INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Rules of changing questions into indirect speech:
(i)The reporting verb is changed into ‘ask’, ‘inquire’, ‘wonder’, etc.
(ii) The interrogative form of the verb is changed into affirmative form by placing the subject before the verb and deleting the question mark (?). When ‘do’, ‘does’, ‘did’ are used as helping verbs, they are deleted.
(iii)If the question begins with a question word, (or who-word), for example, when, where, who, why, which, whose, whom, how, etc., no conjunction is used between the reporting verb and the reported speech.
(iv) If the question begins with a helping verb, ‘if or ‘whether’ is used as a conjunction between reporting verb and the reported speech.
(v) If shall indicates normal future, it changes into would or should. If it indicates request or suggestion, it changes into should.
(vi) For yes or no as answers to the question, a clause must be provided for changing them into indirect speech.
Examples:
Direct: He said to me, “Where are you going?”
Indirect: He asked me where I was going.
Direct: He said to me, “Do you know Sarika?”
Indirect: He asked me if I knew Sarika.
Direct: The teacher asked the pupil, “Have you done your work?”
Indirect: The teacher asked the pupil if (or whether) he had done his work.
Direct: He said to me, “Shall I help you?”
Indirect: He asked me if he should help me.
Direct: I said to him, “Do you know Mohan?” “No”!
Indirect: I asked him if he knew Mohan and he said that he did not (know Mohan).
Some Other Examples:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech | |
| 1. | He said to me, “Do you live in Ludhiana?” | He asked me if I lived in Ludhiana. |
| 2. | She said to me, “Are you going to School?” | She asked me if (whether) I was going to school. |
| 3. | The teacher said to me, “Did you come later | The teacher asked me if I had come late. |
| 4. | I said to him, “May 1 take your pen?” | I asked him if I might take his pen. |
| 5. | She said to me, “Will you take tea?” | She asked me if I would take tea. |
| 6. | She said to me, “Where are you going? | She asked me where I was going. |
| 7. | I said to Radha, “Why were you absent from the Party?” | I asked Radha why she was absent from the party. |
| 8. | She said to me, “What do you want?” | She asked me what I wanted. |
| 9. | She said to Ram, “When did you come?” | She asked Ram when he had come. |
| 10. | The teacher said to me, “Why have you not done your homework?” | The teacher asked me why I had not done my homework. |
