Reported Speech Questions! Learn how to form Reported Questions in English with useful grammar rules and example sentences.
Reported Questions
When you are changing a question from direct speech into indirect speech, you follow the same kinds of rules as for statements. The only differences are that you need to use a different word to introduce thereported speech, and the word order of the question becomes like that of a statement. You end the sentence with a full stop, not a question mark.
To report a question, we use verbs such as:inquire,wonder,want to know,ask…
Onlyaskcan take an indirect object.
Reported Speech Questions Examples:
Direct speech:“Have you got a computer?“
Reported speech:Hewanted to knowwhether I had a computer.
Reported Questions: Direct and Indirect Questions
How to Report Wh and Yes/No Questions
Reported Speech Questions:Yes/No Questions
– We use “if” or “whether” to introduce a “yes‑no question”.
Example:
Direct speech:“Did you receive my e-mail?“
Reported speech:The teacher asked meifI had received his e-mail.ORThe teacher asked mewhetherI had received his e-mail.
– You introduce questions where there is a choice in the same way ‑ more usually by using“whether” than by using “if“.
Example:
Direct speech:I asked, “Is it John’s phoneorRichard’s?”
Reported speech:I askedwhetherit was John’s phoneorRichard’s.
Reported Speech Questions:Questions Words (Wh- Questions)
– You introduce questions that begin withwho,why,what,how,when,where…by using the wordwhich begins the question in direct speech.
Example:
Direct speech:She asked, “Wheredid he stay?”
Reported speech:She asked mewherehe had stayed.
Direct speech:She asked, “Whenwill you go back to London?“
Indirect speech:She askedwhenhe would go back to London.
– You often mention the person who is being asked the question, by using apronoun(him,her,them, etc.) or by mentioning their name.
Example:
I askedhimif he ate meat.
She askedMichaelwhen he would go back to Japan.
Notes for Reported Questions
In reporting questions:
– The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech but there isno auxiliary verbandthe word order is like anaffirmative sentence.
– We don’t use question marks in reporting questions except beginning withCould you tellme…?,
Do youknow…?,May I ask…?, …(when we ask for information.)
Reported Speech: Useful Rules & Examples
- Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech
- No Change in Verb Tenses in Indirect Speech
- Changes in Time and Place in Reported Speech
- Introductory VerbsList
- Pronouns in Reported Speech
- Reported Questions
- Reported Commands & Requests
(Reported Questions: Direct and Indirect Questions)
Last Updated on March 1, 2021
DIRECT vs INDIRECT Question