Direct Indirect Speech for Interrogative Sentences

Direct Indirect speech?

For changing interrogative sentence into indirect speech we have to observe the nature of question and then change it into indirect speech according to the rules for indirect speech.

 A question can be of two types.

•    Which can be answered in only YES or NO
•            Which cannot be answered in only YES or NO but needs explanation for answer

Examples

Do you like music? (It can be answered in YES or NO)

How are you? (It cannot be answered in YES or NO but it needs explanation i.e, I am fine.)

Questionswhich can be answered in YES/NO

To change questions (which can be answered in yes or No) into indirect speech,

•        The word “if” or “whether” is used before the question in indirect speech.
•        The conjunction “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech
•        The Question mark is not used in indirect speech.

 

  Examples

      Direct speech: He said to me, “Do you like music?”

      Indirect Speech: He asked me if I liked music. (Not, did I like music)

      Indirect Speech: He asked me whether I liked music.

      Direct speech:  She said, “Will he participate in the quiz competition?”

      Indirect Speech: She asked me if he would participate in quiz competition

      Direct speech: I said to him, “are you feeling well?”

      Indirect Speech: I asked him if he was feeling well

      Direct speech: They said to me, “did you go to school?”

      Indirect Speech: They asked me if I had gone to school.

      Direct speech: He said to me, “Have you taken the breakfast?”

      Indirect Speech: He asked me if I had taken the breakfast

Questionwhich cannot be answered in Yes/No

To change such questions into indirect speech,

•    The words “if” or “whether” is not used before the question in direct speech..
•   The conjunction “that” is not used between reporting verb and reported speech
•    The question mark is not used in indirect speech

Examples

    Direct speech: He said to me, “How are you?”

    Indirect speech: He asked me how I was. (Not, how was I)

    Direct speech: Teacher said to him, “What is your name?”

    Indirect speech: Teacher asked him what his name was.

    Direct speech: She said to him, “Why did you come late?”

    Indirect speech: She asked him why he had come late.

    Direct speech: He said, “When will they come?”

    Indirect speech: He asked when they would come.

    Direct speech: She asked his son, “Why are you crying?”

    Indirect speech: She asked her son why he was crying. 

Read Also

Introduction to Direct Indirect Speech
Direct Indirect Speech for Interrogative Sentences

Table of Change in Tense, Practice Sentence