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Master English Grammar

Reporting Questions

Learn how to report questions using indirect speech. Understand sentences like 'Where is she?' → He asked where she was.

What Are Reporting Questions?

Reporting questions involves changing direct questions into indirect or reported speech. The word order and punctuation change when reporting the question.

Why Is This Important?

Understanding how to report questions is essential for clear communication, especially when relaying information from a conversation or interview.

How to Report Questions

To report a question, we change the structure. If it’s a yes/no question, we use 'if' or 'whether'. If it’s a question with a question word (like who, what, where), we don’t use 'if' and keep the question word.

Common Examples

'Where is she?' → He asked where she was.
'Do you like pizza?' → He asked if I liked pizza.
'What time does the train leave?' → He asked what time the train left.

Key Points

  • Use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions
    • 'Are you coming?' → She asked if I was coming.
    • 'Will they arrive soon?' → He asked if they would arrive soon.
  • Use the question word for questions that begin with who, what, where, etc.
    • 'Where is she?' → He asked where she was.
    • 'What did you eat?' → He asked what I had eaten.
  • Change the word order in the reported question
    • 'Do you like pizza?' → He asked if I liked pizza.
    • 'Can you help?' → He asked if I could help.

Rules for Reporting Questions

  • Use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions

    • He asked if I was coming.
    • She asked whether I liked the movie.

  • Use the question word (who, what, where) for other questions

    • He asked where she was.
    • She asked what time the train left.

  • Change the word order to match indirect speech (no inversion)

    • He asked if I had seen the movie.
    • She asked what time I went to bed.

  • Special Cases & Exceptions:

    In some cases, we can omit the question word 'if' or 'whether' when the question is about something specific or when the reporting verb is 'ask'.

  • When the question is about specific information (e.g., name, place), we don’t need 'if' or 'whether'.

    • Correct: He asked where she was.
    • Incorrect: He asked if where she was.
ExampleTenseUse
'Where is she?' → He asked where she was.PastReported question with a question word
'Do you like pizza?' → He asked if I liked pizza.PastYes/no question reported with 'if'
'What time does the train leave?' → He asked what time the train left.PastReported question with a question word

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators of these videos. These are publicly available resources used to provide additional information on the topic.