REPORTED QUESTIONS

  REPORTED QUESTIONS

When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are reporting – not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

Yes/no questions

• Direct question: “Do you like working in teams?” Reported question: He asked if I like working in teams.

When we report yes/no questions we use ‘if’ or ‘whether’.

• Direct question: “Did you enjoy the party?” Reported question: She asked me whether I’d enjoyed the party. 

Questions with a question word

• Direct question: “What time does the train leave?” Reported question: He asked what time the train left.

When there is a question word (what, where, why, who, when, how) we use that question word in the reported question but there is no auxiliary verb and the word order is like an affirmative sentence.

Look at some more examples:

• Direct question: “Who did you see?”
• Reported question: She asked me who I’d seen.

• Direct question: “Where did you go to school?”
• Reported question: He asked me where I’d gone to school.

• Direct question: “Why are you crying?”
• Reported question: She asked him why he was crying.