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| interrogative |
Rule No. 6.
RULES FOR INTERROGATIVE/ QUESTION SENTENCES:
The basic rules for converting Direct Speech (question sentences) into Indirect Speech are as follows:
1. Commas and inverted commas will be removed.
2. The conjunction “that” will not be used in Indirect Speech (in question sentence). The conjunction “that” is used in Indirect speech of all positive sentences.
3. In indirect speech, the question sentence will be expressed in assertive (positive) form instead of interrogative form.
4. Question mark (?) will not be used in the indirect speech of interrogative sentences.
5. The verb such as ‘say’ or ‘tell’ (e.g. he said or she said) in direct speech is replaced with a verb such as ‘ask’ or ‘inquire’ (e.g. he asked, she inquired) in indirect speech. The above rules are common for all question sentences. Apart from these common rules, there are a few specific rules which apply according to the type of question in the sentence.
There are two types of question-sentences:
1. WH QUESTIONS
(Requires a detailed answer.)
2. Helping Verbs QUESTIONS
(Question which can be answered with YES or NO)
WH QUESTIONS
When converting WH questions
(questions that start with words like "what," "where," "when," "why," "who," and "how")
from direct speech to indirect speech, the structure of the sentence changes.
Here's how you typically convert WH questions into indirect speech:
Structure: Question word + Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb.
Examples:
What are you doing?
Where is the nearest hospital?
Converting WH Questions to Indirect Speech
1. Who
Direct: “Who is coming to the party?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked who was coming to the party.
2. What
Direct: “What time does the meeting start?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked what time the meeting started.
3. Where
Direct: “Where did you put my keys?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked where I had put his keys.
4. When
Direct: “When will you be back?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked when I would be back.
5. Why
Direct: “Why are you late?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked why I was late.
6. How
Direct: “How did you solve the problem?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked how I had solved the problem.
7. Which
Direct: “Which book did you choose?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked which book I had chosen.
8. Whose
Direct: “Whose jacket is this?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked whose jacket that was.
Examples
Help Verb Questions
If used instead of that.
Direct: He asked, “Are you coming?”
Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
Direct: She asked, “Do you like coffee?”
Indirect: She asked if I liked coffee.
Direct: They asked, “Will you join us?”
Indirect: They asked if I would join them.
Direct: He asked, “Did you finish your homework?”
Indirect: He asked if I had finished my homework.
Direct: She asked, “Can you help me?”
Indirect: She asked if I could help her.
Direct: They asked, “Have you seen the movie?”
Indirect: They asked if I had seen the movie.
Direct: He asked, “Is it raining?”
Indirect: He asked if it was raining.
Direct: She asked, “Are you feeling better?”
Indirect: She asked if I was feeling better.
Direct: They asked, “Do you know the answer?”
Indirect: They asked if I knew the answer.
Direct: He asked, “Will you be there?”
Indirect: He asked if I would be there.
Wh- Questions
The reporting verb (e.g., "asked") is followed by the WH question word, and the word order is adjusted to fit a statement format.
Direct: He asked, “Where are you going?”
Indirect: He asked where I was going.
Direct: She asked, “What are you doing?”
Indirect: She asked what I was doing.
Direct: They asked, “Why are you late?”
Indirect: They asked why I was late.
Direct: He asked, “When will you arrive?”
Indirect: He asked when I would arrive.
Direct: She asked, “How did you do that?”
Indirect: She asked how I had done that.
Direct: They asked, “Who is coming to the party?”
Indirect: They asked who was coming to the party.
Direct: He asked, “Which book do you prefer?”
Indirect: He asked which book I preferred.
Direct: She asked, “Whose car is this?”
Indirect: She asked whose car it was.
Direct: They asked, “What time does the show start?”
Indirect: They asked what time the show started.
Direct: He asked, “Where did you buy that?”
Indirect: He asked where I had bought that.
Mixed Questions.
Direct: She asked, “How long have you been here?”
Indirect: She asked how long I had been there.
Direct: He asked, “What did you say?”
Indirect: He asked what I had said.
Direct: They asked, “Why are you crying?”
Indirect: They asked why I was crying.
Direct: She asked, “When did you last see him?”
Indirect: She asked when I had last seen him.
Direct: He asked, “How much does it cost?”
Indirect: He asked how much it cost.
Direct: They asked, “Who will be the next president?”
Indirect: They asked who would be the next president.
Direct: She asked, “What are your plans?”
Indirect: She asked what my plans were.
Direct: He asked, “Where have you been?”
Indirect: He asked where I had been.
Direct: They asked, “Why did you leave early?”
Indirect: They asked why I had left early.
Direct: She asked, “How can I help you?”
Indirect: She asked how she could help me.
Helping Verbs QUESTIONS
When converting questions with helping verbs
(such as "is," "are," "was," "were," "has," "have," "had," "will," "shall," etc.)
from direct speech to indirect speech, the structure of the sentence changes from a question format to a statement format.
The helping verb typically shifts in the reported speech to reflect the past or future tense as per the rules of the tense.
Helping Verb Questions to Indirect Speech
a. Indefinite tense.
1. Present Simple
Direct: “Is she coming to the party?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if she was coming to the party.
2. Past Simple
Direct: “Were you at the meeting yesterday?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if I had been at the meeting the day before.
3. Future Simple
Direct: “Will you attend the conference?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if I would attend the conference.
Perfect tense
1. Present Perfect
Direct: “Has he finished the report?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if he had finished the report.
2. Past Perfect
Direct: “Had they completed the project before the deadline?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if they had completed the project before the deadline.
3. Future Perfect
Direct: “Will she have finished by then?” they asked.
Indirect: They asked if she would have finished by then.
Modal Verbs
Can, Could, Will, Would,
Direct: “Can you help me with this task?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if I could help him with that task.
Examples
1. Direct: “Is he joining us for dinner?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if he was joining us for dinner.
2. Direct: “Were you able to fix the issue?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if I had been able to fix the issue.
3. Direct: “Are they coming over for the weekend?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if they were coming over for the weekend.
4. Direct: “Was she happy with the results?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if she had been happy with the results.
5. Direct: “Have they completed the assignment?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if they had completed the assignment.
6. Direct: “Have you heard about the new policy?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if I had heard about the new policy.
7. Direct: “Will you be able to attend the meeting?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked if I would be able to attend the meeting.
8. Direct: “Will they be arriving soon?” he asked.
Indirect: He asked if they would be arriving soon.
9. Direct: “Will she have completed the report by Monday?” they asked.
Indirect:mThey asked if she would have completed the report by Monday.
10. Direct: “Can you explain this concept to me?” she asked.
Indirect:** She asked if I could explain the concept to her.
