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Grammar Exercises📢 Reported SpeechReported Questions
B1Reported Speech

Reported Questions

~4 min readUpdated July 30, 20260 practice exercises
English
🗺️ REPORTED QUESTIONS GRAMMAR MAP
YES / NO QUESTIONS (If / Whether)

Use IF or WHETHER + Statement Word Order (Subject + Verb).

(+) Positive asked IF I was ready • asked WHETHER she liked coffee
(-) Negative no auxiliary do/does/did in reported question!
(?) Question He asked if I lived here
WH- QUESTIONS (Keep Wh-word + Statement Order)

Keep Wh-word (where, what, why) + Subject + Verb.

(+) Positive asked WHERE I lived • asked WHAT time it was
(-) Negative not asked where did I live (WRONG)
(?) Question She asked why I was late

1. Form & Structure

Reported Question Rules & Examples Matrix

  • Yes/No Direct: "Do you speak English?" → He asked if I spoke English.
  • Wh- Direct: "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.
  • Word Order Change: Change question order (Auxiliary + S + V) to STATEMENT order (S + V)!
  • Remove Question Mark: Replace "?" with a period "." at the end!
Example / Question Positive / Short Answer Negative / Short Answer
Direct: "Are you happy?" He asked IF I was happy. Not: He asked was I happy
Direct: "What are you doing?" She asked WHAT I was doing. Not: She asked what was I doing
Direct: "Did you buy milk?" He asked IF I had bought milk. Not: He asked did I buy milk

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule Base / Standard Form Applied Form
Statement Word Order Rule Reported questions MUST use statement word order (Subject + Verb). NEVER invert the subject and verb! asked where I lived (CORRECT) vs asked where did I live (WRONG)
If / Whether Requirement for Yes/No Always introduce reported Yes/No questions with IF or WHETHER. asked IF I was ready
Remove Auxiliary Do/Does/Did Remove auxiliary verbs do, does, did completely when reporting questions! asked what I wanted (NOT "asked what did I want")

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Relaying inquiries made by someone else

Tell a third person about a question that was asked earlier.

  • My boss asked if I had finished the report.

2. Politeness in indirect inquiries

Report questions politely in writing or interviews.

  • She inquired where the conference was being held.

3. Recounting past interviews and conversations

Summarize Q&A sessions smoothly.

  • The police officer asked what I was doing at 10 PM.

4. Signal Words & Usage Context

asked ifasked whetherasked whereasked whatinquiredwanted to know
Question Check:
  • No question mark (?) at end!
  • Subject BEFORE Verb!

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

  • Mistake 1: Keeping question word order (inversion) in reported question
    ❌ Incorrect: She asked me where was I going.
    ✓ Correct: She asked me where I was going.
    Note: Change to statement order (Subject + Verb).
  • Mistake 2: Keeping auxiliary "do/does/did" in reported question
    ❌ Incorrect: He asked me what did I want.
    ✓ Correct: He asked me what I wanted.
    Note: Remove do/does/did completely.
  • Mistake 3: Forgetting "if" or "whether" in Yes/No reported questions
    ❌ Incorrect: She asked me I liked tea.
    ✓ Correct: She asked me if I liked tea.
    Note: Yes/No questions MUST have "if" or "whether".

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between "if" and "whether" in reported questions?

They are mostly interchangeable! However, "whether" is slightly more formal and is preferred when presenting two explicit alternatives ("whether... or not").

Q2: Does a reported question end with a period or a question mark?

It ALWAYS ends with a period (.), NOT a question mark (?).

Q3: What reporting verbs can we use besides "asked"?

You can use "wanted to know", "inquired", "wondered", or "asked me".

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