1st Person Pronouns → Subject (S)
Pronouns like I, me, my, we, us, our change according to the Subject of the reporting verb.
Example: He said, "I like apples." → He said that he liked apples.
Direct and Indirect Speech Rules for SSC 2026 – SON Formula & Conversion Chart
Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration) is one of the most reliable scoring sections in SSC CGL, CHSL, and CPO exams. In SSC CGL Tier 2, narration questions carry 9 to 15 marks, while in SSC CPO Paper 2, candidates face over 20 questions. Mastering the SON formula, tense shift matrix, and reporting verb rules guarantees 100% accuracy.
CGL Tier 2 Weight
3–5 Questions
9 to 15 Marks
CPO Paper 2 Weight
20 Questions
20 Full Marks
Pronoun Rule
SON Formula
1=Subj, 2=Obj, 3=No Chg
Tense Exception
Universal Truths
Zero Tense Shift
The Core Narration Principle: In Direct Speech, the exact words of the speaker are placed inside quotation marks. In Indirect Speech, the quoted words are reported in past perspective, shifting pronouns via the SON formula and shifting tenses backwards one step (unless expressing a universal truth or preceded by a present/future reporting verb).
Tense Conversion Chart (When Reporting Verb is in the Past)
When the reporting verb is in the past tense (e.g., said, told, asked), the tenses of the reported speech change systematically as follows:
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense | Direct Speech Example | Indirect Speech Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present (V1) | Simple Past (V2) | He said, "I work in Mumbai." | He said that he worked in Mumbai. |
| Present Continuous (is/am/are + V4) | Past Continuous (was/were + V4) | She said, "I am reading a novel." | She said that she was reading a novel. |
| Present Perfect (has/have + V3) | Past Perfect (had + V3) | Ravi said, "I have completed the task." | Ravi said that he had completed the task. |
| Simple Past (V2) | Past Perfect (had + V3) | He said, "I visited the museum." | He said that he had visited the museum. |
| Past Continuous (was/were + V4) | Past Perfect Continuous (had been + V4) | She said, "I was preparing dinner." | She said that she had been preparing dinner. |
| Past Perfect (had + V3) | No Change (had + V3) | He said, "I had finished before 6 PM." | He said that he had finished before 6 PM. |
| Modal: Will / Shall | Would / Should | She said, "I will call you tomorrow." | She said that she would call me the next day. |
| Modal: Can / May | Could / Might | He said, "I can solve this puzzle." | He said that he could solve that puzzle. |
The SON Formula for Pronoun Conversion
Pronoun errors are the primary trap set by SSC examiners. Remember the universal 1-2-3 / S-O-N formula:
2nd Person Pronouns → Object (O)
Pronouns like you, your, yours change according to the Object of the reporting verb.
Example: He said to me, "You are right." → He told me that I was right.
3rd Person Pronouns → No Change (N)
Pronouns like he, him, she, her, they, them, it experience NO change.
Example: Ramesh said, "She is singing." → Ramesh said that she was singing.
Interactive Knowledge Drill: Test Direct & Indirect Speech
Narration Drill
Time: 20s
Convert to Indirect: He said, "I am working hard for the exam."
(Repeated in SSC CGL Tier 1 & Tier 2)
Frequently Asked Questions on Direct & Indirect Speech
What is the SON formula in Direct and Indirect Speech?
The SON formula governs pronoun conversion: 1st person pronouns change according to the Subject (S) of the reporting verb; 2nd person pronouns change according to the Object (O) of the reporting verb; 3rd person pronouns experience No change (N).
When does the tense of the reported speech NOT change?
The tense in reported speech remains unchanged in two cases: 1) If the reporting verb is in the Present or Future tense (e.g. 'He says', 'He will say'); 2) If the reported speech expresses a Universal Truth, habitual action, historical fact, or mathematical law.
How does 'said to' change in interrogative sentences?
In interrogative sentences, 'said to' changes into 'asked', 'enquired of', or 'demanded'. The conjunction 'that' is never used; instead, 'if' or 'whether' is used for Yes/No questions, and the Wh-word itself acts as connector.
How many narration questions appear in SSC CGL and CPO?
In SSC CGL Tier 2, Direct/Indirect Speech contributes 3 to 5 questions (9 to 15 marks). In SSC CPO Paper 2, narration accounts for 20+ direct conversion questions.
How do time and place adverbs change in Indirect Speech?
Adverbs of nearness change into adverbs of distance: 'now' becomes 'then', 'here' becomes 'there', 'today' becomes 'that day', 'yesterday' becomes 'the previous day', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the following day' or 'the next day'.