How to Change the Narration of Interrogative and Imperative Sentence Rules
Rules of Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence
In converting an Interrogative Sentence into Indirect Speech, the following rules should be maintained:
●(i) The Reporting Verb such as say, tell etc are changed into ask, enquire, demand, want to know etc.
Note that enquire and demand are followed by the preposition ‘of‘.
●(ii) The Interrogative Form in the Direct Speech is changed into Assertive Form in the Indirect Speech and sign of interrogation (?) is changed into full stop (.) in the Indirect Speech.
●(iii) No conjunction is used when the Direct Speech begins with question words like- who, whose, whom, what, which, when, why, where, how etc. and wh-question words are retained in the Indirect Speech.
●(iv) If the Direct Speech does not begin with wh-question words, then ‘if‘ or ‘whether‘ is used as linker.
●(v) Tenses, pronouns and words denoting nearness are changed according to the rules already stated in Part-I.
Examples of Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence:
(1) Direct:- He said to me, “What are you doing now, dear?”
Indirect:- He asked me affectionately what I was doing then.
(2) Direct:- The boy said to me, “Who has done such harm to you?”
Indirect:- The boy asked me who had done such harm to me.
(3) Direct:- The woman said to me, “When the train will arrive?”
Indirect:– The woman asked me when the train would arrive.
(4) Direct:- She said to me, “Shall I return these books by Monday?”
Indirect:- She asked me if she would return those books by Monday.
(5) Direct:- The boy said to me, “Can you tell me the address?”
Indirect:- The boy asked me if I could tell him the address.
(6) Direct:- The girl said, “Can I wear this saree ,mother?”
Indirect:– The girl asked her mother if she could wear that saree.
Exercise of Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence:
(1) They said to him, “Which colour do you like?”
(2) She said to me, “Did you see or hear anything yesterday?”
(3) The old man said to me, “Will you help me to hold the box?”
(4) I said to him, “Can you wash these dirty clothes?”
(5) He said, “Why did you hit the boy?”
(6) He said to me, “Shall I leave it or bring it home?”
(7) He said to me, “Shall I get you a cup of tea?”
(8) I said to him, “Where have you lost the pen which I gave you yesterday?”
(9) I said to my friend, “Do you know the place?”
(10) She said to her friend, “Can you lend me the necklace for today?”
Rules of Narration Change of Imperative Sentence
In converting the Imperative Sentence into Indirect Speech, the following rules should be maintained:
●(i) The Reporting Verb is changed into a verb signifying order, request, advise etc. according to the sense. Hence, ‘said‘ is changed into ordered or requested or advised etc.
●(ii) The verb of the Reported Speech is changed into an Infinitive. Hence, ‘to‘ is used before the main verb of the Reported Speech.
●(iii) If the Reported Speech is in negative form, then the word ‘not‘ is used before the Infinitive. The Reporting Verb forbid, prohibit etc. may also be used without using ‘not’.
Examples of Narration Change of Imperative Sentence:
(1) Direct:- He said to me, “Help me in solving the sum.”Indirect:- He requested me to help him in solving the sum.
(2) Direct:- My friend said to me, “Please, accept the invitation. “
Indirect:– My friend requested me to accept the invitation.
(3) Direct:- The man said to me, “Make haste and clear the garbage now.”
Indirect:- The man ordered me to make haste and to clear the garbage then.
(4) Direct:- The commander said to the soldiers, “March on.”
Indirect:- The commander ordered the soldiers to march on.
(5) Direct:- He said to me, “Do not do it again.”
Indirect:- He advised me not to do it again.
(6) Direct:- Rohit said to him, “Sir, Don’t make any haste.”
Indirect:- Rohit asked him respectfully not to make any haste.
(7) Direct:- Mother said to me, “Don’t run in the sun.”
Indirect:- Mother forbade me to run in the sun.
Narration Change of Imperative Sentence with Let
●(i) ‘Let’ is often used to make proposal. In such case, we may use ‘should‘ for ‘Let’ and change the Reporting Verb into suggest or propose.
●(ii) The Imperative form in the Direct Speech is changed into Assertive form and ‘that‘ linker is used.
Example:-
(1) Direct:- I said to friends, “Let us go for a picnic. “
Indirect:- I suggested my friends that we should go for a picnic.
(2) Direct:- My parents said, “Let us invite some friends to our son’s birthday.”
Indirect:- My parents suggested that they should invite some friends to their son’s birthday.
●(iii) But when ‘Let’ does not express a proposal, it should be changed into ‘might‘ or ‘might be allowed to‘.
Example:-
(1) Direct:- He said to his friend, “Let me go home.”
Indirect:- He requested his friend that he might be allowed to go home.
(2) Direct:- I said to the old man,”Let me stay here for a while.”
Indirect:- I requested the old man that I might be allowed to stay there for a while.
Exercise of Narration Change of Imperative Sentence:
(1) The boy said to his friend, “Please lend me your pen for a while.”
(2) Father said to me, “Keep these boxes away from fire.”
(3) The guards said to the visitors, “Don’t take photographs inside the museum. “
(4) The boy said,”Let me try once again.”
(5) The teacher said, “Children, do not run in the hall room.”
(6) The officer shouted to his men, “Halt.”
(7) Mother said to the servant, “Do as I told you.”
(8) The speaker said, “Let the countrymen remember the heroes of our country. “
(9) The teacher said to me, “Let me explain how to solve it.”
(10) The student said to his teacher, “Pardon me, sir.”
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