Reported Speech

(Questions,
Requests,
Commands) & Quiz
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
OF INDIRECT SPEECH:
REPORTED QUESTIONS,
REQUESTS, AND COMMANDS.
Reported questions, requests and commands

 In reported questions, auxiliary verbs such as do or did are not used:

EXAMPLE: “Where did you go?” he asked (past simple)

→ He asked me where I had gone (NOT: He asked me where I did go) (past perfect)

 In reported questions, the verb form also goes back one tense and pronouns and time
expressions change.

EXAMPLE: “Did you watch the news last night? Jane asked (past simple)
→ She asked me if I had watched the news the night before (past perfect)
 When the direct speech question begins with a question word (who, what, when, where, why,
how, whose, which), we use it in the reported question:
EXAMPLE: “Where is Alex?” he asked (present simple)
→ He asked me where Alex was (past simple)

 When a direct speech question begins with an auxiliary verb, we use if or whether to report the
question. If is more common.

EXAMPLE: “Are you listening to music? Juliet asked (present continuous)

→ She asked me if/whether I was listening to music (past continuous)

 We use ask + object + to infinitive to report a request and we use tell + object + to
infinitive to report a command.
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
REQUESTS “Please, meet me at the He asked me to meet him
cinema,” he said at the cinema
COMMANDS “Be quiet” she said to the She told the class to be
class quiet.
Reported Questions:
 Example: Where is the library? Brandon asked.
Brandon asked me where the library was.

 Example: What were you doing last night? He asked.

He asked me what I had been doing the night before.

 Example: Where did you go? Jen asked.

Jen asked me where I (did) had gone.

 Example: Are you playing the piano? Sydney asked me

Sydney asked me if/whether I was playing the piano.
Quiz:

Direct Question: "Where did you go yesterday?"

Reported Question Options:

a) She asked me where I had gone the day before.
b) She asked me where did I go the day before.
c) She asked me where had I gone the day before.
Quiz:

Have you seen Billy

recently? He asked

He asked me
if/whether I had
seen Billy
recently
Quiz:

Direct Question: "Have you finished your homework?"

Reported Question Options:

a) They asked me if/whether I had finished my homework.
b) They asked me if/whether I have finished my homework.
c) They asked me if/whether I finished my homework.
Quiz:

Will you invite me to the party?

She asked

She asked me if/whether

I would invite her to the
party
Quiz:

Direct Question: “What are you doing next week?“ they asked

Reported Question Options:

a) They asked me what I was doing next week .
b) They asked me what I am doing the following week.
c) They asked me what I was doing the following week.
Quiz:

Find and correct the mistakes in the reported speech:

"Where is Alex?" she asked me.

 She asked me where was Alex.

She asked me where Alex was

Quiz:

Find and correct the mistakes in the reported speech:

“What did you buy yesterday?" she asked me.

 She asked me what I did buy the day before

She asked me what I had bought the day before

Quiz:

Find and correct the mistakes in the reported speech:

“Turn off the lights” he said to the class (COMMAND)

He asked the class to turn off the lights

He told the class to turn off the lights