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Indirect Speech for question sentences - Rules

The basic rules for converting direct speech (question sentence) into indirect speech are as follows: The examples are at the end.

1.
Inverted commas are removed in indirect speech.
2.
The conjunction ‘that’ is not used in indirect speech for question sentences. The conjunction ‘that’ is generally used in indirect speech for other types of sentences but is not used in indirect speech for question sentences.
3.
In indirect speech, the question sentence is expressed in positive (or assertive) form rather than question form.
Example.
Direct speech:
He said, “Where are you going?”
Indirect speech:
He asked Where I was going. (correct)
Indirect speech:
He asked where was I going. (wrong)
4.
Since the question sentence is expressed as positive sentence, question mark (?) is not used in indirect speech for question sentence.
5.
The question sentence in direct speech may start with reporting verb such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’ (e.g., he said, she told). It is better to use verbs such as ask’ or ‘inquire instead of say or tell’ (e.g., he asked, she asked) for making indirect speech of question sentence.
6.
The rules for changing the tense in indirect speech are similar for all types of sentences (e.g., positive, negative and interrogative sentences).

The above rules are basic rules which apply to all question sentences. However, there are also a few specific rules which apply according to the type of question. Let’s first understand these types of question and then learn the rules for them.

There are two types of questions sentences:

  1. Questions which can be answered with YES of NO.
  2. Questions which cannot be answered only with YES or NO but requires an answer in the form of a few words or a sentence.

1. Question which can be answered with YES of NO.
These questions usually start with axillary verbs (or helping verbs) such as is, was, have, has, had, will etc. These can be answered simply by saying yes or no. See the following examples.

Do you like a mango?
Have you passed your exam?
Will you help me?

2. Question which cannot be answered with YES of NO.

This question usually starts with what, how, why, where, when etc. These cannot be answered simply by saying yes or no but requires an answer in a few words or a sentence. See the following examples.

What are you doing?
Where are you going?
Why are your crying?

  Questions that can be answered with “YES or NO”

To make indirect speech for such question sentences, the word ‘if’ or ‘whether’ is used before the reported speech (i.e., the question) within the sentence. Both of these words can be used interchangeably. It should be noted that question is always expressed in a positive form in indirect speech.

Examples:

Direct Speech
Indirect Speech
He said to me, “Do you like coffee?”
He asked me if I liked coffee.
She said to me, “Do you play football?”
She asked me if I played football.
He said to me, “Will you help me?”
He asked me if I would help him.
David said to me, “Can I use your phone?”
David asked me if he could use my phone.
She said to me, “Did you see my cat?”
She asked me if I had seen her cat.
He said to me, “Are you enjoying the music?”
He asked me if I was enjoying the music.
She said to me, “Have you gone to London?”
She asked me if I had gone to London.
John said to me, “Will you buy a camera?”
John asked me if I would buy a camera.
He said to me, “Are you waiting for me”.
He said to me if I was waiting for him.
She said to me, “Were you driving a car?
She asked me if I had been driving a car.
She said to the patient, “Are you feeling well?”
She asked the patient whether he was feeling well.
John said to me, “Have you eaten some food?”
John asked me whether I had eaten some food.
He said to me, “Have you won a prize?”
He asked me whether I had won a prize.
She said to me, “Is it raining?”
She asked me whether it was raining.
He said to me, “Do you need any help?”.
He asked me whether I needed any help.

  Questions that cannot be answered with only “YES or NO”

The words ‘if’ or ‘whether’ is not used indirect speech for such question sentences. The question is only converted into positive (assertive) form and simply placed after the reporting verb.

Examples:

Direct Speech
Indirect Speech
He said to me, “What are you doing?”
He asked me what I was doing.
She said to me, “What is your name?”
She asked me what my name was.
David said to me, “How are you?”
David asked me how I was.
He said to me, “Where are you going?”
He asked me where I was going.
She said to me, “What are you eating?”
She asked me what I was eating.
He said to me, “Why did you break the cup?”
He asked me why I had broken the cup.
John asked me, “When will you buy a camera?”
John asked me when I would buy a camera.
He said to me, “When will you come?”
He asked me when I would come.
She said to me, “Why were you laughing?”
She asked me why I had been laughing.
He said to me, “Why were you waiting for me?”
He asked me why I had been waiting for him.
They said to me, “What have you bought?
They asked me what I had bought.
She said to me, “What have you eaten?
She asked me what I had eaten?
He said to me, “Why have you resigned from your job?”
He said to me why I had resigned from my job.
She said to me, “Where can I buy some food?”.
She asked me where she could buy some food.
He said to me, “How can I pass the exam?”
He asked me how he could pass the exam.
She said to me, “Why do you waste your time?”
She asked me why I wasted my time.
John said to me, “How old are you?”
John asked me how old I was.
They said to me, “How is the weather?”
They asked me how the weather was.