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Narration change of wh questions examples and rules | reported speech wh question.

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Direct and indirect speech wh questions examples :, wh word used as the subject –, wh word used as the object – , wh word used as an adverb –, wh word + noun –, wh questions with auxiliary verbs :, (a) wh question with  be verbs :, (b) wh questions with modal auxiliary verbs:, rules for direct and indirect speech of wh questions, start with  3  general rules:.

Change the Narration of Wh Questions - step by step process :–

In the indirect speech, the word order must be normal i.e.  Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object.

Move on to the Final type -->

Direct and Indirect Speech of WH Question with  Be-Verb :

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O copy paste ki dukaan. Ye examples publish krne se pehle check to kr leta. It is a moral responsibility as a teacher that you do not mislead learners. Just for the sake of few ads money you are presenting something which is grammatically wrong. Please have a look at the examples. (Agar shi me kuch aata hai to) Looser

You're welcome dear. Visit again. And let me know if you want pdf of this page. Have a good day...

A lot of mistakes in your question jo ata tha wo bhi bhulanay lagay thay.

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Reported Questions: Direct and Indirect Questions

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.

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.

• 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 .

Use  whether  for choices.

Reported Speech Questions: Questions Words (Wh- Questions)

Report Wh- questions by using the question word.

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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• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: questions

Do you know how to report a question that somebody asked? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked.

direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said. indirect speech: He asked me if I worked from home. direct speech: 'Who did you see?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me who I'd seen. direct speech: 'Could you write that down for me?' she asked. indirect speech: She asked me to write it down.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked. indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales.

In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like ) to a statement structure (e.g. I like ).

We also often make changes to the tenses and other words in the same way as for reported statements (e.g. have done → had done , today → that day ). You can learn about these changes on the Reported speech 1 – statements page.

Yes / no questions

In yes / no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.

'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?' He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference. 'Have you finished the project yet?' She asked us whether we'd finished the project yet.

Questions with a question word

In what , where , why , who , when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.

'What time does the train leave?' He asked me what time the train left. 'Where did he go?' She asked where he went.

Reporting verbs

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask , but we can also use verbs like enquire , want to know or wonder .

'Did you bring your passports?' She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports. 'When could you get this done by?' He wondered when we could get it done by.

Offers, requests and suggestions

If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.

'Would you like me to help you?' He offered to help me. 'Can you hold this for me, please?' She asked me to hold it. 'Why don't we check with Joel?' She suggested checking with Joel.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 2: 2

Language level

Can you tell me which one is correct?

he asked me if was i going to the conference 

he asked me what time left the train 

he asked me if i wanted him to come to the party

he asked me why is she travelling to tanta

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Hi par_iss89,

The third sentence is grammatically correct; the others all contain errors in word order.

Please note that generally we do not answer questions like this as we are not a service for providing answers to tasks from elsewhere. We would end up doing people's tests and homework for them if so! Our main role is providing explanations as to why something is correct or not rather than answers to tasks.

The LearnEnglish Team

I have a question concerning reported questions. I have trouble understanding how to change the auxiliary verb "do" in questions. 

For example:

• Direct Speech: "Did you give Aunt Sadia my flight details?"
• Indirect Speech:  He asked his parents if they had given Aunt Sadia his flight details.

In this case, the "did give" in the direct speech makes the backshift from simple past to past perfect (had given). In my grammar book at school, it says that we should omit do/did/does when reporting questions. I thought the indirect speech of the sentence was "He asked his parents if they gave Aunt Sadia his flight details" because I omitted the "did" as it was explained in my book to do so. Now there's another question:

• Direct Speech: "Do I need a large suitcase for the trip?"
• Indirect Speech:  He asked his parents if he needed a large suitcase for the trip.

I don't quite understand why I can omit the "do" in the indirect speech in this case and only make the backshift of the tense for "need" (--> "needed"). Why can't I say "He asked his parents if he did need a large suitcase?". 

Hello AGermanGirlLearningEnglish,

I think your question is not really about omitting 'did'. Let me explain.

When we report questions we do not use the question structure. For example:

Where is he? > She asked where he is.

Here, the original sentence is a question and uses inversion: the verb (is) comes before the subject (he). In the reported question we simply use the structure for a regular sentence: the verb (is) comes after the subject (he). Notice that backshifting is not necessary when the situation is still the same. In other words, if she is still wondering where he is then we can leave the sentence in the present. Another example of reported speech should make this clear:

"I love you." She said she loved me. [she loved me when she said it; we don't know if she still loves me now] She said she loves me. [she loved me when she said it and she still loves me now]

When we report a question we use the same question word (where, when, who etc) as in the original/direct speech sentence. When the question is a yes/no question we use 'if'. So, in your example we use 'if' and then regular sentence structure

Did you give Aunt Sadia my flight details? He asked his parents if they had given Aunt Sadia his flight details.

You can use 'gave' here instead of 'had given' if the situation is still unchanged. Since (from the context) it seems clear that this is the case, 'gave' should be fine here.

Your second example works the same way:

Do I need a large suitcase for the trip? He asked his parents if he needed a large suitcase for the trip.

'Did' is not needed as we use a regular sentence structure. You could use a present form ('needs') if the trip has not happened yet, but backshifting is fine here in either case.

Does the direct speech "when does the train left?"i asked can be chaged into ' I asked when does the train left?'

Hello rojina-bogati,

First of all, there is an error in the direct speech example. You have mixed present and past forms. The question should be one of these:

When does the train leave? [present tense] When did the train leave? [past tense]

When we report a question we don't need to use inversion, so the reported question would be as follows:

I asked when the train leaves. [present tense] I asked when the train left. [past tense]

Note that there is no question mark (?) here as it is not a question.

When Peter Schjeldahl found out he had cancer, while driving through upstate New York, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the beauty of the land. “How many times had I seen and loved the sight?” he wondered. “How many more times would I?” (From The New Yorker@NewYorker , 24 June 2024) What I would like to know is why the past perfect is used in direct speech ( "How many times had I seen and loved the sight?" he wondered ). Is it correct? Shouldn't "had" be replaced by "have"? Likewise, shouldn't the "would" in the following question be "will"? 

I would appreciate your helping me to understand it.  

Hello Sefika,

This is a question better asked of the author of the text. Perfect forms are contextual, so the had seen/had loved must be the speaker reflecting on these activities in relation to something else in his past. I don't know if that is included in the broader text or if the author has simply used a non-standard form here for some reason. We end up getting into speculative territory or even considering whether or not the author has simply made an error or chosen to use the language in a creative way which is atypical of normal usage.

Generally, we provide information on language systems and explain our own examples on this site. We avoid explaining or commenting on decontextualised fragments from fictional works for the reasons above.

What happens to questions in reported speech if the question refers to either a habitual status or uses "ever" to convey the meaning of any time? Can either work in Simple Past as the general rule dictates? 1. Where do you usually buy your clothes? Is "She asked me where I usually bought my clothes." correct? 2. Do you ever go to the cinema? Is "She asked me if I ever went to the cinema." correct? Thank you.

Tense backshifting in reported speech is not obligatory and choosing not to shift the tense back adds extra information as it describes a situation that was true at the time of speaking and is still true at the time of reporting. For example:

"I love you," she said. She said she loved me. She said she loves me.

Sentence 1 tells us that she loved me when she said it. It does not tell us anything about now - she may still love me or she may not. Sentence 2 tells us that she loved me when she said it and she loves me now.

In your examples you have a similar choice:

Where do you usually buy your clothes? She asked me where I usually bought my clothes. She asked me where I usually buy my clothes.

In sentence 1 she wanted to know your buying habit at that time - it may or may not still be the same. In sentence 2 we understand that your buying prefences have not changed.

Do you ever go to the cinema? She asked me if I ever went to the cinema. She asked me if I ever go to the cinema.

In sentence 1 she asked about your cinema habit at a particular time in the past - you may have changed since then. In sentence 2 we understand that your cinema habit is the same now as it was when she asked you.

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50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In this useful lesson, we’ll explore direct and indirect speech through 50 simple examples. These two ways of speaking help us share what someone else said. Think of direct speech as using the speaker’s exact words, like quoting a friend. Indirect speech , on the other hand, involves changing the original words a bit, as if you’re telling a story about what was said. This lesson is great for anyone looking to get better at English, offering clear examples to make learning easier.

Rules to Make Direct and Indirect Speech

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, it’s important to follow specific rules to ensure the sentence still conveys the original meaning. Here are the key rules:

• Change in Pronouns : Pronouns often need to be changed according to the context and the point of view of the reporting verb. For example, “ I am going ” (direct) might become “ He said he was going ” (indirect).
• Tense Shifts : The tense of the verb in direct speech usually changes when converting to indirect speech. If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense in the reported speech shifts back as well. For instance, “ She said, ‘I am eating ‘” changes to “ She said she was eating “.
• Time and Place Words : Words indicating time and place in direct speech are often adjusted in indirect speech. “Here” may change to “there,” “today” to “ that day ,” “tomorrow” to “ the next day ,” etc.
• Question Form : If the direct speech is a question, the indirect form does not use a question format. Instead, it integrates the question into a statement, often using “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions, and ‘wh’ words ( what, when, where, why, who ) for questions that require more detailed answers. For example, “ He asked, ‘Are you coming? ‘” becomes “ He asked if I was coming .”
• No Quotes : In indirect speech, quotation marks are not used. The sentence is integrated into a larger statement, which often starts with verbs like said, asked, or told.
• Exclamations and Commands : Exclamatory sentences and commands in direct speech are transformed into statements or requests in indirect speech. For instance, “He said, ‘How beautiful!'” becomes “He exclaimed that it was beautiful.” Commands like “He said, ‘Sit down!'” change to “He ordered me to sit down.”
• Modal Verbs : Modal verbs can also change in indirect speech, especially might, could, would, and should, depending on the context and the necessity to maintain the original sentence’s meaning.

Remember, the goal of these changes is to maintain the essence of the original statement while adapting it to the grammatical and contextual framework of indirect speech.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

1. Direct: “I am busy,” she said.

Indirect: She said that she was busy.

2. Direct: “We will go tomorrow,” they said.

Indirect: They said that they would go the next day.

3. Direct: “He can play the guitar,” Mike said.

Indirect: Mike said that he could play the guitar.

4. Direct: “Do you like chocolate?” she asked me.

Indirect: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

5. Direct: “Please open the window,” John requested.

Indirect: John requested that the window be opened.

6. Direct: “I have finished my homework,” he announced.

Indirect: He announced that he had finished his homework.

7. Direct: “Don’t touch that,” she warned.

Indirect: She warned not to touch that.

8. Direct: “How are you?” he inquired.

Indirect: He inquired how I was.

9. Direct: “I will help you,” she promised.

Indirect: She promised that she would help me.

10. Direct: “I didn’t see him yesterday,” Tom confessed.

Indirect: Tom confessed that he hadn’t seen him the day before.

11. Direct: “I am going to the market,” Alex said.

Indirect: Alex said that he was going to the market.

12. Direct: “We saw a movie last night,” they told me.

Indirect: They told me that they had seen a movie the night before.

13. Direct: “Can you drive a car?” she questioned.

Indirect: She questioned whether I could drive a car.

14. Direct: “Please pass the salt,” he requested.

Indirect: He requested that the salt be passed.

15. Direct: “I have been to Spain,” she mentioned.

Indirect: She mentioned that she had been to Spain.

16. Direct: “Stay away from the dog,” he cautioned.

Indirect: He cautioned to stay away from the dog.

17. Direct: “Where did you buy this?” she inquired.

Indirect: She inquired where I had bought that.

18. Direct: “I’ll call you tonight,” he promised.

Indirect: He promised that he would call me that night.

19. Direct: “I didn’t take your book,” Sarah insisted.

Indirect: Sarah insisted that she hadn’t taken my book.

20. Direct: “Let’s meet at the café,” they suggested.

Indirect: They suggested meeting at the café.

21. Direct: “I’m feeling sick,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he was feeling sick.

22. Direct: “I won the match,” she exclaimed.

Indirect: She exclaimed that she had won the match.

23. Direct: “Could you please help me?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked if I could please help him.

24. Direct: “Turn off the lights,” she commanded.

Indirect: She commanded that the lights be turned off.

25. Direct: “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

Indirect: He said that he would see me the next day.

26. Direct: “We’re moving to a new city,” they announced.

Indirect: They announced that they were moving to a new city.

27. Direct: “Do not disturb me,” she warned.

Indirect: She warned not to disturb her.

28. Direct: “Why are you late?” he questioned.

Indirect: He questioned why I was late.

29. Direct: “I’ll handle the situation,” she assured.

Indirect: She assured that she would handle the situation.

30. Direct: “I’ve never been to Asia,” he stated.

Indirect: He stated that he had never been to Asia.

31. Direct: “Let’s go for a walk,” she proposed.

Indirect: She proposed going for a walk.

32. Direct: “I am learning Spanish,” he mentioned.

Indirect: He mentioned that he was learning Spanish.

33. Direct: “Please close the door,” she asked.

Indirect: She asked that the door be closed.

34. Direct: “I will join you later,” he promised.

Indirect: He promised that he would join me later.

35. Direct: “I lost my wallet,” she declared.

Indirect: She declared that she had lost her wallet.

36. Direct: “Keep the secret,” he urged.

Indirect: He urged to keep the secret.

37. Direct: “Where is the nearest bank?” she inquired.

Indirect: She inquired where the nearest bank was.

38. Direct: “I might go to the concert,” he speculated.

Indirect: He speculated that he might go to the concert.

39. Direct: “Please be quiet,” she implored.

Indirect: She implored to be quiet.

40. Direct: “I will finish the project by Monday,” he assured.

Indirect: He assured that he would finish the project by Monday.

41. Direct: “Don’t forget to lock the door,” she reminded.

Indirect: She reminded to not forget to lock the door.

42. Direct: “How do you solve this problem?” he pondered.

Indirect: He pondered how to solve that problem.

43. Direct: “I can’t believe I won!” he exclaimed.

Indirect: He exclaimed that he couldn’t believe he had won.

44. Direct: “Would you like some coffee?” she offered.

Indirect: She offered if I would like some coffee.

45. Direct: “I must leave now,” he stated.

Indirect: He stated that he must leave then.

46. Direct: “We’re adopting a puppy,” they shared.

Indirect: They shared that they were adopting a puppy.

47. Direct: “Never speak to me again,” she commanded.

Indirect: She commanded never to speak to her again.

48. Direct: “When will you return the book?” he asked.

Indirect: He asked when I would return the book.

49. Direct: “I’ll think about your offer,” she considered.

Indirect: She considered that she would think about the offer.

50. Direct: “Please bring me a glass of water,” he requested.

Indirect: He requested that a glass of water be brought to him.

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Direct and Indirect Questions Examples

Published by

Olivia Drake

Direct questions are the type of questions that we ask directly and require a direct answer. They usually start with a question word or an auxiliary verb.

Indirect questions are less common in everyday English. They are used as a more polite way of asking for something. They typically start with an introductory phrase and lack a question mark, as they’re technically not questions.

Here are the examples:

Direct:  What is your favorite book? – This question directly asks for the person’s favorite book. Indirect:  Could you tell me what your favorite book is?

Direct:  Do you play football? – This question is directly asking if the person plays football. Indirect:  I was wondering if you play football.

Direct:  Where did you buy that coat? – This question is directly asking about the purchase location of the coat. Indirect:  Could you let me know where you bought that coat?

Direct:  Have you visited Japan before? – This question is directly asking about a past event, specifically if the person has visited Japan. Indirect:  I’m interested to know if you’ve visited Japan before.

Direct:  What time does the store close? – This question is directly asking about the closing time of the store. Indirect:  Do you know what time the store closes?

Direct:  Did you meet the new neighbor? – This question is directly asking if the person met the new neighbor. Indirect:  Could you tell me if you’ve met the new neighbor?

Direct:  Who taught you how to drive? – This question is directly asking who the person’s driving instructor was. Indirect:  I’d like to know who taught you how to drive.

Direct:  How old is your dog? – This question is directly asking for the age of the person’s dog. Indirect:  Could you tell me how old your dog is?

Direct:  Is your sister a doctor? – This question is directly asking if the person’s sister is a doctor. Indirect:  I was wondering if your sister is a doctor.

Direct:  Can you speak French? – This direct question is asking about the person’s ability to speak French. Indirect:  I was wondering if you can speak French.

Direct:  When is your birthday? – This direct question asks when the person’s birthday occurs. Indirect:  Could you tell me when your birthday is?

Direct:  Where are you from? – This direct question is inquiring about the person’s origin or hometown. Indirect:  I’d be interested to know where you’re from.

Direct:  Why are you late? – This direct question is asking the reason for the person’s tardiness. Indirect:  Can you explain why you’re late?

Direct:  What are you doing this weekend? – This direct question asks about the person’s plans for the upcoming weekend. Indirect:  Do you mind sharing what you’re doing this weekend?

Direct:  How often do you exercise? – This direct question asks about the frequency of the person’s exercise routine. Indirect:  Could you let me know how often you exercise?

Direct:  Who is your best friend? – This direct question asks about the person’s closest friend. Indirect:  I’d like to know who your best friend is.

Direct:  Did you enjoy the movie? – This direct question is asking about the person’s enjoyment of the movie. Indirect:  I was wondering if you enjoyed the movie.

Direct:  Where is the nearest bank? – This direct question asks about the location of the nearest bank. Indirect:  Could you tell me where the nearest bank is?

Direct:  Are you going to the party tonight? – This direct question asks about the person’s plans to attend a party. Indirect:  I was curious if you’re going to the party tonight.

Note: In indirect speech, tenses often shift back (e.g., “does” to “did”, “is” to “was”) as the speech is typically reported at a later time than when it was initially said. However, this shift is unnecessary if the information is still true or relevant at the time of reporting.

Examples of Direct and Indirect WH Questions 

Direct:  What is your name? – This question directly asks for the person’s name. Indirect:  Could you tell me what your name is?

Direct:  Where do you live? – This question directly asks about the person’s place of residence. Indirect:  I was wondering where you live.

Direct:  When is your appointment? – This question directly asks about the time of the person’s appointment. Indirect:  Could you let me know when your appointment is?

Direct:  Who is your favorite musician? – This question directly asks about the person’s favorite musician. Indirect:  I’m interested to know who your favorite musician is.

Direct:  Why are you studying English? – This question directly asks about the reason the person is studying English. Indirect:  Do you mind telling me why you are studying English?

Direct:  How does this machine work? – This question is directly asking about the operation of a machine. Indirect:  Could you explain how this machine works?

Direct:  Which college did you attend? – This question directly asks about the college that the person attended. Indirect:  I’d like to know which college you attended.

Direct:  Whose book is this? – This question is directly asking about the owner of a book. Indirect:  Could you tell me whose book this is?

Direct:  What time is it? – This question directly asks about the current time. Indirect:  I was wondering what time it is.

Direct:  How old are you? – This question directly asks about the person’s age. Indirect:  Could you tell me how old you are?

Direct:  Where are you going? – This question directly asks about the person’s destination. Indirect:  I’d be interested to know where you’re going.

Direct:  When does the train leave? – This question directly asks about the departure time of a train. Indirect:  Could you tell me when the train leaves?

Direct:  Why did you move to this city? – This question directly asks about the reason the person moved to this city. Indirect:  Can you explain why you moved to this city?

Direct:  Who is your role model? – This question directly asks about the person’s role model. Indirect:  I’d like to know who your role model is.

Direct:  What is your job? – This question directly asks about the person’s job. Indirect:  Could you tell me what your job is?

Direct:  Which is your favorite movie? – This question directly asks about the person’s favorite movie. Indirect:  I was wondering which your favorite movie is.

Direct:  How do you prepare this dish? – This question directly asks about the method of preparing a particular dish. Indirect:  Could you explain how you prepared this dish?

Direct:  Whose is this phone? – This question directly asks about the owner of a phone. Indirect:  Do you know whose this phone is?

Direct:  Where did you park the car? – This question directly asks about the location where the person parked the car. Indirect:  Could you tell me where you parked the car?

Direct:  When will you finish the project? – This question directly asks about the time the person will finish a project. Indirect:  I’d like to know when you will finish the project.

In indirect questions, the structure of the sentence changes to a more declarative format, which can often make the query seem less direct and therefore more polite. The question word (what, where, who, etc.) generally stays the same, but the word order may need to change to fit the new structure. Also note that indirect questions often begin with phrases like “Could you tell me…” or “I was wondering…” to introduce the question in a less direct manner.

Examples of Indirect yes/no Questions

Direct:  Do you like ice cream? – This direct question asks if the person likes ice cream. Indirect:  I was wondering if you like ice cream.

Direct:  Are you attending the meeting tomorrow? – This question directly asks if the person plans to attend a meeting. Indirect:  Could you tell me if you are attending the meeting tomorrow?

Direct:  Have you finished your homework? – This question directly asks if the person has completed their homework. Indirect:  I would like to know if you have finished your homework.

Direct:  Can you swim? – This question directly asks if the person can swim. Indirect:  I was curious to know if you can swim.

Direct:  Did you enjoy the concert? – This direct question is asking if the person enjoyed the concert. Indirect:  I was wondering if you enjoyed the concert.

Direct:  Will you be home for dinner? – This direct question asks if the person will be home for dinner. Indirect:  Could you let me know if you will be home for dinner?

Direct:  Have you visited Paris before? – This direct question is asking about the person’s previous travel experiences, specifically regarding Paris. Indirect:  I’d like to know if you’ve visited Paris before.

Direct:  Are you familiar with this software? – This direct question asks if the person has knowledge of a specific software. Indirect:  Could you tell me if you are familiar with this software?

Direct:  Do you know how to drive? – This direct question asks if the person can drive. Indirect:  I was curious if you know how to drive.

Direct:  Did you get the job? – This direct question asks if the person secured a job. Indirect:  I’d be interested to know if you got the job.

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• Reported Speech /

Direct And Indirect Speech Questions: Comprehensive Guide with Examples

• Updated on  
• May 11, 2024

Direct and indirect speech questions , commonly known as reported speech questions, are pivotal in facilitating effective communication . Mastery of direct and indirect speech concepts is crucial, particularly when forming questions, to ensure clarity and precision in communication. In this blog, you will learn more about rules for forming question sentences using direct and indirect speech followed by illustrative examples. Let’s dive in to learn!

This Blog Includes:

Understanding direct and indirect speech questions, rules for changing questions sentences into indirect speech, examples of change from direct to indirect speech, exercises of direct and indirect speech question sentences , reported speech exercise.

Must Read: Reported Speech

Let’s understand direct and indirect speech questions in detail below:

Direct Speech Questions

In direct speech, the actual words spoken by the speaker are enclosed in quotation marks. Whenever you form questions using direct speech, it is important to make note of actual words spoken and punctuation.

For example : 

Example 1 She asked, “ Where are you going”?

Example 2  He asked ,” Did you finish your homework”?

Indirect Speech Questions

In Indirect speech, the questions are not quoted in quotation marks as they are not the actual words of the speaker whereas the speaker tries to quote the meaning of someone’s else words. Transformation of sentences from direct speech to indirect speech involves several changes such as a change in the verb form, the removal of quotation marks, alteration in pronouns and a change in word order.

For example:

Example 1  She asked where I was going.

Example 2  He asked if I had finished my homework.

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

One must follow these rules while changing direct speech question sentences to indirect speech: 

Rule 1: Reporting Verb is changed to ask, inquire, or wonder according to the sentence.

Rule 2 : The question mark is removed thus changing the interrogative form of the sentence to an affirmative sentence. This is done by placing the subject before the verb and if a sentence starts with a helping verb such as do or did they are removed in indirect speech.

Rule 3 : If the sentence begins with the who words such as where, how etc. then we will not use any conjunction in the indirect speech for conversion.

Rule 4 : If the sentence begins with the helping verbs such as do, did, have, etc. then conjunctions “if “ or “whether” are used to transform it into indirect speech.

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Read the following examples thoroughly to know the changes made while converting direct to indirect speech:

Let’s check your understanding with a few practical sentences:

• The girl said to the boy  “Is the mango sweet?”
• The teacher said to Rahul, “Are you ill?”
• I said to her, “Do you know the man?”
• I said to her,” May I take your pen?”
• Nita said to Mohan “Will you help me?”
• I said to Manisha “Did you see our cow?”
• The professor said to his students, “Can you answer this question?”
• I said to Rohan, “Do you know my brother?”
• Father said to my brother, “Do you have any problem?”
• I said to her, “Have you had your tea?”

Match your answers with the solved sentences and analyze the understanding of the concept.

1. The girl asked the boy if the mango was sweet.

2. The teacher asked Rahul if he was ill.

3.  I asked her if she knew the man.

4.  I asked her if I might take her pen.

5.  Nita asked Mohan if he would help her.

6.  I asked Manisha if she had seen our cow.

7.  The professor asked his students if they could answer that question.

8.  I asked Rohan if he knew my brother.

9.  Father asked my brother if he had any problems.

10. I asked her if she had had her tea.

Must Read: Figures of Speech

Instruction: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

• “I’m going to the library,” she said.
• “Please don’t forget to lock the door,” he reminded me.
• “I wish I had studied harder,” she sighed.
• “I’ll be here tomorrow,” she promised.
• “Give me the book,” he ordered.

Reported speech often known as indirect speech means conveying someone else’s words or thoughts without quoting them directly.

In reported speech, interrogative sentences are changed by changing the question word order, omitting the question mark, and using appropriate conjunctions.

Direct questions are something which we ask every day regularly. While Indirect questions are framed with a particular phrase.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Amanpreet Kaur

📚✨ From Classroom Chats Entered Into The Wordy World ….. Yes , If you all Remember that teacher who kept you on your toes with pop quizzes and endless homework? YEP! THAT WAS Me ! 🌟 But with the blessings of almighty and the key motivation of my husband who came across the spark of writing in me has insisted me to pave my way away from chalk dust to creative burst!💫  Being in this new world of writing I can compose pun-tastic content, poetry full of emotions and humorous articles that can even make Shakespeare envious of me 📝🎭.Yippee! from teaching young minds to educating worldwide readers it's an epic career switch. From teaching grammar lessons to grammatically flawless copy, I'm todays' wordsmith on a mission! Let me spin literary magic all around and conquer my exact destination of proving myself as The Best Writer in The World.🚀🏆 My promise is to provide you with valuable insights, solutions to your questions, and a momentary escape from the routine. I believe in the power of words to create connections, provoke thought, and foster growth. Woods are lovely dark and deep  But I have promises to keep and  Miles to go before I sleep ……..🌳✨🌌

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