Reported Questions, Orders, and Requests

When you need to report what someone asked, ordered, or requested without using their exact words, you need to use reported speech. This involves rephrasing the original statement, question, or command into an indirect format, making the language sound more natural and respectful. Knowing how to report questions, orders, and requests accurately is crucial for clear communication, especially in formal or polite contexts.

Let’s explore how to convert direct questions, commands, and requests into reported speech!

1. Reported Questions: Turning Direct Questions into Indirect Speech

When reporting questions, you need to transform the word order from a question to a statement form. Unlike direct questions, reported questions do not use a question mark at the end.

1.1. Yes/No Questions

For yes/no questions, use if or whether to introduce the reported clause. Remember to change the verb order from question form (inversion) to statement form (subject + verb).

Examples:

• Direct: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked.
• Reported: She asked if I had finished my homework.
• Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” he asked.
• Reported: He asked whether I was coming to the party.

Key Changes:

• Remove auxiliary verbs like do/does/did in the reported question.
• Use if or whether to link the clauses.
• Adjust the verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions as needed.

1.2. WH-Questions

For WH-questions (questions starting with who, what, where, when, why, or how), maintain the original question word, but change the word order to a statement structure (subject + verb).

Examples:

• Direct: “Where do you live?” she asked.
• Reported: She asked where I lived.
• Direct: “What are you doing?” he asked.
• Reported: He asked what I was doing.
• Direct: “How will you solve the problem?” she asked.
• Reported: She asked how I would solve the problem.

Key Changes:

• Keep the WH-word from the original question.
• Use subject + verb structure, not the question order (verb + subject).
• Adjust tenses and pronouns according to the context.

2. Reported Orders: Converting Commands into Reported Speech

When reporting orders or commands, use the structure:

• Reporting verb + object + to + base verb

The reporting verbs typically used include told, ordered, or commanded.

Examples:

• Direct: “Close the door,” he said.
• Reported: He told me to close the door.
• Direct: “Don’t talk during the meeting,” the manager said.
• Reported: The manager told us not to talk during the meeting.

2.1. Structure for Orders

• Affirmative Orders:
  • Direct: “Stand up,” the teacher said.
  • Reported: The teacher told us to stand up.
• Negative Orders:
  • Direct: “Don’t run in the hall,” the principal said.
  • Reported: The principal told the students not to run in the hall.

Key Tips:

• Use “to” before the base form of the verb for positive commands.
• Use “not to” for negative commands.

3. Reported Requests: Turning Polite Requests into Indirect Speech

Reported requests are similar to reported orders, but they are generally more polite. When reporting a request, you often use verbs like asked, requested, or begged.

Examples:

• Direct: “Please help me,” she said.
• Reported: She asked me to help her.
• Direct: “Could you open the window?” he asked.
• Reported: He asked me to open the window.

3.1. Structure for Requests

• Affirmative Requests:
  • Direct: “Please pass me the salt,” she said.
  • Reported: She asked me to pass her the salt.
• Negative Requests:
  • Direct: “Please don’t make any noise,” he said.
  • Reported: He asked us not to make any noise.

Key Tips:

• Use “to” before the verb for affirmative requests.
• Use “not to” for negative requests.

4. Reporting Suggestions

When reporting suggestions, the verbs suggested, recommended, or proposed are often used. Depending on the suggestion’s structure, you can report it in one of two ways:

1. Verb + Gerund (-ing):
   • “Why don’t we go for a walk?” he said.
   • Reported: He suggested going for a walk.
2. Verb + That-Clause:
   • “Let’s have a meeting tomorrow,” she said.
   • Reported: She suggested that we have a meeting tomorrow.

Key Tip:

• When the suggestion involves the listener, use “suggested that + subject + verb**”.

5. Common Mistakes in Reported Questions, Orders, and Requests

1. Forgetting to Change Word Order in Reported Questions:
   • Incorrect: He asked where was I going.
   • Correct: He asked where I was going.
2. Using “Said” for Commands Instead of “Told”:
   • Incorrect: He said me to close the door.
   • Correct: He told me to close the door.
3. Omitting “To” in Reported Commands and Requests:
   • Incorrect: He asked me open the window.
   • Correct: He asked me to open the window.
4. Using the Wrong Verb Tense:
   • Incorrect: She asked if I am coming.
   • Correct: She asked if I was coming.

6. Quick Reference Chart