Here are the key rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech:

1. Changes in Pronouns

Pronouns in direct speech adjust to reflect the subject and listener in indirect speech.

• Example:
  • Direct: She said, “I am proud of you.”
  • Indirect: She said that she was proud of me.

2. Changes in Tenses

Tenses in the reported speech usually move one step back in time unless the statement is a universal truth.

• Examples:
  • Present Simple → Past Simple:
    • Direct: “I like apples,” she said.
    • Indirect: She said that she liked apples.
  • Past Simple → Past Perfect:
    • Direct: “I watched the movie,” he said.
    • Indirect: He said that he had watched the movie.

3. Changes in Time and Place

Words indicating time and place change to reflect the context of the narration.

• Examples:
  • Direct: “I will visit you tomorrow,” he said.
  • Indirect: He said that he would visit me the next day.

4. Reporting Questions

• For Yes/No Questions, use if or whether.
• For WH-Questions, retain the question word but change the word order to a statement.
• Examples:
  • Direct: “Are you coming?” he asked.
  • Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
  • Direct: “Where are you going?” she asked.
  • Indirect: She asked where I was going.

5. Reporting Commands/Requests

Use to + verb for commands or requests and change the reporting verb accordingly.

• Examples:
  • Direct: “Please help me,” he said.
  • Indirect: He requested me to help him.
  • Direct: “Don’t shout,” the teacher said.
  • Indirect: The teacher told me not to shout.

Narration Change Worksheet

Part A: Statements

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:

1. She said, “I am working on a project.”
2. He said, “We will win the match.”
3. Maria said, “I have completed my homework.”
4. They said, “We visited the zoo yesterday.”
5. He said, “I can solve the problem.”

Part B: Questions

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:

1. She asked, “Do you like coffee?”
2. He asked, “Why are you late?”
3. Peter said, “Can I borrow your pen?”
4. The teacher asked, “What is the capital of France?”
5. The boy asked, “Have you seen my toy?”

Part C: Commands and Requests

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:

1. The officer said, “Stand in line.”
2. Mother said, “Don’t touch the hot pan.”
3. She said, “Please give me a glass of water.”
4. He said, “Open the door.”
5. The manager said, “Submit the report by tomorrow.”

Part D: Mixed Tenses

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:

1. She said, “I am reading a novel.”
2. He said, “I was playing football.”
3. She said, “I will bake a cake.”
4. He said, “I have been waiting for hours.”
5. The teacher said, “We had completed the project.”

Part E: Exclamatory Sentences

Convert the following sentences into indirect speech:

1. She said, “Wow! That’s a beautiful painting!”
2. He said, “Alas! I lost my wallet.”
3. They said, “Hurray! We won the match!”
4. She said, “Oh no! I forgot my keys.”
5. He said, “What a brilliant idea!”

Answer Key

Part A: Statements

1. She said that she was working on a project.
2. He said that they would win the match.
3. Maria said that she had completed her homework.
4. They said that they had visited the zoo the day before.
5. He said that he could solve the problem.

Part B: Questions

1. She asked if I liked coffee.
2. He asked why I was late.
3. Peter asked if he could borrow my pen.
4. The teacher asked what the capital of France was.
5. The boy asked if I had seen his toy.

Part C: Commands and Requests

1. The officer told them to stand in line.
2. Mother told me not to touch the hot pan.
3. She requested me to give her a glass of water.
4. He told me to open the door.
5. The manager instructed me to submit the report by the next day.

Part D: Mixed Tenses

1. She said that she was reading a novel.
2. He said that he had been playing football.
3. She said that she would bake a cake.
4. He said that he had been waiting for hours.
5. The teacher said that they had completed the project.

Part E: Exclamatory Sentences

1. She exclaimed with admiration that it was a beautiful painting.
2. He exclaimed with sorrow that he had lost his wallet.
3. They exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.
4. She exclaimed with frustration that she had forgotten her keys.
5. He exclaimed with amazement that it was a brilliant idea.

Conclusion

Practicing narration changes regularly is the best way to become proficient in English grammar. With these exercises and examples, you now have the tools to master direct and indirect speech. Remember, practice makes perfect!