Reported questions

A Wh-questions

We can report questions with verbs like ask, wonder or want to know. Look first at these wh-questions.

DIRECT QUESTION

'When did you start acting, Melissa?'

'What's the time?'

'Which way is the post office?'

How can we find out?'

'Where can we eat?'

REPORTED QUESTION

Guy asked Melissa when she started acting.

I just asked what the time is.

Someone wants to know which way the post office is.

I was wondering how we can find out.

They're asking where they can eat.

Wh-questions have a word like when, what, which or how both in direct speech and in reported speech.

B Yes/no questions

DIRECT QUESTION

'Has the taxi arrived yet?' ~

'No, not yet' 'Can we take photos?' ~

'Yes, of course.' 'Is there a cafe nearby?' ~ 'No.'

Reported yes/no questions have if or whether.

REPORTED QUESTION

Someone was wondering if/whether the taxi has

arrived yet. The visitors want to know if/whether they can take

photos. Daniel asked if/whether there was a cafe nearby.

Word order

In a reported question the subject comes before the verb, as in a statement. Guy asked Melissa when she started acting. not Guy asked-Melissa-when did she start acting. Someone was wondering if the taxi has arrived yet. not Someone was wondering if has the taxi arrived yet.

Asking for information

To ask politely for information, we sometimes use a reported question after a phrase like Could you tell me ... ? or Do you know ... ?

Could you tell me what time the concert starts?

Do you know if there's a public phone in the building?

Have you any idea how much a taxi would cost? Note the word order a taxi would cost (see C).

The tense change: is —► was, etc

In reported speech there are often changes to the tense, to pronouns and so on.

This depends on changes to the situation since the words were spoken.

For details see Units 133 and 134. Here are some examples of the tense change.

'Whafs the problem?' 'How much money have you

got, Vicky?'

'Does Nick need a lift?' 'Can you type?'

We asked what the problem was.

I was wondering how much money Vicky had.

Tom asked if Nick needed a lift. They asked me if I could type.

135 Exercises

Reported questions (A-C)

These people are at the tourist information centre. What do they want to know?

? She wants to know what the most interesting sights are.

? He wants to know if the centre has got a town plan.
1 ……………………………………………………….….

2 …………………………………………………………….
3 …………………………………………………………...
4 ...........................................................................................

Asking for information (D)

You need information. Ask for it using Could you tell me ... ? or Do you know ...?

► Where are the toilets? (tell) Could you tell me where the toilets are?

1 Can I park here? (know)

2 How long does the film last? (tell)

3 How often do the buses run? (know)

4 Are we allowed to smoke? (know)

5 What time is the flight? (tell)

6 How much does a ticket cost? (tell)

The tense change (E)

Barry Douglas, Zedco Chief Executive, is talking to a reporter about his business career. He can still remember his first job interview after leaving school.

Barry:

The interviewer asked me where I lived. She asked me if I had worked before. She wanted to know I remember she asked

She wondered........................

Then she asked me She wanted to know And she asked me She also asked And finally she asked

Date: 2014-12-22; view: 2535