Reported Speech Questions: A Complete Guide for English Learners
In this lesson, we will explore reported speech questions in English. Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is used when we want to tell someone what another person asked. Understanding how to report questions correctly is an essential skill for both speaking and writing in English.
What Are Reported Speech Questions?
Reported speech questions are used when we report what someone else asked without using their exact words.
There are two types of direct questions:
- Yes/No questions — questions that can be answered with yes or no
- Wh- questions — questions that begin with who, what, where, when, why, how
Direct speech uses the speaker’s exact words with quotation marks:
- She asked, “Are you coming to the party?“
Reported speech reports what was said without quotation marks:
- She asked if I was coming to the party.
Key Changes in Reported Speech Questions
When we change a direct question to reported speech, we need to make several important changes:
1. Tense Changes (Backshift)
The verb tense usually shifts back one tense in reported speech:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| present simple → | past simple |
| present continuous → | past continuous |
| present perfect → | past perfect |
| past simple → | past perfect |
| will → | would |
| can → | could |
| may → | might |
| must → | had to |
2. Pronoun Changes
Pronouns change depending on who is speaking:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| I | he/she |
| we | they |
| you | I/we/they |
| my | his/her |
| our | their |
| your | my/our/their |
3. Time Expression Changes
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week | the week before |
| next week | the following week |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Reporting YES/NO Questions
For yes/no questions, we use if or whether to introduce the reported question.
Structure:
Subject + asked + if/whether + subject + verb (statement word order)
⚠️ Important: In reported questions, we use statement word order — NOT question word order!
Examples:
Direct: “Are you hungry?” he asked.
Reported: He asked if I was hungry.
Direct: “Do you speak French?” she asked.
Reported: She asked whether I spoke French.
Direct: “Have you finished your homework?” the teacher asked.
Reported: The teacher asked if we had finished our homework.
Direct: “Will you come to the meeting?” he asked.
Reported: He asked if I would come to the meeting.
Direct: “Can you help me?” she asked.
Reported: She asked if I could help her.
Reporting WH- Questions
For wh- questions, we keep the wh- word (who, what, where, when, why, how) to introduce the reported question.
Structure:
Subject + asked + wh- word + subject + verb (statement word order)
Examples:
Direct: “Where do you live?” he asked.
Reported: He asked where I lived.
Direct: “What are you doing?” she asked.
Reported: She asked what I was doing.
Direct: “Why did you leave early?” the manager asked.
Reported: The manager asked why I had left early.
Direct: “When will you finish the project?” he asked.
Reported: He asked when I would finish the project.
Direct: “How long have you been waiting?” she asked.
Reported: She asked how long I had been waiting.
Direct: “Who told you about the meeting?” he asked.
Reported: He asked who had told me about the meeting.
Direct: “How much does it cost?” she asked.
Reported: She asked how much it cost.
Reporting Verbs
Instead of always using “asked,” we can use a variety of reporting verbs to make our writing more interesting:
| Reporting Verb | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| asked | general questions | He asked where I was going. |
| wanted to know | curiosity | She wanted to know if I was happy. |
| enquired | formal | He enquired whether the room was available. |
| wondered | thinking/curious | She wondered what time it was. |
| demanded | strong/angry | He demanded to know what had happened. |
| questioned | formal/serious | The police questioned where he had been. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ She asked me where was I going.
✅ She asked me where I was going. (statement word order!)
❌ He asked did I like the food.
✅ He asked if I liked the food.
❌ She asked that where I lived.
✅ She asked where I lived.
❌ He asked me that did I want coffee.
✅ He asked me if/whether I wanted coffee.
❌ She asked will I come tomorrow.
✅ She asked if I would come the next day.
When Tense Does NOT Change
Sometimes the tense does not need to change in reported speech:
- When reporting something that is still true:
- He said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. ✅
- When the reporting verb is in the present tense:
- She says that she is happy. ✅
- When using modal verbs that don’t change:
- might, could, would, should, ought to — these do not change!
- He said he might come. ✅
Quick Practice
Try changing these direct questions to reported speech:
- “Do you like chocolate?” she asked me.
→ She asked me _______________ - “Where did you go yesterday?” he asked.
→ He asked _______________ - “Have you ever been to Paris?” they asked.
→ They asked _______________
(Answers: 1. if I liked chocolate / 2. where I had gone the day before / 3. if I had ever been to Paris)
Practice Exercise
Now practice what you have learned about reported speech questions!
⇔ Take the Reported Speech Questions Exercise