1. Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you will learn how questions are transformed into reported speech.
When reporting questions, the sentence structure changes significantly. Unlike direct questions, reported questions:
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do not use quotation marks
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do not follow question word order
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use statement word order
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are introduced by reporting verbs such as ask, inquire, want to know, wonder
Two main types of questions are reported:
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Yes–No Questions
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Wh-Questions
Understanding these structures allows learners to accurately report questions asked by others.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
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transform yes–no questions into reported speech
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report wh-questions correctly
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recognise how word order changes in reported questions
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avoid common errors when reporting questions
2. Concept Introduction
Consider the following example:
Direct question:
She asked, “Are the results accurate?”
Reported question:
She asked if the results were accurate.
Now compare another example:
Direct question:
He asked, “Where did you conduct the experiment?”
Reported question:
He asked where the experiment had been conducted.
| Direct Question | Reported Question |
|---|---|
| Are the results accurate? | if the results were accurate |
| Where did you conduct the experiment? | where the experiment had been conducted |
Reported questions follow statement word order.
3. Core Explanation
Reported questions use reporting verbs such as:
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ask
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inquire
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wonder
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want to know
The structure changes depending on the type of question.
Direct question:
She asked, “Where is the laboratory?”
Reported question:
She asked where the laboratory was.
Notice that the auxiliary verb is removed, and the sentence follows statement word order.
4. Rule Table
Reporting Yes–No Questions
Yes–no questions are introduced using if or whether.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| subject + asked + if / whether + clause | She asked if the report was complete. |
Example:
Direct:
He asked, “Did you finish the experiment?”
Reported:
He asked whether I had finished the experiment.
Reporting Wh-Questions
Wh-questions keep the question word.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| subject + asked + wh-word + clause | She asked where the meeting was held. |
Example:
Direct:
He asked, “When will the report be published?”
Reported:
He asked when the report would be published.
Word Order Change
In reported questions, the clause follows statement word order.
| Direct Question | Reported Question |
|---|---|
| Where is the laboratory? | where the laboratory is |
| Why did she leave? | why she left |
| When will the meeting start? | when the meeting would start |
5. Usage
1. Reporting yes–no questions
Example:
She asked if the system was working properly.
2. Reporting wh-questions
Example:
He asked where the experiment was conducted.
3. Reporting requests for information
Example:
The researcher asked how the results had been obtained.
4. Reporting inquiries
Example:
She asked whether the report had been submitted.
5. Reporting curiosity or uncertainty
Example:
He wondered why the experiment had failed.
6. Signal Words
Certain reporting verbs commonly introduce reported questions.
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| asked | She asked if the results were correct. |
| wondered | He wondered why the system failed. |
| inquired | The inspector inquired whether the equipment was safe. |
| wanted to know | She wanted to know when the report would be published. |
| questioned | The manager questioned why the project was delayed. |
7. Special Cases
If vs Whether
Both if and whether can introduce reported yes–no questions.
Example:
She asked if the report was complete.
She asked whether the report was complete.
However, whether is often preferred in formal contexts.
Reporting Negative Questions
Example:
Direct question:
He asked, “Didn’t you complete the report?”
Reported question:
He asked why I had not completed the report.
The reported clause follows normal statement order.
8. Additional Notes
When reporting questions, remember that the sentence is no longer a question grammatically.
Therefore:
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the sentence ends with a full stop, not a question mark
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the word order becomes subject + verb
Example:
Incorrect:
She asked where was the laboratory.
Correct:
She asked where the laboratory was.
9. Common Errors
⚠ Maintaining question word order
Incorrect:
She asked where was the laboratory.
Correct:
She asked where the laboratory was.
Explanation:
Reported questions use statement word order.
⚠ Missing “if / whether” in yes–no questions
Incorrect:
She asked the experiment was successful.
Correct:
She asked if the experiment was successful.
Explanation:
Yes–no questions require if or whether.
⚠ Using question mark in reported speech
Incorrect:
She asked if the report was finished?
Correct:
She asked if the report was finished.
Explanation:
Reported questions end with a full stop.
⚠ Incorrect tense shift
Incorrect:
He asked where the laboratory is.
Correct:
He asked where the laboratory was.
Explanation:
Tense usually shifts in reported speech.
⚠ Keeping auxiliary “do”
Incorrect:
She asked why did the experiment fail.
Correct:
She asked why the experiment failed.
Explanation:
Auxiliary do/does/did is removed.
10. Lesson Mastery
After completing this lesson, you should now be able to:
✅ report yes–no questions using if or whether
✅ report wh-questions using the original question word
✅ apply statement word order in reported questions
✅ avoid common learner errors when reporting questions