QUESTIONS, COMMANDS

AND EXCLAMATIONS
1) QUESTIONS BEGINNING WITH WH- WORDS: WHY,
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, ETC:
When changing these questions into Indirect Speech the
reported question is written as a statement, and the
subject is placed before the verb; no question mark is
necessary:

2) QUESTIONS BEGINNING WITH AUXILIARIES AND

INTERROGATIVE FORMS OF THE VERB: YES-NO
QUESTIONS:
The reported question is written as a statement , the subject
is placed before the verb and if or whether is placed
after the reporting verb. No question mark either:

Where does she live?, he wondered.

He wondered where she lived.
What did you do yesterday?, she asked.
She asked what I had done the previous day.
COMMANDS: REQUESTS, ORDERS, SUGGESTIONS,
ADVICE, WARNINGS
The Imperative of the direct command is changed into the
Infinitive; verbs of request or command are necessary as
reporting verbs : tell, order, command, beg, remind, advise,
recommend, warn, etc. The person addressed must be
included after the reporting verb.
In negative commands : the infinitive is preceded by
not
The headmaster said: Sit down and keep quiet.
The director told us to sit down and keep quiet.
My mother said: Dont forget! Its important.
My mother warned me not to forget as it was important.

Can I use the phone?, she asked.

She asked whether she could use the phone.
Does she live in London?, he wanted to know.
He wanted to know if she lived in London.
EXCLAMATIONS
Exclamations are changed into statements in Indirect
Speech. Many constructions are possible depending on
the meaning of the exclamation:
How kind of you! he said.
He thanked me for my kindness.
What a lovely day! she exclaimed.
She said that it was a lovely day.
Thank you!, she said.
She thanked me
Good morning!/ Happy birthday!/ Merry Christmas! he said.
He wished me a good morning / happy birthday / merry
Christmas.

PRACTICE

Change the following questions into Reported

Speech:

Change the following commands and exclamations

into Reported Speech. Use the past forms of the

1.- Can you help me? I asked the porter.

I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2.- Will you be coming with me?
He wanted to know -----------------------------------------------------3.- How do you spell your name?
He asked ----------------------------------------------------------------------4.- What is the time? Is your watch right?
She asked him -------------------------------------------------------------5.- Do you agree or not?
He --------------------------------------------------------------------------------6.- Can you start next Monday?
The manager ---------------------------------------------------------------7.- Why did you do it when I told you not to?
My mother -------------------------------------------------------------------8.- Could you tell me the way to London Street?
He inquired -------------------------------------------------------------------9.- When did you last see her?
The police officer ----------------------------------------------------------

1.- See me tomorrow afternoon (order)

Her boss ---------------------------------------------------------------------------2.- Happy New Year! (wish)
Mary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.- Lie down and stop barking (order)
Tom ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4.- Good morning! What a terrible day! (wish/ say)
He -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5.- Put on your sweater, its getting cold. (tell)
His mother -----------------------------------------------------------------------6.- Dont touch that wall. Ive just finished painting it.
(warn)
My father -------------------------------------------------------------------------7.- Hello! I havent seen you for ages! (greet say)
Jane ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8.- Go on, apply for the job, Paul (urge)
Karen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

reporting verbs in brackets: