Rules for Changing Direct Questions into Reported Speech
Reported Questions are forms of reported speech. When a question is changed from direct speech to indirect speech, the rules which are applied in statements are used. The only difference that needs to be used is a different word to introduce the reported speech, and the word order of the question becomes similar to that of the statement. Reported questions end with a full stop. For example,
Direct Question: The girl said, Do u know where the nearest salon is?
Indirect Question: The girl asked me if I knew the nearest salon was.
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What are Direct Questions and Indirect Questions?
Direct Questions:
Direct questions are the normal questions that we ask our family, friends, relatives, and the people we know.
Example:
Where is the bedroom?
Indirect Questions:
Indirect questions are more formal and polite. Indirect questions are generally used when talking to a person whom we don't know very well, or in a professional situation.
Example:
“Could you please tell me where the bedroom is”?
How to Report Questions?
When you report any given question, you need to change the sentence given in an interrogative form into an affirmative sentence, placing the verb tense one step back, as with the normal reported speech.
There are two types of questions that we can report- questions that have Yes/No responses and the questions that start with question words like What, Which, Who, etc. When we report yes/no questions, we use the word “if”. For example,
As you have in the direct questions, the word “ Do” is eliminated because it is no longer a question, and the verb live and like became lived and liked respectively.
For questions that start with the word like What, Where, When, Who, etc, we report the question using the question word but change the interrogative form to the affirmative form. For example
Reporting Order And Requests
When someone gives you an order, you use the imperative form, which implies using just the verb without a subject.
“Call me after an hour”.
“Have a seat”.
Don’t do that”.
To report an order, we use the word “tell” and the infinitive form of the verb:
You told me to call after an hour.
She told me to have a seat.
He told us not to do that.
When you make a request, you generally use the words like ‘Can’, ‘Could’, and ‘Will’. For example:
Could you call me after an hour?
“Will you have a seat”
“Can you not do that please”?
To report a request, a verb ‘to ask’ and the infinitive form of the verb is used. For example,
You asked me to call you after an hour.
She asked me to have a seat.
He asked us not to do that.
How to Write Introductory Sentences In Reported Questions?
Following are the rules to write introductory sentences in reported questions:
The Introductory Sentence Is In Simple Present Form.
If the introductory sentence is in the simple present form, there is no tense backshift.
Direct Question:
“I write articles”.
Reported Question:
He says that he writes articles.
The introductory sentence "He says"….. is in the simple present tense. There is no tense backshift.
The Introductory Sentence Is In Simple Past Form.
If the introductory sentence is in the simple past form, there is a tense backshift.
Direct Question:
Rita: “I write articles”.
Reported Question:
He said that he wrote articles.
The introductory sentence "He said" is in the simple past tense. There is a backshift of tenses.
Reported Questions With or Without Question Words
Questions can be formed with or without words:
If there is a question without a question word in the direct question, use “whether or if” in the reported question.
Example:
Raj: Do you play cricket?
Sunny: Raj asked me whether (if) I played cricket.
If there is a question with a question word indirect question, use the given question word in a reported question.
Example:
Raj: When do you play cricket?
Sunny: Raj asked me when I played cricket.
Reported Questions Examples with Answers
Following are a few reported questions examples with answers:
She asked. Do you live in India?
Answers: He asked me If I lived in India.
She asked. Are we going to start work tomorrow?
Answers: She asked if they were going to start the work the next day.
The watchman asked: Are you looking for something?
Answers: The watchman asked If I was looking for something.
They inquired: Have they ever been to Europe?
Answers: They enquired if they had ever been to Europe.
They wanted to know:“ Will we go for a morning walk if the climate is fine”.
Answers: They wanted to know if they would go for a morning walk if the climate is fine.
The flight attendant asked: “Could you fasten your seat belts, please?
Answers: The flight attendant asked if I/we could fasten our/my seat belts.
Mom wanted to know: ”Are you going to be Doctor Sam”?
Answers: Mom wanted to know if Sam was going to be a doctor.
The commanding officers asked: “Do our fighters have sufficient weapons”?
Answers: The commander officers wanted to know if his/their fighters have sufficient weapons.
The instructor asked me: “ Have you ever worked in a group”?
Answers: The instructor asked me if I had ever worked in a group.
He wanted to know: “Is she staying with her family now”?
Answers: He wanted to know if she was staying with her family at that time.
Rules to Change Pronoun, Time, and Place in Reported Questions
FAQs on Reported Questions in Indirect Speech
1. What are reported questions in English grammar?
Reported questions are questions that are retold indirectly without using the exact words of the speaker. In reported speech, the question form changes into a statement form and no question mark is used.
- Direct question: She said, "Where are you going?"
- Reported question: She asked where I was going.
2. How do you change a direct question into a reported question?
To change a direct question into a reported question, remove the question form and use statement word order. Follow these steps:
- Use a reporting verb like asked, wanted to know, or inquired.
- Remove the auxiliary verb before the subject.
- Change pronouns and time expressions if necessary.
- Backshift the tense if the reporting verb is in the past.
3. What is the word order in reported questions?
The word order in reported questions follows the structure of a normal statement, not a question. This means subject + verb order is used.
- Direct: "Where is she?"
- Reported: He asked where she was.
4. How do you report yes/no questions?
Yes/no questions are reported using if or whether. These words introduce the reported clause.
- Direct: "Are you ready?"
- Reported: She asked if I was ready.
5. How do you report WH-questions?
WH-questions are reported using the same question word (who, what, where, when, why, how). The word order becomes a statement.
- Direct: "Why are you late?"
- Reported: She asked why I was late.
6. Do tenses change in reported questions?
Yes, tenses usually change (backshift) if the reporting verb is in the past tense. This is known as tense backshift.
- Present Simple → Past Simple ("Do you work?" → He asked if I worked.)
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous
- Past Simple → Past Perfect
7. What are common reporting verbs used for reported questions?
Common reporting verbs for reported questions include asked, wanted to know, inquired, and wondered. These verbs introduce the indirect question.
- She asked where I lived.
- He wanted to know if I agreed.
8. What is the difference between direct and reported questions?
The difference between direct and reported questions is that direct questions use exact words and question structure, while reported questions use indirect structure and statement word order.
- Direct question: "Where do you live?"
- Reported question: She asked where I lived.
9. What are common mistakes in reported questions?
Common mistakes in reported questions include keeping question word order and forgetting to change tenses. Avoid these errors:
- Incorrect: He asked where was I going.
- Correct: He asked where I was going.
- Incorrect: She asked if I am ready. (when reporting in the past)
- Correct: She asked if I was ready.
10. Can you give more examples of reported questions in sentences?
Yes, reported questions appear frequently in everyday English conversations and writing. Here are clear examples:
- "What time does the train leave?" → He asked what time the train left.
- "Did you finish the project?" → She asked whether I had finished the project.
- "How can I solve this problem?" → He wondered how he could solve the problem.
