Narration: Declarative Sentences
Narration: Declarative Sentences
English Grammar • Rules, Examples, Classroom Activities and Practice Worksheet
A complete, learner-friendly teaching page for students, English teachers, and independent learners. It covers affirmative and negative statements, reporting verbs, pronoun changes, tense changes, exceptions, and graded practice.
1. What is a declarative sentence?
A declarative sentence is a sentence that makes a statement, gives information, expresses an opinion, or describes a fact. It usually ends with a full stop.
Affirmative: Riya said, “I am happy.”
Negative: Riya said, “I am not happy.”
Fact: The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
Opinion: He said, “I believe this plan is useful.”
In narration, we change the exact words of a speaker (Direct Speech) into reported words (Indirect Speech).
2. The basic structure
DIRECT SPEECH
Subject + reporting verb + , + “reported statement.”
Example: Ali said, “I am tired.”
INDIRECT SPEECH
Subject + reporting verb + (that) + reported clause.
Example: Ali said (that) he was tired.
General rules
Remove the quotation marks and comma separating the reporting clause from the quotation.
Use that after said or told in statements when appropriate. In many cases, that can be omitted.
Change pronouns according to the speaker and listener.
If the reporting verb is in the past, backshift the tense when appropriate.
Change time and place expressions only when the context requires it.
Keep statement word order and end with a full stop.
3. Rules with examples
Rule 1: Change pronouns correctly
Pronouns depend on who is speaking and to whom the speaker is referring.
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
Amit said, “I am ready.” | Amit said that he was ready. |
Neha said, “My mother is a teacher.” | Neha said that her mother was a teacher. |
Ravi said to me, “You are honest.” | Ravi told me that I was honest. |
The girls said, “We have finished our work.” | The girls said that they had finished their work. |
Teacher's tip: Do not change pronouns mechanically. Identify the speaker, listener, and person being discussed first.
Rule 2: Change the tense when required
When the reporting verb is in the past, tense backshift is common.
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
Simple present → Simple past | “I play.” → He said that he played. |
Present continuous → Past continuous | “I am reading.” → She said that she was reading. |
Present perfect → Past perfect | “I have eaten.” → He said that he had eaten. |
Simple past → Past perfect | “I saw him.” → She said that she had seen him. |
Past continuous → Past perfect continuous (often) | “I was sleeping.” → He said that he had been sleeping. |
Will → Would | “I will come.” → She said that she would come. |
Can → Could | “I can swim.” → He said that he could swim. |
May → Might | “I may go.” → She said that she might go. |
The past perfect generally remains unchanged.
Direct: He said, “I had completed the work.”
Indirect: He said that he had completed the work.
Important: Backshift is not compulsory in every context. Universal truths, continuing facts, and statements reported with a present-tense reporting verb may retain their original tense.
Rule 3: Change time and place expressions when needed
Direct speech | Possible indirect form |
|---|---|
now | then |
today | that day |
yesterday | the previous day |
tomorrow | the following day |
last night | the previous night |
next week | the following week |
ago | before |
here | there |
this | that |
these | those |
Examples:
Direct: He said, “I will meet you tomorrow.”
Indirect: He said that he would meet me the following day.
Direct: She said, “I bought this book yesterday.”
Indirect: She said that she had bought that book the previous day.
These changes depend on the actual reporting time and place. If the speaker reports the statement on the same day, today may remain today.
4. Reporting verbs: said, said to, and told
Direct speech | Correct indirect speech | Rule |
|---|---|---|
He said, “I am busy.” | He said that he was busy. | Said can stand without an object. |
He said to me, “I am busy.” | He told me that he was busy. | Told generally takes a personal object. |
She said to him, “I know you.” | She told him that she knew him. | Told + object + that-clause. |
They said, “We are ready.” | They said that they were ready. | No personal object is necessary. |
Avoid these common mistakes:
Incorrect: He told that he was ill.
Correct: He told me that he was ill.
Incorrect: He said me that he was ill.
Correct: He said to me that he was ill. / He told me that he was ill.
5. Special cases
A. Universal truths
A universal truth usually retains its tense even when the reporting verb is in the past.
Direct: The teacher said, “The Sun rises in the east.”
Indirect: The teacher said that the Sun rises in the east.
B. Facts that are still true
A statement that remains true may retain the present tense.
Direct: Sara said, “I live in Delhi.”
Indirect: Sara said that she lives in Delhi. (If she still lives there.)
The backshifted version, Sara said that she lived in Delhi, is also possible, depending on context.
C. Past reporting verb versus present reporting verb
Direct: He says, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He says that he is happy.
Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He said that he was happy.
D. Modal verbs
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
“I can do it.” | He said that he could do it. |
“I will help.” | She said that she would help. |
“I may come.” | He said that he might come. |
“You should rest.” | She said that I should rest. |
“I must leave.” | He said that he had to leave. (Obligation; context matters.) |
“I could swim.” | He said that he could swim. |
Could, would, and should usually remain unchanged. Must can remain unchanged when the meaning and context support it.
6. Worked examples: Learn step by step
Example 1 — Affirmative statement
Direct: Rohan said, “I am learning English.”
Step 1: Reporting verb = said (past).
Step 2: I changes to he.
Step 3: am learning changes to was learning.
Answer: Rohan said that he was learning English.
Example 2 — Negative statement
Direct: Meena said, “I do not like coffee.”
Step 1: I changes to she.
Step 2: do not like changes to did not like.
Answer: Meena said that she did not like coffee.
Example 3 — Statement with said to
Direct: The coach said to the players, “You have played well.”
Step 1: Change said to the players to told the players.
Step 2: You changes to they.
Step 3: have played changes to had played.
Answer: The coach told the players that they had played well.
Example 4 — Universal truth
Direct: The teacher said, “Water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.”
Answer: The teacher said that water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.
Reason: The statement expresses a scientific fact under the stated conditions, so the present tense is retained.
7. Practice set
Try all 12 questions before revealing the suggested answers. Type your answers in the spaces provided, or use this as a classroom oral activity.
1. Ravi said, “I am hungry.”
2. Sana said, “I have completed my homework.”
3. The boys said, “We are playing football.”
4. Ali said to me, “You are my best friend.”
5. Maya said, “I bought a new dress yesterday.”
6. He said, “I will visit you tomorrow.”
7. The teacher said, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
8. She said, “I cannot solve this problem.”
9. Father said to me, “You must finish your work.”
10. He said, “I had already eaten dinner.”
11. She says, “I am feeling better.”
12. The students said, “We can solve the problem.”
8. Classroom activity: Narration detectives
Activity 1: Find the changes
Give learners this sentence: Aisha said, “I will bring my notebook tomorrow.”
Ask them to identify the reporting verb, pronoun, modal verb, and time expression before converting it.
Activity 2: Pair transformation
Student A speaks a statement. Student B reports it to the class. Swap roles after three sentences.
Activity 3: Correct the mistake
Write on the board: Rina told that she was ill.
Learners correct it to: Rina said that she was ill or Rina told me that she was ill.
9. Quick revision checklist
Before submitting an answer, learners should check:
For teachers: Assess learners on meaning as well as form. A correct answer must preserve the speaker’s original message; not every sentence requires every possible change.
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