3.

Statements (2)

1. Models often change in indirect speech when the reporting verb is in the past.

- Will ➢ would

- Can ➢ could

- May ➢ might

- must ➢ had to

2. Some verbs do not change in indirect speech:

a. should, could, might and ought to.

b. Do not change the past perfect

c. Do not change the second and third conditional.

d. Do not change past modals in indirect speech.

Example: “I should have gone” ➢ He said he should have gone

4. Indirect Questions

1. Use if or whether to form indirect yes/no questions.

Whether is more formal.

Example: “Can you swim?” he asked ➢ He asked whether I could swim.

2. In indirect yes/no questions, the subject comes before the verb, the same word order

as in statements.

Example: “Will you come?” I asked ➢ I asked her if she would come.

3. Do not use do, does or did to form indirect questions.

Example: “Does the pipe leak?” He asked ➢ He asked if the pipe leaked.

4. Use question words to form indirect wh-questions.

Example: “Where is the book?” I asked. ➢ I asked her where the book was.
 5. In indirect wh-questions, the subject also comes before the verb as in statements, and

you do not use do, does or did.

Example: “Why did you come early? She asked ➢ She asked why I had come early.

6. In indirect wh-questions about the subject, the question word is the subject and the

verb follows as in statement word order.

Example: Sarah asked, “Who stole the cake?” ➢ She asked who had stolen the cake.

7. Indirect questions often end in a full stop/period, not a question mark.

Example: I asked why she didn´t come on time.

5. Embedded Questions

1. Indirect questions are a kind of embedded questions.

Example: “Should I leave?” ➢ He asked if he should leave

or Do you know whether I should leave?

2. If the embedded question is in a statement, use a full stop at the end.

Example: I do not know where he lives.

3. If the embedded question is in a question, use a question mark at the end.

Example: Do you know where he lives?

4. We often use embedded questions to:

a/ Express something we do not know.

Example: I wonder why they did not come on time.

b/ Ask politely for information

Example: Could you tell me where the bookstore is?

5. Introduce embedded yes/no questions with if or whether.

Ex: Do you know whether/if he is in his office at 3 p.m?

6. Introduce embedded wh-questions with a question word.

 Ex: I wonder how much I should pay.

7. You can also use the infinitive after a question word or whether.

Example: I don´t know how much to pay.

6.Possible Changes

Here ➢ there

Now ➢ then

This ➢ that

These ➢ Those

Today ➢ That day

Yesterday ➢ the day before/ the previous day

Tomorrow ➢ the day after / the following day

Next week ➢the next week/ the following week