The rules for tense narration are as follows:
- If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.
For example:
Direct speech: “I am going to the utility store,” she says.
Indirect speech: She says that she is going to the utility store.Direct speech: “I will be there in five minutes,” he promises.
Indirect speech: He promises that he will be there in five minutes.
- If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech moves back one tense.
For example:
Direct speech: “I was going to the store,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she was going to the store.Direct speech: “I had been there before,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he had been there before.
- If the direct speech is in the present perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the past perfect tense.
For example:
Direct speech: “I have been to the store today,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that she had been to the store that day.
- If the direct speech is in the future perfect tense, the indirect speech is in the conditional perfect tense.
For example:
Direct speech: “I will have finished my homework by dinner time,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said that he would have finished his homework by dinner time.
- If the direct speech is a universal truth or general statement, it remains in the present tense, even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
For example:
Direct speech: “The Earth is round,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said that the Earth is round.
- If the direct speech is a question, the indirect speech can be either a question or a statement.
If the indirect speech is a question, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “if.”
For example:
Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me if I wanted to go to the park.
If the indirect speech is a statement, the reporting verb is usually followed by the word “whether.”
For example:
Direct speech: “Do you want to go to the park?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked me whether I wanted to go to the park.
Here are some additional tips for tense narration:
- Be consistent with your tenses. If you start using one tense, stick with it throughout the narration.
- Use time markers to help clarify the sequence of events.
- Pay attention to the pronouns. Make sure that the pronouns in the indirect speech agree with the pronouns in the direct speech.
With practice, you will be able to master the rules of tense narration and write clear and concise narratives.