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Reported speech question Exercises

( Free Online English Grammar Lessons )

Read time : 2 minutes

Form : ( Subject + ASKED + (object) + if/whether/question word + subject + verb )

Form : ( Subject + WANTED TO KNOW + if/whether/question word + subject + verb )


In reported questions, the word order is the same as in positive sentences so the subject comes before the verb. 

In English we use 'if' or 'whether' when we report questions without a question word.

Example questions :

DIRECT SPEECH : "Do you want to dance?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me if I wanted to dance.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Did you see Tom last week?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me if I saw Tom last week.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Have you been to Hong Kong?"

REPORTED SPEECH : She asked me whether I'd been to Hong Kong.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Do you like the music?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked her if she liked the music.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Can you swim?"

REPORTED SPEECH : She asked him if he could swim.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Are you a student?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked her if she was a student.

DIRECT SPEECH : "Have you seen the film?"

REPORTED SPEECH : She asked him whether he had seen the film.


When we report questions with a question word, we use the question word to report. We don't use the auxiliaries do, does or did in reported questions.

Example questions :

DIRECT SPEECH : "Where is the nearest station?"

REPORTED SPEECH : She asked him where the nearest station was.

DIRECT SPEECH : "What is your name?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked her what her name was.

DIRECT SPEECH : "How did you get to Brighton?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me how I got to Brighton.

DIRECT SPEECH : "What did you do there?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me what I did there.

DIRECT SPEECH :  "Where are you going?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me where I was going.

DIRECT SPEECH :  "Why is he shouting?"

REPORTED SPEECH : He asked me why he was shouting.

DIRECT SPEECH : "What do you want?"

REPORTED SPEECH : She asked me what he wanted.

Reported speech question example sentences
She asked me if I could find a place for her to stay...Sie hat mich gefragt, ob ich einen Platz zum Schlafen für sie finden kann...

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Be going to
Be going to passive
Be used to / Get used to
Comparative
Defining relative clause
Echo tag
Expression
First conditional
Future
Future continuous
Future perfect continuous
Future perfect passive
Future perfect simple
Future simple passive
Greeting
Have/Get something done
Imperative
Implied conditional
Indirect question
Infinitive of purpose
Interjection
Mixed conditional
Modal
Modal passive
Non-defining relative clause
Other
Past continuous
Past continuous passive
Past perfect continuous
Past perfect passive
Past perfect simple
Past simple
Past simple passive
Polite request / offer / suggestion
Present continuous
Present continuous passive
Present perfect continuous
Present perfect passive
Present perfect simple
Present simple
Present simple passive
Question tag
Reduced relative clause
Reported speech imperative
Reported speech question
Reported speech request
Reported speech statement
Second conditional
Short answer
Superlative
Third conditional
Used to / would (past habit)
Was/were going to
Was/were supposed to
Wish
Would rather
Zero conditional