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He asked, ‘…’
Reported speech Direct speech
He asked …
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report what another person has said
Reported speech
… for questions?
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How do we report
Yes/No questions?
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Direct speech
‘Are you a talkative person?’ he asked me.
1. Use a reporting verb with if/whether
Do not add that after a reporting verb when reporting questions.
Reported speech
He asked me if/whether I am a talkative
person.
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Direct speech
‘Is Sally still in the library?’ Tom asked.
2. Put the subject before the verb
Reported speech
Tom asked if/whether Sally was still in the
library.
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Direct speech
‘Do you want to go to the electronic store?’
asked Peter.
3. Leave out the auxiliary verb do
Reported speech
Peter asked if I wanted to go to the
electronic store.
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How do we report
Wh-questions?
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Direct speech
‘Where is my phone?’ Mary asked.
1. Use a reporting verb with the Wh-word
Do not add that after a reporting verb when reporting questions.
Reported speech
Mary asked where her phone was.
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Direct speech
‘When is the photo exhibition?’ Ivy asked.
2. Put the subject before the verb
Reported speech
Ivy asked when the photo exhibition was.
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Direct speech
‘Who is talking?’ Paul asked.
However…
Reported speech
Paul asked who was talking.
Do not change the position of
the verb if the Wh-word refers
to the subject
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Direct speech
‘Why do you want to study biotechnology?’
Sally asked.
3. Leave out the auxiliary verb do
Reported speech
Sally asked why I wanted to study
biotechnology.
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Similar to reporting statements,
remember the
following rules when
reporting questions.
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No quotation marks
Change pronouns, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns
Change this/these/here to that/those/there Change the expressions of time
Change the tense of the verb if necessary
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How do we report
questions?
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1. Use a reporting verb with if/whether
2. Put the subject before the verb
3. Leave out the auxiliary verb do
Yes/No questions
© Oxford University Press
1. Use a reporting verb with the Wh-word
2. Put the subject before the verb
3. Leave out the auxiliary verb do
Wh-questions
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