He asked me what / He asked me if / REPORTED SPEECH with QUESTIONS

He asked me what He asked me if REPORTED SPEECH with QUESTIONS English Grammar

Explanation + Extra Activities

Reported Speech for Questions (in Easy English)

When we talk about what someone asked, we use reported speech. The way we report questions is a bit different from how we report normal sentences. Let’s break it down into two types: yes/no questions and Wh- questions.

1. Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are the ones that can be answered with just “yes” or “no.”

Steps to Report Yes/No Questions:

  • Start with the reporting verb “asked” or “wanted to know”.
  • Add “if” or “whether” after the reporting verb (this replaces the yes/no question form).
  • Change the question into a statement form (no question marks!).
  • Change the pronouns and verb tenses, if needed.

Example:

Direct speech: “Are you coming to the party?”
Reported speech: She asked if I was coming to the party.

  • The word “if” replaces the question form.
  • “Are” changes to “was” because the tense usually shifts back.

Another example:

Direct speech: “Did he call you?”
Reported speech: She asked if he had called me.

2. Wh- Questions

Wh- questions start with words like what, where, why, who, when, and how.

Steps to Report Wh- Questions:

  • Start with the reporting verb like “asked” or “wanted to know”.
  • Keep the Wh- word from the question (it stays the same!).
  • Change the question into a statement form (no question marks).
  • Change pronouns and verb tenses, if needed.

Example:

Direct speech: “Where do you live?”
Reported speech: He asked where I lived.

  • The Wh- word “where” stays the same.
  • “Do you live” becomes “I lived” (no need for the helping verb “do”).

Another example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?”
Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.


Key Points to Remember:

  1. For yes/no questions, use “if” or “whether” in reported speech.
  2. For Wh- questions, keep the Wh- word in reported speech.
  3. Change the sentence structure to statement form (no question marks).
  4. Adjust pronouns and tenses where necessary.

By following these simple rules, you can easily report both types of questions!


Extra Practice

Reported Speech Quiz for Questions

Beginner Level:

Instructions: Change the direct speech into reported speech for both yes/no questions and Wh- questions.

1. “Do you like pizza?”

He asked ________________.

2. “Where is my book?”

She asked ________________.

3. “Are you going to school tomorrow?”

They asked ________________.

4. “Did she finish her homework?”

He wanted to know ________________.

5. “What time does the movie start?”

She asked ________________.

6. “Is it raining?”

He asked ________________.

7. “Why are you late?”

She asked ________________.

8. “Has John left the office?”

She wanted to know ________________.

9. “When will the meeting begin?”

He asked ________________.

10. “Are you tired?”

They asked ________________.

11. “Did you see the new movie?”

He asked ________________.

12. “How do you solve this problem?”

She asked ________________.

13. “Is your brother at home?”

He wanted to know ________________.

14. “What is your name?”

They asked ________________.

15. “Do you speak English?”

She asked ________________.


Answers for Beginner Level:

  1. He asked if I liked pizza.
  2. She asked where her book was.
  3. They asked if I was going to school tomorrow.
  4. He wanted to know if she had finished her homework.
  5. She asked what time the movie started.
  6. He asked if it was raining.
  7. She asked why I was late.
  8. She wanted to know if John had left the office.
  9. He asked when the meeting would begin.
  10. They asked if I was tired.
  11. He asked if I had seen the new movie.
  12. She asked how I solved that problem.
  13. He wanted to know if my brother was at home.
  14. They asked what my name was.
  15. She asked if I spoke English.

Intermediate Level:

Instructions: Convert the direct speech into reported speech for the following yes/no questions and Wh- questions.

1. “Have they completed the project yet?”

He asked ________________.

2. “Why did you leave early?”

She wanted to know ________________.

3. “Are you coming to the party next week?”

They asked ________________.

4. “Who is going to be the team leader?”

She asked ________________.

5. “Has the train arrived yet?”

He wanted to know ________________.

6. “When did you move to this city?”

She asked ________________.

7. “Are you interested in the job?”

They wanted to know ________________.

8. “What are you planning for the weekend?”

He asked ________________.

9. “Will you help me with my project?”

She asked ________________.

10. “Where have they gone?”

He asked ________________.

11. “Is the teacher giving us homework today?”

She asked ________________.

12. “How long have you been working here?”

They asked ________________.

13. “Do they need more time to finish?”

He asked ________________.

14. “What is your opinion on the issue?”

She wanted to know ________________.

15. “Did you enjoy the concert last night?”

They asked ________________.


Answers for Intermediate Level:

  1. He asked if they had completed the project yet.
  2. She wanted to know why I had left early.
  3. They asked if I was coming to the party next week.
  4. She asked who was going to be the team leader.
  5. He wanted to know if the train had arrived yet.
  6. She asked when I had moved to this city.
  7. They wanted to know if I was interested in the job.
  8. He asked what I was planning for the weekend.
  9. She asked if I would help her with her project.
  10. He asked where they had gone.
  11. She asked if the teacher was giving us homework today.
  12. They asked how long I had been working there.
  13. He asked if they needed more time to finish.
  14. She wanted to know what my opinion on the issue was.
  15. They asked if I had enjoyed the concert last night.

Advanced Level:

Instructions: Report the following complex yes/no questions and Wh- questions. Pay attention to tenses, modals, and question structures.

1. “Would you have come if I had invited you?”

She asked ________________.

2. “What were you doing when the accident happened?”

He asked ________________.

3. “Could you help me carry these boxes tomorrow?”

She wanted to know ________________.

4. “Why haven’t they sent the documents yet?”

He asked ________________.

5. “Do you think he will have finished the work by next week?”

She asked ________________.

6. “How long will it take to complete the project?”

They wanted to know ________________.

7. “Had you already left when the email arrived?”

He asked ________________.

8. “What time will the train be leaving tomorrow?”

She asked ________________.

9. “Can you explain why the meeting was canceled?”

They asked ________________.

10. “Were you supposed to bring the report yesterday?”

She wanted to know ________________.

11. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

He asked ________________.

12. “Should I have sent the email earlier?”

She asked ________________.

13. “Will you be attending the conference next month?”

They wanted to know ________________.

14. “Could they have completed the task without extra help?”

He asked ________________.

15. “Why is the project taking so long to finish?”

She asked ________________.


Answers for Advanced Level:

  1. She asked if I would have come if she had invited me.
  2. He asked what I had been doing when the accident happened.
  3. She wanted to know if I could help her carry the boxes tomorrow.
  4. He asked why they hadn’t sent the documents yet.
  5. She asked if I thought he would have finished the work by next week.
  6. They wanted to know how long it would take to complete the project.
  7. He asked if I had already left when the email arrived.
  8. She asked what time the train would be leaving tomorrow.
  9. They asked if I could explain why the meeting had been canceled.
  10. She wanted to know if I was supposed to bring the report yesterday.
  11. He asked why I hadn’t told him the truth.
  12. She asked if she should have sent the email earlier.
  13. They wanted to know if I would be attending the conference next month.
  14. He asked if they could have completed the task without extra help.
  15. She asked why the project was taking so long to finish.
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