In this reference, you’ll learn how to form reported questions in English, covering essential grammar rules and offering useful example sentences. The main sections include how to report Wh and yes/no questions, notes for reported questions, and useful rules and examples.
You’ll explore the details of both yes/no questions and question words (Wh- questions) in reported speech. This reference will provide you with notes and examples to better grasp the rules of reported speech questions.
Contents
Reported Questions
When changing a question from direct speech to indirect speech, use verbs like inquire, wonder, want to know, and ask. Only ask can take an indirect object.
Examples:
- Direct speech: “Have you got a computer?”
- Reported speech: He wanted to know whether I had a computer.
You introduce the reported question with a different word and change the word order to that of a statement. End the sentence with a full stop.
How to Report Wh and Yes/No Questions
Reported Speech Questions: Yes/No Questions
To report yes/no questions, use if or whether.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Did you receive my e-mail?” | The teacher asked me if I had received his e-mail. |
| The teacher asked me whether I had received his e-mail. |
Use whether for choices.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Is it John’s phone or Richard’s?” | I asked whether it was John’s phone or Richard’s. |
Reported Speech Questions: Questions Words (Wh- Questions)
Report Wh- questions by using the question word.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “Where did he stay?” | She asked me where he had stayed. |
| “When will you go back to London?” | She asked when he would go back to London. |
Mention the person being asked.
- I asked him if he ate meat.
- She asked Michael when he would go back to Japan.
Notes for Reported Questions
When reporting questions, the tense of the verb changes. The word order follows an affirmative sentence, and there is no auxiliary verb. Do not use question marks except in cases like:
- Could you tell me…?
- Do you know…?
- May I ask…?
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