Narration in English grammar is the act of reporting the words of a speaker. It can be done in two ways: direct speech and indirect speech.
Direct speech is when the speaker’s exact words are used, enclosed in quotation marks. For example:
“I’m going to the store,” said Alice.
Indirect speech is when the speaker’s words are reported in a third person narrative, without quotation marks. For example:
Alice said that she was going to the store.
When changing from direct to indirect speech, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- The tense of the reporting verb will usually change from present to past. For example:
“I am going to the store,” said Alice.
Alice said that she was going to the store.
- Pronouns may need to be changed to reflect the new perspective. For example:
“I’m going to visit my friend,” said Bob.
Bob said that he was going to visit his friend.
- Demonstrative pronouns such as “this” and “that” may also need to be changed to reflect the new spatial relationship. For example:
“This is my book,” said Mary.
Mary said that that was her book.
Narration is a valuable tool for communicating effectively. It allows us to report the words of others accurately and concisely, while also maintaining our own perspective.
Here is an example of a passage that uses narration:
Direct speech:
“I’m so tired,” said Alice. “I’m going to bed.”
“Me too,” said Bob. “I’m going to go to sleep early tonight.”
Indirect speech:
Alice said that she was so tired and that she was going to bed. Bob said that he was tired too and that he was going to go to sleep early that night.
Narration is used in a variety of different contexts, including:
- Storytelling
- News reporting
- Academic writing
- Everyday conversation
It is a versatile tool that can be used to communicate effectively in a variety of different situations.