Reported Speech (Questions): Rules
Reported speech for questions (also known as indirect questions) is used to tell someone what another person asked. When reporting questions, we generally change the question form into a statement form, backshift tenses, and adjust pronouns and time/place expressions. We do not use a question mark in reported questions.
Key Rules for Reporting Questions:
Reporting Verbs for Questions
- Use reporting verbs like 'asked', 'enquired', 'wondered', 'demanded', 'wanted to know'.
- The verb 'asked' is most common and can be used with or without an object.
- Do NOT use 'told' for reporting questions.
General Rule: Question to Statement Form
- In reported questions, the word order changes from question form to statement form (Subject + Verb).
- Auxiliary verbs like 'do', 'does', 'did' are generally removed.
- The question mark (?) is replaced by a full stop (.).
Yes/No Questions (Interrogative without Wh-word)
- Introduce the reported question with 'if' or 'whether'.
- Example: He asked, "Are you hungry?" → He asked if I was hungry.
- Example: She asked, "Did you see him?" → She asked whether I had seen him.
Wh-Questions (Interrogative with Wh-word)
- The Wh-word (who, what, where, when, why, how) is retained and acts as the conjunction.
- Example: He asked, "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.
- Example: She asked, "What are you doing?" → She asked what I was doing.
Changes in Tenses (Backshift)
- Same rules as for statements:
- Present Simple → Past Simple
- Present Continuous → Past Continuous
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect
- Past Simple → Past Perfect
- Future Simple (will) → Would
Changes in Pronouns & Time/Place Expressions
- Pronouns change according to the speaker and listener (same as statements).
- Time and place expressions change (same as statements):
- Now → Then
- Today → That day
- Here → There
- Tomorrow → The next day
Important Points to Remember:
- Always convert the question structure into a statement structure.
- Use 'if' or 'whether' for Yes/No questions; retain the Wh-word for Wh-questions.
- Apply the necessary backshift in tenses.
- Change pronouns and time/place expressions appropriately.
- Never use a question mark in reported questions.
- Do not use 'do/does/did' in reported questions.