Reported questions

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Explains indirect questions. Includes examples.

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Reported questions, also known as indirect questions, are used to report or paraphrase someone else's question without using the exact words of the original question. When we use reported questions, we typically change the word order and use an introductory phrase or clause to indicate that the sentence is a question. Here's how reported questions are formed:

Word Order:

In reported questions, the word order is subject + verb, just like in a normal statement. There is no question mark at the end.

Example:

Direct question: "What time is the meeting"?

Reported question: She asked what time the meeting was.

Introductory Phrase:

We use introductory phrases such as "asked", "inquired", "wondered", "wanted to know", etc., to introduce reported questions.

Example:

Direct question: "Where are you going"?

Reported question: He asked where I was going.

Change of Tenses:

When reporting a question from the present, the tense of the verb in the reported question may need to change to reflect the time of the original question.

Example:

Direct question: "Do you like ice cream"?

Reported question: She asked if I liked ice cream.

Question Words:

The question words in the original question (who, what, where, when, why, how) may be retained in reported questions.

Example:

Direct question: "Why did he leave early"?

Reported question: I wanted to know why he had left early.

Reporting Verb + If/Whether:

If the original question has no question word, the reported question is introduced with "if" or "whether".

Example:

Direct question: "Are you coming to the party"?

Reported question: She asked if I was coming to the party.

Examples of reported questions:

Direct question: "How can I help you"?
Reported question: He wanted to know how he could help me.

Direct question: "Where did she go"?
Reported question: I wondered where she had gone.

Direct question: "Will they arrive on time"?
Reported question: The teacher asked if they would arrive on time.

Remember that when using reported questions, it's important to pay attention to changes in tense and word order to accurately convey the original question. Practice converting direct questions into reported questions to improve your understanding and usage of this grammar structure.