BASIC RULES OF NARRATION WITH EXAMPLES

REPORTING VERBS OF SENTENCES

Reporting verbs	Changes
Assertive Sentence	Say / Tell
Interrogative Sentence	Ask
Imperative Sentence	Verb + object	Order / Request / Forbid / Advise/ Beg
	Let	Tell
	Let us	Propose / Suggest
Optative Sentence	Wish / Pray
Exclamatory Sentence	Exclaim with joy / sorrow / wonder

CHANGE OF PERSONS

First Persons	On the basis of	Subject
Second Persons		Object
Third Persons		No change

CHANGES OF TENSE

• If the Reporting Verb is in Present or Future Tense, then the Reporting Verb will remain unchanged. (বাক্যে Reporting Verb যদি Present or Future Tense হয়, তবে Reporting Verb অপরিবর্তনীয় থাকবে।) যেমনঃ

Direct: He has said to me, "I shall go out."

Indirect: He has told me that he will go out.

• If the Reporting Verb in in Past Tense, then the Reporting Verb will be changed on the basis of the following instructions: (Reporting Verb যদি Past Tense হয়, তবে Reporting Verb নিম্নোক্ত নির্দেশনা অনুযায়ী পরিবর্তীত হবে।)

Present Tense (Indefinite/continuous/ perfect/ perfect continuous)	Turns into	Past Tense (Indefinite/continuous/ perfect/ perfect continuous)
Past Indefinite	Turns into	Past Perfect
Past Continuous	Turns into	Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect/Perfect Continuous		No Change
Future Tense (Indefinite/continuous/ perfect/ perfect continuous)		No Change

CHANGE OF TIME

Direct	Indirect
This	That
These	Those
Here	There
Hither	Thither
Thus	So
Hence	Thence
Now	Then
Ago	Before
Come	Go
Today	That day
This day	That day
Tonight	That night
Tomorrow	The next day
Yesterday	The previous day
The day after tomorrow	After two days
The day before yesterday	Two days before
Next day / week / month / year	The following day / week / month / year
Last day / week / month / year	The previous day / week / month / year

CHANGE OF MODAL VERBS

Direct	Indirect
Shall / Will	Should / Would
Can	Could
May	Might
Must	Had to
Should	Should have
Would	Would have
Could	Could have
Might	Might have
Ought to	Ought to have
Need	Need have
Have to / Has to	Had to
Am to / Is to / Are to	Was to / Were to

EXCEPTIONS (ব্যাতিক্রম)

• Proverbs (প্রবাদ), Universal Truths (চিরন্তন সত্য) & Habitual Facts (অভ্যাসগত কর্ম) will always be unchanged (অপরিবর্তনীয়). 

Direct: He said, "Man is mortal."

Indirect: He said that man is mortal.

• (Had better + verb) form/structure (গঠন) in Direct Speech will be unchanged (অপরিবর্তনীয়).

Direct: He said to them, "You had better play together."

Indirect: He told them that they had better play together.

• Time (সময় জ্ঞাপক) Clause of Past Indefinite & Past Continuous Tense in Direct Speech will be unchanged (অপরিবর্তনীয়).

Direct: The boy said, "When were living in Cox's Bazar, we often went to the sea-beach."

Indirect: The boy said that when they were living in Cox's Bazar, they had often gone to the sea-beach.

EXAMPLES ON THE BASIS OF TENSE

• Present Tense (Indefinite/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous):

Direct: He said, "I have been studying for three hours."

Indirect: He said that he had been studying for three hours.

• Past Indefinite Tense:

Direct: He said, "I was a student."

Indirect: He said that he had been a student.

• Past Continuous Tense:

Direct: He said, "I was watching TV."

Indirect: He said that he had been watching TV.

• Future Indefinite Tense (Indefinite/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous):

Direct: He said, "I shall go to market."

Indirect: He said that he would go to market.

EXAMPLES ON THE BASIS OF SENTENSE

• Assertive Sentences: Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে say/tell হবে এবং that দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে।

Direct: The boy goes on saying, "I am busy now."

Indirect: The boy said that he was busy then.

• Interrogative Sentences (If there is no W/H word): Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে ask হবে এবং if/whether দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে।

 Direct: "You don't know the way. Do you?" Mother said.

Indirect: Mother asked if I didn't know the way.

• Interrogative Sentences (If there is W/H word): Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে ask হবে এবং w/h words দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে।

Direct: Farhan said to me, "When will you go to school?"

Indirect: Farhan asked me when I will go to school.

• Imperative Sentences: verb দ্বারা বাক্য শুরু হলে Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে request (অনুরোধ), order (আদেশ), advise (উপদেশ), forbid (নিষেধ) হবে এবং to দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে।

Direct: Farhan said to me, "Wait here until I come."

Indirect: Farhan ordered/asked me to wait there until he came.

• Imperative Sentences: Let থাকলে (say/tell + object + subject + might be allowed to + extension) & Let us থাকলে (Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে Propose/suggest হবে এবং that দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে ও subject এর পর should হবে।

Direct: The boy said, "Let me do it."

Indirect: The boy said that he might be allowed to do it.

Direct: Max said to me, "Let us have a picnic."

Indirect: Max proposed me that we should have a picnic.

• Optative Sentences: Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে wish/pray হবে এবং that দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে।

Direct: The man said, "May the Almighty help you"

Indirect: The man prayed that the Almighty might help you.

• Exclamatory Sentences: Reporting Verb এর ক্ষেত্রে exclaim with joy (আনন্দ), sorrow (দুঃখ), wonder (আশ্চর্য) হবে এবং that দ্বারা বাক্য যুক্ত হবে ও সাধারণত adjective এর পূর্বে great/very বসে।

Direct: The man said, "What a pity!"

Indirect: The man exclaimed with sorrow that it was a great pity.