reported speech of question sentence

Reported Questions

Reported questions are one form of reported speech .

We usually introduce reported questions with the verb "ask":

• He asked (me) if / whether ... (YES/NO questions)
• He asked (me) why / when / where / what / how ... (question-word questions)

As with reported statements , we may need to change pronouns and tense (backshift) as well as time and place in reported questions.

But we also need to change the word order . After we report a question, it is no longer a question (and in writing there is no question mark). The word order is like that of a normal statement (subject-verb-object).

Reported YES/NO questions

We introduce reported YES/NO questions with ask + if :

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is pronoun change and backshift.

Note that we sometimes use "whether" instead of "if". The meaning is the same. "Whether" is a little more formal and more usual in writing:

• They asked us if we wanted lunch.
• They asked us whether we wanted lunch.

Reported question-word questions

We introduce reported question-word questions with ask + question word :

Note that in the above example the reported question has no auxiliary "do". But there is pronoun change and backshift.

• YES/NO questions: Do you want tea?
• Question Word questions: Where did you drink tea?
• Choice questions: Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Look at these example sentences:

English With Ashish

Interrogative sentences in reported speech: rules and examples

Hey learners! In this post, we will master how to change direct speech to indirect speech when the reported speech in the direct speech is an interrogative sentence. Before we do that, we must know what direct and indirect speech is.

What is a direct speech?

Direct speech definition: It is a way to narrate what someone said using the speaker’s exact words. The reported speech (the speaker’s words) is placed in quotation marks and is offset using a comma.

What is an indirect speech?

Indirect speech definition: it is a way to narrate what someone said but not using the speaker’s exact words. Unlike a direct speech, it is not placed in quotation marks and separated by a comma.

Direct speech: She said to me, “Do you love me?” Indirect speech: She told me if I loved her.

Important things to understand :

1. Directing speech: It is the part (clause) that you (the person who narrates the speaker’s original words) say. In the above examples, “She said to me” and “She told me” are reporting speeches. These are the parts the narrator of the reported speech says.

2. Directed speech: it is the part that comes from the original speaker. In the above examples, “ Do you love me? “ and “ if I loved her “ are reported speeches.

Interrogative sentences in the reported speech

Interrogative sentence definition: Sentences that are used to ask questions are called interrogative sentences. They end with a question mark.

There are two types of interrogative sentences:

• Ones that can be answered in YES or NO .
• Ones that can not be answered in YES or NO . They need to be explained.
• Direct speech : My uncle said to me, “What are you studying?”
• Direct speech : She asked me, “Do you still love me?”
• Indirect speech: My uncle asked me what I was studying.
• Indirect speech: She asked me if I still loved her .

NOTE : Interrogative sentences in direct speech are changed into assertive sentences.

Process/steps of changing Interrogative sentences (reported speech) into indirect speech:

• Remove the quotation marks and the comma from the reported speech.
• Put the question word (WH family word) at the beginning of the reported speech when the question can’t be answered in YES or NO. If the question can be answered in YES/NO, replace the helping verb (auxiliary) with IF or WHETHER.
• Put the subject of the reported speech after it.
• Put the verb after the subject.
• Replace the question mark with a period/full stop.
• The reporting verb SAY in the direct speech is changed into ASK/INQUIRE.

NOTE : Interrogative sentences that can be answered in YES/NO start with auxiliary verbs (is/am/are/do/does/has/have/will/shall/can/could/may/might/should/would…). And interrogative sentences that can’t be answered in simple YES/NO start with WH family words (what/why/where/when/how/who/whom).

Direct speech structure : Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + subject complement? Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object/modifier?

Indirect speech structure : If/whether + subject + main verb + subject complement. If/whether + subject + main verb + object/modifier.

• Direct speech: I asked her, “Will you go out with me?” Indirect speech: I asked her if/whether she would go out with me.
• Direct speech: The guy on the street said to me, ” Do you know whom you are messing with?” Indirect speech: The guy on the street asked me if I knew whom I was messing with.
• Direct speech: On the very first date, she asked me, “Have you kissed a girl?” Indirect speech: On the very first date, she asked me if I had kissed a girl.
• Direct speech: The other night, Jon asked me, “Are you taking drugs?” Indirect speech: The other night, Jon asked me if I was taking drugs.
• Direct speech: She said, “Can you kiss me right now?” Indirect speech: She asked if I could kiss her right then.

In the indirect speech of the reported part, we replace the auxiliary verb with IF or WHETHER . The subject is put before the verb so that the interrogative sentence changes into an assertive sentence.

All these questions can be answered in YES/NO. If the questions can’t be answered in YES/NO, don’t use if/whether . Let’s look at the following examples:

Direct speech structure : WH family word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object/modifier (optional)?

Indirect speech structure : WH family word + subject + main verb + object/modifier.

• Direct speech: The police asked, “What were you doing when the incident happened?” Indirect speech: The police asked what I had been doing when the incident had happened .
• Direct speech: He said, “What can I do for you?” Indirect speech: He asked what he could do for me.
• Direct speech: Ron asked my father, “What do you do?” Indirect speech: Ron asked my father what he did.
• Direct speech: She said to us, “What do you think of yourselves?” Indirect speech: She asked us what we thought of ourselves.
• Direct speech: My brother asked, “Who is that girl?” Indirect speech: My brother asked who that girl was.

Now, we know how to change an interrogative sentence into a reported speech. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.

For one-on-one classes, contact me at  [email protected] .

Ashish Sharma

Ashish found his first love—the English language—a few years back. Since then, he has been immersed in the language, breaking down the language and teaching it to passionate English learners. He has a flair for listening to the English language (podcasts, sitcoms, stories), observing the nuances, and making it easy for English learners. He is known for breaking down complex English topics and making them easy to be understood.

15 thoughts on “Interrogative sentences in reported speech: rules and examples”

Sir in the Wh-question u make wrong indirect speech . Ex.1 The police asked, “what were you doing when the incident happened..? ” Ans-The police asked what I had been doing when the incident had happened.. Plz check this ex if I will wrong then plz tell me where I was wrong…

Hello, Ritesh! Yes, I had forgotten to change the subject of the clause from YOU to I. Thank you for pointing out the mistake!

Sunil said to Sunita, “What was the theme of the story?”

Sunil asked Sunita what the theme of the story was.

Sunita asked sunil that what was the theme of the story. Is it correct or not

It’s not. Correction: Sunita asked Sunil what the theme of the story was. 1) We don’t use two conjunctions together. We can’t. 2) A noun clause does not take a question structure (use inversion in it).

Can it not be, Sunil asked Sunita what had been the theme of the story.

That’s grammatical incorrect. A verb or a verb phrase can’t come before the subject in a dependent clause. Also, the right verb tense of the reported speech is the Simple Past tense.

“Be not so amazed, daughter Miranda”,said Prospero. change this.

That’s not a question.

Calling Miranda as his daughter Prospero forbade/advised her not to be amazed.

the gate keeper said,” who made this mess?”

The gatekeeper asked whom that mess had been made by.

He said to me,” do you know him kiran”.

He asked if me I knew him/kiran.

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Reported Speech (Part 2) – Requests, Orders, and Questions

My colleague asked me to help him update his computer.

Read Reported Speech (Part 1) to learn how to make reported statements.

In Part 2, we will focus on requests, orders, and questions.

1. Requests/orders

• “Asked me to”  is used for requests.
• “Told me to” is stronger; it is used for orders/commands.
• The main verb stays in the infinitive: She asked me to make copies. He told me to go to the bank.

2. Yes/no questions

• “Asked if” and “wanted to know if” are equal.
• The main verb changes according to the rules for reported statements : “ Did you turn off the TV?” (past simple) She asked if I had turned off the TV (past perfect)
• We don’t use the auxiliary verbs “do/does/did” in the reported question.

3. Other questions

• “Asked”  and “wanted to know” are equal.
• We don’t use the auxiliary verb “do” or “does” in the reported question: “Where does he work?” She wanted to know where he works .
• In questions with the verb “to be,” the word order  changes in the reported question: “Where were you born?” (Question word + [to be] + subject) He asked where I was born (Question word + subject + [to be]) He asked where was I born

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

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Reported questions – Exercise

Task no. 2323.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary.

Peter, "Did John clean the black shoes?" Peter asked me  

Peter asked me if John had cleaned the black shoes .

Do you need help?

Reported questions in English

• Christopher, "Do you want to dance?" Christopher asked me .
• Betty, "When did you come?" Betty wanted to know .
• Mark, "Has John arrived?" Mark asked me .
• Ronald, "Where does Maria park her car?" Ronald asked me .
• Elisabeth, "Did you watch the latest film?" Elisabeth asked me .
• Mandy, "Can I help you?" Mandy wanted to know .
• Andrew, "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?" Andrew asked me .
• Justin, "What are you doing?" Justin asked me .
• Frank, "How much pocket money does Lisa get?" Frank wanted to know .
• Anne, "Must I do the shopping?" Anne asked .
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• Grammar Exercises
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech Exercises

Perfect english grammar.

Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:

( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )

Reported Statements:

• Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Past Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Present Perfect Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Future Simple Reported Statement Exercise (quite easy) (in PDF here)
• Mixed Tense Reported Statement Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• 'Say' and 'Tell' (quite easy) (in PDF here)

Reported Questions:

• Present Simple Reported Yes/No Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Present Simple Reported Wh Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Mixed Tense Reported Question Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)

Reported Orders and Requests:

• Reported Requests and Orders Exercise (intermediate) (in PDF here)
• Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 1 (difficult) (in PDF here)
• Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2 (difficult) (in PDF here)

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• B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech: statements

Do you know how to report what somebody else said? 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 said.

direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said. indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films. direct speech: 'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef. direct speech: 'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said. indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel. indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked ) than the tense originally used (e.g. work ). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.' Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job. 'The baby's sleeping!' He told me the baby was sleeping. 'I've hurt my leg.' She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.' She told me they'd lived in China for five years. 'It was raining all day.' He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.' He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.' Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her. 'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.' He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him! 'I've broken my arm!' She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob. Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden. 'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina. Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

'I'm working on my thesis,' I said. I told her that I was working on my thesis. 'We want our jobs back!' we said. We said that we wanted our jobs back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

'This is my house.' He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.] He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the house.] 'We like it here.' She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they like.] She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.] 'I'm planning to do it today.' She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the same day.] She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same day any more.]

In the same way, these changes to those , now changes to then , yesterday changes to the day before , tomorrow changes to the next/following day and ago changes to before .

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Reported speech 1: 2

Language level

Hello Team. If the reporting verb is in the present perfect, do we have to backshift the tenses of the direct speech or not?    For example: He has said, "I bought a car yesterday."    

1- He has said that he bought a car yesterday.

2- He has said that he had bought a car the previous day.

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Hello Ahmed Imam,

It's not necessary to backshift the verb form if the situation being reported is still true. For example:

"I'm a doctor"

She told me she is a doctor. [she was a doctor when she said it and she is still doctor now]

She told me she was a doctor. [she was a doctor when she said it and may or may not still be a doctor now]

The reporting verb in your example would be 'said' rather than 'has said' as we are talking about a particular moment in the past. For the other verb both 'bought' and 'had bought' are possible without any change in meaning. In fact, when the verb is past in the original sentence we usually do not shift the verb form back.

The LearnEnglish Team

Hello again. Which one is correct? Why?

- He has said that he (will - would) travel to Cairo with his father.

The present perfect is a present form, so generally 'will' is the correct form.

In this case, assuming that the man said 'I will travel to Cairo', then 'will' is the correct form. But if the man said 'I would travel to Cairo if I had time to do it', then 'would' would be the correct form since it is part of a conditional statement.

I think you were asking about the first situation (the general one), though. Does that make sense?

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Thank you for the information. It states that If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. I wonder if it is still correct to change the tense in this example: 'London is in the UK', he said. to He said London was in the UK. Or  it has to be the present tense. 

Hello Wen1996,

Yes, your version of the sentence is also correct. In this case, the past tense refers to the time the speaker made this statement. But this doesn't mean the statement isn't also true now.

Good evening from Turkey.

Is the following example correct: Question: When did she watch the movie?

She asked me when she had watched the movie. or is it had she watched the movie. 

Do Subjects come before the verbs? Thank you. 

Hello muratt,

This is a reported question, not an actual question, as you can see from the fact that it has no question mark at the end. Therefore no inversion is needed and the normal subject-verb word order is maintained: ...she had watched... is correct.

You can read more about this here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/reported-speech-questions

Thank you for your response.

Hello Sir, kindly help with the following sentence-

She said, "When I was a child I wasn't afraid of ghosts." 

Please tell me how to write this sentence in reported/ indirect speech.

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Reported speech

Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words:

Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.”

In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed.

Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was midnight .

In this example, I becomes she and the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken: didn’t realise becomes hadn’t realised .

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words:

“I’m sorry,” said Mark. (direct)

Mark apologised . (indirect: report of a speech act)

In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought:

‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (direct report of what someone wrote)

He wrote that he would love her forever , and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (indirect report of what someone wrote)

I need a new direction in life , she thought. (direct report of someone’s thoughts)

She thought that she needed a new direction in life . (indirect report of someone’s thoughts)

Reported speech: direct speech

Reported speech: indirect speech

Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses

Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout , usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said.

Reported speech: punctuation

Direct speech.

In direct speech we usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas:

“ I couldn’t sleep last night, ” he said.

Rita said, ‘ I don’t need you any more. ’

If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma:

‘Is there a reason for this ? ’ she asked.

“I hate you ! ” he shouted.

We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first:

The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’

Punctuation

Indirect speech

In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts:

She told me they had left her without any money.

Not: She told me, they had left her without any money .

Nobody had gone in or out during the previous hour, he informed us.

We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations:

He asked me why I was so upset.

Not: He asked me why I was so upset?

Reported speech: reporting verbs

Say and tell.

We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say , but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to ( to me, to Lorna ):

‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said .

‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice.

Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice .

With tell , we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined):

‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them .

Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told .

In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say , but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell :

He said he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand .

He told me he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand .

We use say , but not tell , to report questions:

‘Are you going now?’ she said .

Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me .

We use say , not tell , to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes:

‘Happy birthday!’ she said .

Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me .

Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview.

Not: Everyone told me good luck …

Say or tell ?

Other reporting verbs

The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing:

Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea.

Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family.

The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition.

Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first:

‘Who is that person?’ she asked .

‘It was my fault,’ he confessed .

‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted .

Verb patterns: verb + that -clause

Word of the Day

my lips are sealed

said when you are promising to keep a secret

Hidden in plain sight: words and phrases connected with hiding

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Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

• Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that   . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
• She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that   . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
• Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that   . will → would|next …→ the following …
• My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that   . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
• Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that   . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

• She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked   . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
• He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
• I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him   . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
• The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
• The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman   . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

• The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver   . to + same wording as in direct speech
• The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us   . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
• She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

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• Reported Speech

Reported Speech How does it Work?

Indirect speech or Reported speech is just a way of expressing your intent in questions, statements or other phrases, without essentially quoting them outrightly as the way it is done in indirect speech.

Reported Speech Rules

To understand Reported Speech Grammar and Reported Verbs, you need to first understand reported speech rules and how it works. Here are some types of reported speech:

Reported Statements

Reported speech is used when someone says a sentence, like, "I'm going to the movie tonight". Later, we want to tell a 3rd person what the first person is doing.

It works like this:

We use a reporting verb i.e 'say' or 'tell'. In the present tense, just put in 'he says.

Direct Speech: I like burgers.

Reported Speech: He says (that) he likes burgers.

You don't need to change the tense, but you do need to switch the 'person' from 'I' to 'he’. You also need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

But, in case the reporting verb is in the past tense, then change the tenses in the reported speech itself.

Reported Questions

Reported questions to go like 

Direct Speech: Where do you reside?

We make the change to reported speech by-

It is similar to reported statements. The tense changes are exact, and we keep the question’s word. But we need to change the grammar of that normal sentence into positive. For eg:

Reported Speech: He asked me where I resided.

The direct speech question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does'. For that, I need to take that away. Then change the verb to the past simple. 

Direct Speech: Where is Jolly?

Reported Speech: He asked me where Jolly was.

The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We change the question form of the present simple of being by changing the position of the subject and the verb. So, change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.

Here Are Some More Examples

Reported Requests

The reported speech goes a long way. What if a person asks you to do something politely or make a request? It’s called a reported request. For example

Direct Speech: Close the door, please / Could you close the door please? / Would you mind closing the door, please?

All these requests mean the same, so we don't need to report every word there when we tell a 3rd person about it. 

We can simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':

Reported Speech: They asked me to close the door.

Direct Speech: Please be punctual.

Reported Speech: They asked us to be punctual.

Reported Orders

And lastly, how about when someone doesn't ask that politely? This is known as an 'order' in English, which is when someone tells you to do something pretty much directly. This is called a reported order. For example

Direct Speech: Stand up right now!

We make this into a reported speech in the same way as that for a request. Just use 'tell' rather than 'ask':

Reported Speech: She told me to stand up right now.

Time Expressions within the Ambit of Reported Speech

Sometimes when we want to change the direct speech into reported speech, we will have to change the time expressions too. We don't necessarily always have to do that. However, It depends on when we heard the speech in indirect form and when we said the speech in reported form. 

For Example,

It's Sunday. Kiran Ma’am says "I'm leaving today".

If You tell someone on Sunday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving today".

If you tell someone on Tuesday, You will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving yesterday".

If you tell someone on Friday, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving on Sunday ".

If you tell someone a month later, you will say "Kiran Ma’am said she was leaving that day".

So, technically there's no easy way to convert. You need to put in real effort and have to think about it when the direct speech is said.

Here's a Table of How Some Conversions can be Made 

now can be converted to then / at that time

today can be converted to yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27 th of June

yesterday can be converted to the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December

last night can be converted to the night before, Thursday night

last week can be converted to the week before / the previous week

tomorrow can be converted to today / the next day / the following day / Friday

Now Let us Check our Understanding Through this Table

This is all about reported speech. English grammar is a tricky thing given both the rules and practice. Reading these rules solely will not help you to get a strong grasp of them. You also have to practice reported speech sentences in practical life to know how and when they can be used.

FAQs on Reported Speech

1. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

There are certain rules to follow while converting sentences to reported speech. We need to manage tenses also.

Usually, the present sentences change to simple past tense.

Ex: I do yoga every morning

She said that she did yoga every morning.

I play cricket a lot

He said that he played cricket a lot 

Usually The present continuous tense changes to the past continuous tense. 

Ex: My friend is watching a movie.

She said that her friend was watching a movie.

We are eating dinner

They said that they were eating dinner.

Usually, the  Present Perfect Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

Ex: I have been to the USA

She told me that she had been to the USA.

She has finished her task.

She said that she had finished her task.

Usually the Present Perfect Progressive Tense changes into Past Perfect Tense

2. How to convert present tenses to reported speech and give some examples.

Usually the Past Simple Tense changes into the Past Perfect Tense.

Ex: He arrived on Friday

He said that he had arrived on Friday.

My mom enjoyed the stay here

He said that his mom had enjoyed the stay there.

Usually, the Past Progressive Tense changes into the Perfect Continuous Tense

Ex: I was playing the cricket

He said that he had been playing cricket.

My husband was cooking

She said that her husband had been cooking.

Usually, the Past Perfect Tense doesn’t change.

Ex: She had worked hard.

She said that she had worked hard.

And also the Past Perfect Progressive Tense doesn’t change.

3. State the rules for conversion of future tenses into reported speech

There are rules to follow while converting the future tenses to reported speech.

In general, the Future Simple Tense changes into would. And also the future Progressive Tense changes into “would be”. The Future Perfect Tense changes into “would have”. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense changes into “would have been”.

Ex: I will be attending the wedding.

She said that she would be attending the wedding.

4. Give examples for conversion of  ‘can ‘, ‘can’t’ and ‘will’,’’won’t’ 

5. Give some examples for reported requests and reported orders.  

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• Reported Speech /

Reported Speech Interrogative: Rules, Examples & Exercise

• Updated on  
• Mar 11, 2024

Reported Speech Interrogative : Imagine a scenario where you’re in a formal setting, addressing a respected individual. Instead of asking, “Can you please pass the salt?” ie, (Direct Speech), you could say, “I wondered if you could kindly pass me the salt.” (Indirect Speech). This is one of the many instances of Reported Speech Interrogative and how it changes the tone of your question. However, there are certain rules you would need to master to attain this subtle shift of tone and convey your request without losing the decorum of the situation. 

Therefore, without any further ado, delve deeper into this blog on Reported Speech Interrogative and learn in detail about its rules, skim through its examples and exercises. So that, you can attain a greater height of the mountain called English Grammar . 

This Blog Includes:

Yes/no questions, wh-questions, examples of reported speech interrogative, reported speech interrogative exercise for practise, rules for reported speech interrogative.

When it comes to changing a Direct Speech to an Indirect Reported Speech Interrogative, you cannot skip following these essential rules:

Replace the reporting verb “said/told” with an appropriate interrogative verb.   

• Common interrogative verbs include “asked,” “enquired,” “wondered,” “wanted to know,” and “inquired.”
• The choice of verb depends on the context and the speaker’s tone.
• For example, “asked” is a neutral verb, while “wondered” suggests curiosity or uncertainty.

Remove the question mark (?) from the direct interrogative and add a full stop (.) in the reported sentence.  

Place modal verbs like “could,” “might,” “should,” and “would” instead of “can,” “may,” “should,” and “will” in indirect speech.

Use appropriate phrases like “I think,” “I believe,” “I suppose,” and “I wonder” to express uncertainty in indirect speech.

Use “if/whether” to introduce indirect/yes/no questions.  

• When reporting questions begin with “ who ,” “ what ,” “ when ,” “ where ,” “ why ,” or “ how ,” use “ if ” or “ whether ” to introduce the indirect question.
• If: Use “if” for questions that seek information or express uncertainty.
• Whether: Use “whether” for questions that seek a choice or confirmation.

Convert the direct interrogative sentence (Wh-question) into a statement structure.

• Direct interrogative sentences have a subject-verb-object order.
• The sentence structure is changed to a statement form when converting to reported speech.
• The subject and verb tense remain the same, but the interrogative tone is removed.

Here are some more examples of Reported Speech Interrogative you can take a look at before practising the exercises:

Direct : I said to him, “Where are you going?” Indirect : Tasked him where he was going.

Direct : He said to me, “Will you go there?” Indirect : He asked me if I would go there.

Direct : My friend said to Deepak, “Have you ever been to Agra?” Indirect : My friend asked Deepak if he had ever been to Agra.

Also Check: 50 Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises

Now the time comes to finally analyse your learning of Reported Speech Interrogative with us so far. Take your time to solve these exercises and check how many you got right from the answers below. 

Q1. Convert the following direct interrogative sentences into reported speech using the correct reporting verbs.

• “Have you already seen the new movie?”
• “Could you tell me the way to the nearest post office?”
• “Do you think it’s going to rain tonight?”
• “Can you please help me carry this heavy bag?”
• “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
• “When will the train arrive at the station?”
• “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be late?”
• “What time does the store close today?”
• “Would you mind passing me the salt?”
•  “Do you think you could lend me your car for the weekend?”

Q2. Convert the following reported speech interrogative sentences into direct speech .

• She asked if I had finished my homework.
• He inquired if I could help him with his computer problem.
• She wondered if I knew the answer to the question.
• He asked if I was interested in going to the movies with him.
• She asked if I could give her a ride to the airport.
• He enquired if I had heard the latest news about the election.
• She wondered if I had any plans for the weekend.
• He asked if I thought it would be a good idea to go out for dinner.
• She asked if I could lend her her favourite book.
• He enquired if I could give him some feedback on his new song.

 Answer Key 1:

• Reported Speech: She asked if I had already seen the new movie.
• Reported Speech: He enquired if I could tell him the way to the nearest post office.
• Reported Speech: She wondered if it was going to rain that night.
• Reported Speech: He asked if I could help him carry that heavy bag.
• Reported Speech: She asked if I was sure I knew what I was doing.
• Reported Speech: He enquired when the train would arrive at the station.
• Reported Speech: She asked why I hadn’t told her I was going to be late.
• Reported Speech: He asked what time the store closed that day.
• Reported Speech: She asked if she could pass me the salt.
• Reported Speech: He asked if I thought he could lend him my car for the weekend.

Answer Key 2:

• Direct Speech: “Have you finished your homework?”
• Direct Speech: “Could you help me with my computer problem?”
• Direct Speech: “Do you know the answer to the question?”
• Direct Speech: “Are you interested in going to the movies with me?”
• Direct Speech: “Could you give me a ride to the airport?”
• Direct Speech: “Have you heard the latest news about the election?”
• Direct Speech: “Do you have any plans for the weekend?”
• Direct Speech: “Do you think it would be a good idea to go out for dinner?”
• Direct Speech: “Could you lend me your favourite book?”
• Direct Speech: “Could you give me some feedback on my new song?”

Explore More on Reported Speech

Explore More Blogs on Tenses

Interrogative journalism is a form where the main focus is on asking questions and seeking answers.

Reported Speech is when we tell someone what the other person said. Example: ‘I work in a bank, said James’ (Direct Speech) James said that he worked in a bank. (Indirect Speech)

Reported Speech is also known as Indirect speech.

This was all about the Reported Speech Interrogative rules and more. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

Harshita is a creative writer cum literature enthusiast in pursuit to extend her learnings of overseas and Indian education sectors to the masses, through her well-curated articles. You may also find her emerging in prose writing or reading Toni Morrison when not writing stuff related to education.

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• Syllabus 2024-25
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Reported Speech: Dialogue Writing Practice Questions CBSE Class 10 Grammar

• Post last modified: 25 February 2024
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Reporting the narration is done two ways – Direct or Indirect. The CBSE Class 10 Gramar syllabus includes this reporting in dialogue forms. After that an exercise with blanks to be filled to transform the whole conversation in indirect form. Here are given practice exercises to help practice Dialogue reporting.

Click here for more such grammar study materials

Dialogue Reporting Practice Questions

Q. read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (cbse set 2, 2022) .

Neha: I’m really looking forward to the class picnic tomorrow. Namita: Yes, after a long time we will be meeting our friends and teachers.

Neha told Namita (1) ______________ looking forward to the class picnic _____________. Namita agreed that after a long time (2) ______________ friends and teachers.

(1) that she was really, the next day (2) they would be meeting their

Q. Read the conversation and complete the passage that follows: (OD 2022)

Ritika: Can I borrow your Math book for a couple of days? Mohit: Yes certainly, I have already studied for the test tomorrow. Ritika asked Mohit (1) ……………. for a couple of days. Mohit agreed and said that (2) ……………. .

(1) if she could borrow his Math book (2) he had already studied for the test the next day.

Q. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows. (Term 2 SQP 2021-22) 

Biology Teacher: I instructed you to draw the diagram of bacteria. Why did you submit a blank sheet?   Sameer: Sir, I had drawn the diagram of bacteria, but you can’t see it because it is not visible to the naked eye 

The biology teacher had instructed Sameer to draw the diagram of a bacterial cell and asked him (a) ……..… a blank sheet. Sameer respectfully answered that he had drawn the diagram but (b) …….…. to the naked eye. 

(a) why he had submitted (b) he/ the teacher couldn’t see it because it is not visible

Q. Read the following dialogue between a mother and her son. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. (2012)

Marie: Did you see my new umbrella? Isn’t it fine? Tony: Yes, it is! Did you buy it from the mall? Marie: No, your father has brought it for me.

Marie asked her son Tony (a) …………… and she wanted to know whether it was a fine one. Tony agreed and asked his mother (b) …………… His mother replied in the negative and added that (c) ……………

(a) if he had seen her new umbrella (b) if she had bought it from the mall (c) his father had brought it for her.

Note: A sentence in Simple Past (verb 2nd form or Did + Verb 1st form) need not always be converted to Past Perfect (had + Verb 3rd form) . But it is safe to convert to Past Perfect as others (evaluators) may not be knowing it. Even CBSE marking schemes seem to follow the safe rule i.e. Changing Past Tense to past Perfect tense. An example is given below.

Direct: He said, “I saw the thief myself.”

Indirect: he said that he had seen the thief himself. (The safe rule to follow) OR He said that he saw the thief himself. (It is also correct – but mostly not followed)

Q. Read the following dialogue between Garima and Karan. Complete the paragraph that follows by filling in the gaps appropriately. [AI 2011]

Garima: So, after a decade in the industry, are you truly ‘satisfied’? Karan: I love the film industry. It has its flaws though. Garima: What do you mean by this statement? Karan: We are a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people. But the passion cements us together.

Garima asked Karan if after a decade in the industry (a) _________. Karan told her (b) _________ although it had its flaws. Garima then enquired (c) _________. Karan explained that they were a bunch of competitive, ambitious, sometimes petty people but the passion cemented them together.

(a) he was truly ‘satisfied’ (b) that he loved the film industry (c) what he meant by that statement

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete Venu’s narration. [SQP 2020]

I saw Supanddi standing in the field. When I -(A)- doing there, he -(B)- he was trying to win a Nobel prize. I was confused and enquired how standing in the rice field would help him do so. He stumped me by saying that he -(C)- won Nobel prizes had all been outstanding in their fields!

(A) (a) exclaimed what he was (b) told him what he was (c) asked him what he was (d) says to him about what (B) (a) ordered that (b) refused that (c) questioned that (d) replied that (C) (a) has heard that people who has (b) was hearing that people who were (c) had heard that people who had (d) did hear that people who had

(A) – (c) (B) – (d) (C) – (c)

Q. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the narration of Patty’s conversation with Charlie. [SQP 2020]

Charlie: Dear Santa, here is a list if what I want. Patty: How do you suppose Santa Claus can afford to give away all those toys? Charlie: Promotion! Don’t kid yourself……Everything these days is promotion! I will bet if the truth were brought about, you will find that he’s being financed by some big eastern chain!

While making the list of what Charlie wanted from Santa Claus, he asked Patty how …..(A)….. all those toys. She said that …..(B)….. and that it was possible as Santa …..(C)….. big eastern chain.

(A) (a) Santa Claus could afford to give away    (b) will give away (c) gave away (d) giving away

(B) (a) everything these days were promotion (b) everything these days was promotion (c) everything those days was promotion (d) everything these days was going to be promotion

(C) (a) was financing by some big eastern chain (b) had been financed by some big eastern chain (c) was being financed by some big eastern chain (d) will be financed by some big eastern chain

(A) – (a) (B) – (c) (C) – (c)

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Sentence transformation rules and exercises for classes cbse/icse/state boards, tenses: grammar practice exercises, analytical paragraph writing english grammar cbse class 9 & 10, unseen comprehension passages practice cbse questions: grammar for schools, this post has 66 comments.

Thank you for question These were excellent and also improved my spech

It’s speech not spech

clapings it is speech

thank you it will help with my exam preparation

Thanks. New questions are also added from time to time.

Thanks a lot for these questions it helped me to be thorough with the exam pattern.

Are you from India:)

thanks for those questions

Why are there so many mistakes in the given questions?The names of the people in the conversation and the names of the people in the related question are completely different.Pls chk and rectify.It is confusing the kids and the purpose of these practice questions is totally defeated.

Thank you for informing us of the mistakes. We have done the required corrections. I hope all is well now.

page 2 question 3 there is a name error plz rectify it as soon as possible to avoid more confusion

Thank you for informing us of the mistake. The required correction has been done- ‘Mohan’ has been replaced by ‘Vinnet’ in the last line of the question.

Please add more questions

In the second question (page 1) , answer to the first part is wrong as Did changes to had + verb’s 3rd form.

Thank you for referring to the issue. We have updated the post and added a ‘note’ section.

Thanks a lot! These were truly of great help! Excellent questions!

It was very helpful ☺️. Thanks ncert tutorials

Really, it was very helpful.

Sir, i wanted to know where “it” is changed to “that” . I have this confusion as there are many questions where it is changed to that..but in many questions there is “it” only.

Sir, In Question no. 4 , please check the answers of option (c) , (f) , (h) why there is “been”

‘Had been’ is used in place ‘was and were’.

Sir, In question 7 (a), How could ‘may’ change into ‘could’?

Thanks for pointing out the error. We have made the required correction.

It was nice to have such a exercise to practice….

Sir, In question 8(d), It should be ‘ she had been talking’ instead of ‘ she has been talking’

The correction done. Thank You Ayush for sparing time to help us clean the exercises out of mistakes.

Why are you using Wrong English ?

Why are you using Wrong English ? Please use correct English to teach. Thank you.

Please give proper reference. I would do required corrections or elaborate upon your issue.

Thank you for this. Please add more. And I think there are some mistakes please do check and correct them. Thanks again🙌

thank you, Elena, and after reports of some errors corrections also have been done. If future reports received, required corrections will be done.

in the fifth page 4th ques there will be what he had been reading as past progressive changes to past perfect progressive

Thank you Sarthak for informing us of the error. Corrections done and the question has also been modified with one more filling gap (d).

thank u for giving a lot of questions this was useful for my class 10 board term 2 exam

thank you so much

Tomorrow is board

Yess all the bestt

I have my english board exam tomorrow, and this helped me a lot

thank you soo much. this site is the only one that consists of grammar questions based on the format of the board exams

it helped me a lot to prepare for my term 2 board exam of english. LOOKING FORWARD TO SCORE 40/40

Best of Luck Aishwarya 👍👍

best of luck to me to plz saaaayyyyy Subscribe to Jonja hi Jonja

Ok, Best of luck to you also 👍👍

Thank you sir , Your questions on reported speech have helped me a lot to study for my exam.

EXCELLENT QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KEEP IT UP………………..

Sir in question no. 3(b) the past tense of buy should be bought and not brought.Pls make the changes.

Correction done 😊.

I love the lessons for they are smart enough to learn personally.

I would like to show my gratitude …….this website was really good and helpful 👍 and more comfortable

Very nice examples They helped me a lot in my exam preparation

thanks for sharing this information

Questions were very helpful and amazing also… Thanks for such practice question..

Good questions thank you

sir on page 1 Q 2 it should be “for tomorrow’s test” instead of “the test tomorrow”.

Hi Arnav, it is written as ‘for the test tomorrow’ so no problem.

Thanks too much this is awesome for my test this help me more

Thank you admin blog. Very good

Please add longer questions

there some questions with mistakes arun and rohit question pls rectrfy the mistakes thanks it helped me a lot because it was my todays homework i referred and completed it Thank you

We revisited the question mentioned by you but did not find any error. May be you have any doubt. Feel free to ask us about that.

Pls take a look at the first question Isnt ‘will’ supposed to be changed to ‘would’

Correction done

THANKS, IT WAS AWESOME…

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