Indirect speech: questions, commands and exclamations
Report questions, orders, requests and exclamations accurately.
In the last lesson you reported statements. Now you will report the other kinds of sentences: questions, commands and requests, and exclamations, each with its own reporting verb and pattern.
When a question, command or exclamation is reported, it becomes a statement-shaped clause introduced by a suitable reporting verb such as asked, told or exclaimed.
Examples
- Neel said, "Is the canteen open?" → Neel asked whether the canteen was open.
- Mother said to me, "What are you cooking?" → Mother asked me what I was cooking.
- The doctor said to Sonu, "Rest for two days." → The doctor advised Sonu to rest for two days.
- Tara said to her brother, "Please lend me your bike." → Tara requested her brother to lend her his bike.
- Grandpa said, "What a lovely garden this is!" → Grandpa exclaimed with delight that it was a very lovely garden.
How it works
Yes/no questions
Use asked or enquired followed by if or whether. Put the subject before the verb and drop the question mark.
He said to me, "Do you like mangoes?" → He asked me if I liked mangoes.
Wh-questions
Keep the question word (who, what, where, why, how) as the link. Do not add if or that, and use statement order.
She said, "Why is the bus late?" → She asked why the bus was late.
Commands and requests
Use told, ordered, advised, requested or begged with an object and a to-infinitive. A negative command becomes not to, and please is absorbed into requested.
The nurse said to Raj, "Don't eat oily food." → The nurse advised Raj not to eat oily food.
Exclamations
Use exclaimed with joy, sorrow or surprise and turn the exclamation into a plain statement. What a or How usually becomes very.
Aunt Rekha said to me, "How tall you have grown!" → Aunt Rekha exclaimed with surprise that I had grown very tall.
Quick reference
| Sentence type | Reporting verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes/no question | asked, enquired | if / whether + statement order | asked if I was free |
| Wh-question | asked, wanted to know | question word + statement order | asked where I worked |
| Command | told, ordered | object + to-infinitive | ordered us to stand |
| Request | requested, begged | object + to-infinitive | requested me to wait |
| Advice | advised | object + to / not to | advised him not to worry |
| Exclamation | exclaimed with joy / sorrow | that + statement | exclaimed with joy that they had won |
Common mistakes
✕She asked me where was I going.
✓She asked me where I was going.
A reported question takes statement order, so the subject comes before the verb.
✕He asked me that whether I had eaten.
✓He asked me whether I had eaten.
Do not put that before if or whether.
✕The usher told us don't talk.
✓The usher told us not to talk.
A negative order becomes not to + verb.
Worked example
Exercise 1
Choose the word that introduces a reported yes/no question.
She asked me ___ I was hungry. (if / that / what)
✓She asked me if I was hungry.
Reported yes/no questions are introduced by if or whether.
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