Bihar Board Class 10 · English · Matric exam 2027
Chapter 3: Narration: direct and indirect speech — notes
The chapter’s 7 parts in the book’s order — the first idea of each and the points Medha Ma’am writes on the board — and the summary at the end. The full lesson and a check question for each part are in the app.
1. The parts of a direct sentence, and the changes
Look at the board.
- • He said, "I am happy." → He said that he was happy.
- • Four changes
- • 1. Reporting verb + joining word (that / if / to)
- • 2. Pronouns
- • 3. Tense (only after a past reporting verb)
- • 4. Time and place words
2. The tense: says keeps it, said moves it back
The first rule is about the reporting verb.
- • says / will say → no change of tense
- • She says, "I am a bit busy today."
- • → She says that she is a bit busy today.
- • | Direct | Indirect (after said) |
- • | am / is → was | are → were |
- • | go → went (present to past) | went → had gone (past to past perfect) |
- • | has / have → had | is going → was going |
- • | will → would | can → could |
- • | may → might | shall → should |
- • He said, "I went home yesterday."
- • went → had gone; I → he; yesterday → the previous day
- • He said that he had gone home the previous day.
3. Pronouns, and words of time and place
The pronouns.
- • | Pronoun | Changes to |
- • | First person: I, me, my, we | the speaker (subject of the reporting verb) |
- • | Second person: you, your | the listener (object of the reporting verb) |
- • | Third person: he, she, they | no change |
- • He told her, "I want to meet your father."
- • I → he (the speaker); your → her (the listener)
- • → He told her that he wanted to meet her father.
- • | now → then | today → that day |
- • | yesterday → the previous day | tomorrow → the next day |
- • | here → there | this → that, these → those |
4. Questions in indirect speech
When the reported speech is a question, said to becomes asked.
- • Yes / no question → asked + if / whether + statement order
- • He said to Veenu, "Are you tired?"
- • → He asked Veenu whether she was tired.
- • Wh-question → asked + wh-word + statement order
- • My mother said to me, "Who is your best friend?"
- • → My mother asked me who my best friend was.
- • Wrong: who was my best friend (question order)
5. Orders, requests and advice
When the reported speech is an order, a request or advice, we use a verb of that kind, then to plus V1. Said to becomes ordered, commanded, requested, advised, or told.
- • | Sense | Reporting verb |
- • | order | ordered / commanded |
- • | request, please | requested |
- • | advice | advised |
- • Reporting verb + listener + to + V1
- • Don't + V1 → not to + V1
- • "Don't sit here," he said to the boy. → He asked the boy not to sit there.
- • Forbade + to + V1: The father forbade his daughter to go out.
6. Exclamations, wishes and thanks
An exclamation shows a strong feeling.
- • Alas → exclaimed with sorrow that ... | What a / How → exclaimed with delight that it was very ...
- • He said, "Alas! I am undone." → He exclaimed with sorrow that he was undone.
- • "May God save him!" → She prayed that God might save him.
- • "Thank you!" → Ramesh thanked me.
- • "Congratulations!" → The teacher congratulated Satish.
7. From indirect back to direct
Many board questions give the indirect sentence and ask for the direct.
- • | Indirect | Direct |
- • | asked if / whether | said to, "...?" |
- • | was → is / am | had + V3 → have + V3 |
- • | he (speaker) → I | I (listener) → you |
- • | there → here | the next day → tomorrow |
- • He asked me if I had posted the letter.
- • asked if → said to me, "...?"; had posted → have posted; I → you
- • He said to me, "Have you posted the letter?"
Summary
Very good! Says keeps the tense; said moves it one step back. I goes to the speaker, you to the listener. Today becomes that day, here becomes there. A question takes asked with if or a wh-word, in statement order. An order or advice takes ordered, requested or advised, plus to and V1. An exclamation takes exclaimed with joy or sorrow. In your notebook, copy the tense table and the time words table, and change five sentences of your own both ways. Then try the practice questions. If anything was not clear, press the Ask button and ask me. Done, you worked very well today!
AskMedha · Medha Ma’am — Bihar Board Class 10 English, Chapter 3. Written from the textbook, checked twice.
Questions parents and students ask
- How do I get the "Narration: direct and indirect speech" notes as a PDF?
- Press "Save as PDF" — the phone’s print sheet opens; choose "Save as PDF" there. The PDF holds the notes only.
- Where are these notes written from?
- From the chapter’s own textbook text, part by part, in the book’s own terms; a second, independent model then checked every part against the book. The full lesson, a check question for each part and the practice are in the AskMedha app.
The same preparation, with Medha Ma’am — on your phone
Every question of every chapter with its model answer, practice questions in the board’s own shapes, 60 minutes of class a day, written answers marked, a test every Sunday and a WhatsApp report to parents.
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