Direct और Indirect Speech: बुनियादी नियम (Part 1)

Narration means reporting the words of a speaker. In SSC and Railway exams, questions on converting Direct to Indirect speech are common, where students often struggle with changing Reporting Verbs and Tenses.

Rule 1: Changing the Reporting Verb (said to)

If there is an object after the Reporting Verb, change 'said to' to 'told'. If there is no object, keep 'said' as it is. Formula: said to + object = told + object (No 'to' after told).

Examples

• ✔ He said to me, "I am ready." — उसने मुझसे कहा, "मैं तैयार हूँ।" (Indirect: He told me that he was ready.)
• ✔ Ram said, "I am busy." — राम ने कहा, "मैं व्यस्त हूँ।" (Indirect: Ram said that he was busy.)
• ✔ She said to him, "You are late." — उसने उससे कहा, "तुम्हें देर हो गई है।" (Indirect: She told him that he was late.)
• ✔ They said, "We will play." — उन्होंने कहा, "हम खेलेंगे।" (Indirect: They said that they would play.)
• ✔ The teacher said to us, "Sit down." — शिक्षक ने हमसे कहा, "बैठ जाओ।" (Indirect: The teacher told us to sit down.)
• ✔ Mohan said to Sohan, "I can help you." — मोहन ने सोहन से कहा, "मैं तुम्हारी मदद कर सकता हूँ।" (Indirect: Mohan told Sohan that he could help him.)

Common mistakes

• ✘ He told to me that he was happy.
• ✔ He told me that he was happy. ('Told' is never followed by 'to'.)
• ✘ She said me that she was ill.
• ✔ She told me that she was ill. (Use 'told' instead of 'said' when there is an object.)

💡 Always check if there is a listener (object); if yes, use 'told' without 'to'.

Rule 2: Changing Pronouns using the S-O-N Rule

Change pronouns inside quotes using the S-O-N rule: 1st Person (I, we) changes according to the Subject, 2nd Person (you) according to the Object, and 3rd Person (he, she, it, they) remains unchanged.

Examples

• ✔ He said, "I am a student." — उसने कहा, "मैं एक छात्र हूँ।" (Indirect: He said that he was a student. यहाँ 'I' Subject 'He' के अनुसार बदला।)
• ✔ She said to me, "You are kind." — उसने मुझसे कहा, "तुम दयालु हो।" (Indirect: She told me that I was kind. यहाँ 'You' Object 'me' के अनुसार बदला।)
• ✔ Ravi said, "She is dancing." — रवि ने कहा, "वह नाच रही है।" (Indirect: Ravi said that she was dancing. 'She' 3rd person है, इसलिए नहीं बदला।)
• ✔ They said, "We are winners." — उन्होंने कहा, "हम विजेता हैं।" (Indirect: They said that they were winners.)
• ✔ I said to her, "You have a pen." — मैंने उससे कहा, "तुम्हारे पास एक पेन है।" (Indirect: I told her that she had a pen.)
• ✔ He said to them, "I will help you." — उसने उनसे कहा, "मैं तुम्हारी मदद करूँगा।" (Indirect: He told them that he would help them.)

Common mistakes

• ✘ Ram said that I was going. (When Ram said "I am going")
• ✔ Ram said that he was going. ('I' (1st person) must change to 'he' to match the subject (Ram).)
• ✘ She told me that you were late. (When she said "You are late")
• ✔ She told me that I was late. ('You' (2nd person) must change to 'I' to match the object (me).)

💡 S=1 (Subject=1st Person), O=2 (Object=2nd Person), N=3 (No change=3rd Person).

Rule 3: Taking the Tense 'One Step Back'

If the Reporting Verb is in the past (said), the tense inside the quotes moves one step back: Present becomes Past, and Past Indefinite becomes Past Perfect.

Examples

• ✔ He said, "I write a letter." — उसने कहा, "मैं पत्र लिखता हूँ।" (Indirect: He said that he wrote a letter.)
• ✔ She said, "I am singing." — उसने कहा, "मैं गा रही हूँ।" (Indirect: She said that she was singing.)
• ✔ Rohan said, "I have finished." — रोहन ने कहा, "मैंने काम खत्म कर लिया है।" (Indirect: Rohan said that he had finished.)
• ✔ Lata said, "I sang a song." — लता ने कहा, "मैंने गाना गाया।" (Indirect: Lata said that she had sung a song. V2 becomes had+V3)
• ✔ He said, "I will go to Delhi." — उसने कहा, "मैं दिल्ली जाऊँगा।" (Indirect: He said that he would go to Delhi.)
• ✔ The boy said, "I can lift this." — लड़के ने कहा, "मैं इसे उठा सकता हूँ।" (Indirect: The boy said that he could lift that.)

Common mistakes

• ✘ He said that he is playing.
• ✔ He said that he was playing. (Since the reporting verb is 'said', 'is' must change to 'was'.)
• ✘ She said that she has seen him.
• ✔ She said that she had seen him. ('has' must be changed to 'had' in indirect speech when the reporting verb is past.)

💡 If the outside is 'said', the inside must also move to the past.

Rule 4: When Tense Does Not Change (Exceptions)

Tense remains unchanged in two cases: 1. If the statement is a Universal Truth, fact, or habit. 2. If the Reporting Verb is in Present (says) or Future (will say).

Examples

• ✔ The teacher said, "The sun rises in the east." — शिक्षक ने कहा, "सूरज पूर्व में उगता है।" (Indirect: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.)
• ✔ He said, "Honesty is the best policy." — उसने कहा, "ईमानदारी सबसे अच्छी नीति है।" (Indirect: He said that honesty is the best policy.)
• ✔ She says, "I am happy." — वह कहती है, "मैं खुश हूँ।" (Indirect: She says that she is happy. 'says' होने के कारण tense नहीं बदला।)
• ✔ My father said, "Two and two make four." — मेरे पिता ने कहा, "दो और दो चार होते हैं।" (Indirect: My father said that two and two make four.)
• ✔ Ram will say, "I am hungry." — राम कहेगा, "मुझे भूख लगी है।" (Indirect: Ram will say that he is hungry.)
• ✔ He said, "Oil floats on water." — उसने कहा, "तेल पानी पर तैरता है।" (Indirect: He said that oil floats on water.)

Common mistakes

• ✘ The teacher said that the earth went round the sun.
• ✔ The teacher said that the earth goes round the sun. (The earth's movement is a universal truth; it cannot be changed to past tense.)
• ✘ He says that he was busy. (When he says "I am busy")
• ✔ He says that he is busy. (If the reporting verb is 'says', the tense inside remains unchanged.)

💡 Universal truths and 'says/will say' are like a 'No Entry' sign for tense changes.

Quick revision

• Change 'said to' to 'told', but keep 'said' as 'said'.
• Never use 'to' after the word 'told'.
• Follow the S-O-N rule for pronouns (1st-Sub, 2nd-Obj, 3rd-No change).
• Shift tenses 'one step back' if the reporting verb is 'said'.
• Change V1 to V2 and V2 to had + V3.
• Convert is/am/are to was/were and has/have to had.
• Change will to would and can to could.
• Do not change the tense for Universal Truths or if the reporting verb is 'says'.