Dialogue to narrative: Srerenivasa Murthy R, SGCPU College, Hebbur -572120

The following changes take place while a dialogue is narrated.

1. A linker is used to link the words outside the inverted commas and inside the inverted commas or to link the words
before the colon mark and after the colon mark.

There are four kinds of sentences. We do not use the same linker to link the words outside the inverted commas and
inside the inverted commas or the words before the colon mark and after the colon mark. The table given below shows
the different linkers used with different kinds of sentences.

Sl. Type of sentence Sign Structure Linker to be used

No
01 Assertive sentence (_____ said to ____) that
. S+V Or
_______ told that
02. Interrogative sentence.
a.)Yes / No question. H.V. + S Asked if / whether
?
b) “Wh” question “Wh” word + H.V. + S + The same “Wh” word.
? VR
Note: When we narrate a conversation, we use only assertive sentences. So, when we change a question
in to narrative, we change the question into an assertive sentence. To do this, the subject and the verb in
the question are inverted. i.e. we change the V + S into S + V.
03. Imperative sentence . V + (no subject) Asked _________ to
Note: An imperative sentence begins with a verb. But it will not have a subject. While narrating an
imperative sentence, we do not change the tense form of the verb that appears at the beginning of the
sentence.
04. Exclamatory sentence ! No definite structure. Exclaimed that
02. Changes in the tense of the verb.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tenses in the dialogue are changed.
a. Present tense is changed into past tense.
b. Past tense is changed into past perfect. (had + past participle form of the verb.)
Note: (a) If the verb is in the infinite form (‘to + verb), the tense of the verb is not changed.
(b) if the verb has more than one part, only the first part of the verb is changed.
am writing was writing.
has been writing had been writing.
has written had written
Changes in adverbials of
Changes in the personal pronouns.
Time and place
Now Then Dialogue Reporting Dialogue Reporting Dialogue Reporting
This That He Him His
I Me My
These Those She Her Her
We Us Our
It It Its
Here there you You Your
They Them their
Today That day Dialogue Reporting
Yesterday The previous day Myself Himself
Tomorrow The next day Ourselves Herself
Your self Itself
This year That year
yourselves themselves
Last year The previous year
Next year The following year