Reported SpeechReported Speech

Indirect QuestionsIndirect Questions

Indirect QuestionsIndirect Questions

• We use indirect questions when we want to be more polite or tentative (hesitant or exploratory).

• We use indirect questions when we are starting a conversation with someone we don’t know or when we are asking a personal question.

Word Order in Indirect QuestionsWord Order in Indirect Questions

• The word order is the same as in positive or negative sentences:Do you know what time the film begins?She asked me if / whether I was willing to travel abroad.

• As you can see depending on the beginning you will write the question mark or not.

Types of Indirect QuestionsTypes of Indirect Questions

• There are two types of indirect questions:– Yes/ No questions, which are reported

by means of IF/WHETHER: “Do you have a driving licence?” She asked (me) if / whether I had a driving licence.

– Wh- questions, which are reported by means of the question word: “Why did you apply for the job?” She asked (me) why I had applied for the job.

Tense ChangesTense Changes

• In indirect questions, tense changes if the introductory verb is in the past tense: The police officer said to us, “Where are you going?” The police officer asked us where we were going (No question mark).

• When we are reporting polite questions is when we don’t generally change the tense:“Where is the station?” Could you tell me where the station is? (Question mark).

Tense changes (backshift)Tense changes (backshift)

Direct Speech• Present Simple• Present Continuous• Past Simple• Past Continuous• Present Perfect• Past perfect• Will/Can/May• Must

Indirect/Reported S• Past Simple• Past Continuous• Past Simple/Past Perfect• Past Cont./Past perfect

Cont.• Past Perfect• Past Perfect• Would/Could/Might• Must/Had to

Time and Place ChangesTime and Place ChangesDirect Speech

• Here• This/These• This-That (pronouns)• Now• Yesterday• Tomorrow• Last week• Next week• Ago (a year ago)• Today• The day before yesterday• The day after tomorrow

Indirect/Reported Speech• There• That/Those (The)• It• Then/At that time• The day before-The previous day• The day after/the following day• The week before/the previous

week• The week after/The following

week• Before-a year before• That day• Two days before • In two days’ time