Summary Comparison: Questions in Reported Speech

In reported speech, questions undergo a few key changes compared to their direct speech form. When reporting questions, it is important to adjust the structure to maintain clarity and accuracy, as the original question's format often changes into a statement form. In reported speech, question words, auxiliaries, and word order are modified. Let's explore the changes that occur when transforming questions from direct speech into reported speech.

1. Yes/No Questions in Reported Speech:

1.1 Direct Speech → Reported Speech

In direct speech, yes/no questions begin with auxiliary verbs (e.g., is, are, do, does, can). When reporting these questions, the word order changes from a question format to a statement format, and no question mark is used.

• Example:
  Direct speech: "Are you coming to the party?"
  Reported speech: She asked if I was coming to the party.

Explanation: The auxiliary verb are (from the direct question) moves after the subject I in the reported speech. The reported speech also starts with "She asked" (the reporting verb), and the question is transformed into a statement.

1.2 Reporting Verb

In reported speech, we often use reporting verbs such as ask, wonder, inquire to introduce the question, and these verbs should be in the past tense if the reporting is in the past tense.

• Example:
  Direct speech: "Can you help me?"
  Reported speech: He asked if I could help him.

Explanation: The auxiliary verb can is replaced by could to reflect the shift to reported speech (the past form of can). The reporting verb asked introduces the question, and the structure is in the statement form.

2. Wh- Questions in Reported Speech:

2.1 Direct Speech → Reported Speech

Wh- questions begin with question words like who, what, when, where, why, how. In reported speech, the structure remains similar to that of the direct question, but the word order is changed to a statement form, and the question mark is removed.

• Example:
  Direct speech: "Where is she going?"
  Reported speech: He asked where she was going.

Explanation: The Wh-question word where remains at the beginning of the reported question, but the auxiliary verb is is changed to was (for past tense) and moved after the subject she.

2.2 No Need for Inversion

Unlike yes/no questions, wh- questions do not require inversion in reported speech. The auxiliary verb follows the subject in the same order as in a statement.

• Example:
  Direct speech: "What time does the train leave?"
  Reported speech: She asked what time the train left.

Explanation: The word order in the reported speech is like that of a statement (the train left). The auxiliary verb does is replaced with did to indicate past tense.

3. Changes in Pronouns and Tense in Reported Speech Questions:

3.1 Pronoun Changes

When reporting questions, pronouns may need to be adjusted based on the perspective of the person reporting the speech. The subject pronouns in the direct question will change to match the perspective of the speaker.

• Example:
  Direct speech: "Are you coming with me?"
  Reported speech: She asked if I was coming with her.

Explanation: The pronouns you and me in the direct speech change to I and her in the reported speech, based on the speaker's perspective.

3.2 Tense Changes

Tense changes occur just as they do in reported statements. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb tense in the reported question may also change, typically moving one step back in time (present to past, past to past perfect).

• Example:
  Direct speech: "Are they coming to the meeting?"
  Reported speech: He asked if they were coming to the meeting.

Explanation: The present tense auxiliary are changes to the past tense were in the reported speech, following the pattern of tense backshift.

4. General Guidelines for Questions in Reported Speech:

• Yes/No Questions: Change the word order to statement form and use reporting verbs like ask or inquire. Remove the question mark.

• Wh- Questions: Do not require inversion in reported speech. The question word stays at the beginning, but the word order changes to a statement format.

• Pronoun and Tense Changes: Adjust pronouns and shift tenses when necessary, depending on the perspective and tense of the reporting verb.