REPORTING QUESTIONS

YES / NO QUESTIONS
Estudia lo que ocurre en los siguientes ejemplos:

"Did you speak to John last night?" she asked.

She asked if / whether I had spoken to John the night before.
"Are you working these days?" he enquired.
He enquired if / whether I was working those days.
1.​ La pregunta se ha convertido en una oración y por tanto ya no hay inversión del
sujeto y el verbo.

2.​ Han desaparecido las comillas y el signo de interrogación.

3.​ Detrás del reporting verb hemos puesto if o whether (pueden usarse
indistintamente).

4.​ También el tiempo verbal ha cambiado (recuerda que da un salto atrás) cuando el
verbo introductorio va en pasado.

5.​ Hemos cambiado los pronombres adecuándolos a la situación.

6.​ La expresión temporal también ha sufrido una modificación.

PREGUNTAS CON PARTÍCULA INTERROGATIVA (WH-QUESTIONS)

Al poner en estilo indirecto este tipo de preguntas mantenemos la partícula interrogativa
(what, who, where, when, why, etc.) en lugar de poner if o whether.

"Who did you speak to last night?" she asked.

She asked who I had spoken to the night before.
"Where are you working these days?" he asked.
He wondered where she was working those days.

Todos los demás cambios son idénticos a las preguntas del tipo Yes / No, pero si la
partícula interrogativa es el sujeto de la pregunta, el orden de las palabras de la
oración se mantiene igual. Esto ocurre debido a que este tipo de preguntas ya tienen el
orden de una oración enunciativa (SVO)

"Who told you this story?" he asked.

He asked who had told us that story.
Los verbos más frecuentes para introducir el estilo indirecto en preguntas son:
• ask • enquire • wonder • want to know

EXERCISE 1
• Choose the correct answer.

1. He asked them how they had spent / had they spent their money.
2. I wanted to know whether she was coming / was she coming on the trip.
3. She asked me why I flew / did I fly to Greece every year.
4. Jill asked me when was her test / when her test was.
5. He asked me if I knew / did I know French.
6. We asked him when would the film start / the film would start.
7. The doctor asked her how long she had been / had she been ill.
8. They asked us which team we liked / we did like .
9. She asked me if did I want / I wanted anything to eat.
10. My father asked me what had I decided / I had decided to do.

EXERCISE 2
Write the following sentences in reported speech. Start with the words given.
1. "Do you understand me?"

The teacher asked us if / whether we understood him / her.

2. "Will it rain tomorrow?"
He wants to know ___________________________________________________________
3. "Do we have to answer all the questions?"
The pupils asked ___________________________________________________________
4. "Is he sleeping?"
Mother asked ______________________________________________________________
5. "Have you been ill?"
My friend wondered _________________________________________________________
6. "How are you going to pay?"
The cashier asked me _______________________________________________________
7. "When will my car be ready?"
Mr Green wanted to know ____________________________________________________
8. "Who is your favourite actor?"
She asked me _____________________________________________________________
EXERCISE 3

Choose the correct answer.

1. The stranger asked us where the car park ____.
a. is. b. was c. will be

2. My teacher asked me ______ the door quietly.

a. to close b. close c. will I close

3. Daniel _______ if he could leave the room.

a. told. b. said c. asked

4. Sarah wanted to know if her friend ____ go home.

a. must. b. had to c. has to

5. The men instructed the boys ____ the building.

a. are leaving b. leave c. to leave

6. The children wondered if they ____ another story.

a. could hear b. can hear c. will hear

7. I asked my friend where she ____ her jewellery.

a. hide b. is hiding c. had hidden

8. They asked if we ____ to see the film with them.

a. will want b. wanted c. ordered

9. He ____ me not to move.

a. said b. wondered c. want

10. They enquired whether the girls had _____ school early that day.
a. left b. leaving c. leave

EXERCISE 4
Write the following Yes / No questions in reported speech.
1. "Are you going to the club now?" he wanted to know.

He wanted to know if / whether I was going to the club the

2. "Haven't you ever worked on a laptop before?" she wanted to know.
_______________________________________________________________________

3. "Have you ever visited the Tate Gallery in London?" she wanted to know.
_______________________________________________________________________

4. "Will the workers be at work next Saturday?" the manager asked

_______________________________________________________________________

5. "Was Don Quixote de la Mancha written by Cervantes?" he wondered.

_______________________________________________________________________
6. "Can we see him this evening or tomorrow morning?" the woman wondered.
_______________________________________________________________________

7. "Do you read the newspaper every day?" he asked.

_______________________________________________________________________

8. "Did anyone try to save her life?" the police officer asked.
_______________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 5
Write the following Wh-questions in reported speech.
1. "Whose pencil is this?" the teacher enquired.

The teacher enquired whose pencil that was

2. "Where are Niagara Falls?" the child asked.
_______________________________________________________________________

3. "Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?" he asked.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. "Who was singing just now?" my mother asked.

_______________________________________________________________________

5. "When did the committee decide to fire the workers?" he wondered.

_______________________________________________________________________

6. "How far is the station from our hotel?" the girl wanted to know.
_______________________________________________________________________

7. "Where will Jane be next Thursday at six o'clock?" Carol asked.

_______________________________________________________________________

8. "What have you made for dinner?" she asked him.

_______________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 6
Choose the correct answer.
1. The teacher ________ if the class had finished their homework.
a.​ enquired b. remarked c. begged

2. The policeman ________ me where I was going.

a. asked b. enquired c. wondered

3. The chairman ________ that workers would be fired.

a. told b. would like to know c. declared
4. The judge ________ the accused to stand up.
a. said b. declared c. told

5. She ________ him that he would burn himself if he touched the heater.
a. said b. warned c. explained

6. The passenger ________ if the flight would leave on time.

a. wanted to know b. pointed out c. insisted

EXERCISE 7
Complete the sentences below using your own words and ideas.
1. Last lesson the teacher asked me if had done my. homework.
2. My parents wondered why my friend __________________________________________
3. My mum wanted to know whether teenagers ___________________________________
4. A policeman once asked my friend if __________________________________________
5. The interviewer asked the president when _____________________________________

REPORTING REQUESTS AND SUGGESTIONS

REQUESTS
Para expresarlas en estilo indirecto:
1.​ Ponemos los verbos ask, demand, beg, request, etc., delante de la persona a
quien pedimos algo, y la petición en infinitivo con to.

2.​ Si aparece la palabra please, esta se omite.

"John, don't open the window, please," I said. ➙ I asked / requested / begged
John not to open the window.
3.​ Si en la petición aparece el verbo let, lo ponemos en infinitivo con to y omitimos
el modal que le precede.
"Can you let me use your phone, please?" I asked my neighbour.
➙ I asked my neighbour to let me use her phone.
4.​ Si no aparece let, mantenemos el modal.

➙ I asked my neighbour if I could use her phone.

SUGGESTIONS
Suelen expresarse de varias maneras:
1.​ Let's … "Let's go to the theatre!" she said.
2.​ Why don't we …. "Why don't we go to the theatre?" she said.
3.​ Shall we … "Shall we go to the theatre?" she said.
4.​ Why not …. "Why not go to the theatre?" she said.

Para pasar una sugerencia a estilo indirecto, la introduciremos con el verbo suggest, que
puede ir seguido de:
1.​ un gerundio (muy frecuente).
She suggested going to the theatre.
2.​ una oración subordinada introducida por that (no es tan frecuente).
She suggested that we (should) go to the theatre.
"Let's not argue again," he said ➙ He suggested not arguing again.
➙ He suggested that they (should) not argue again.

EXERCISE 8
Write the following sentences in reported speech.
1. "Why don't we play a game of tennis?" Sheila said.
Sheila suggested playing / that we (should) play a game of tennis.
2. "Could you please phone the bank?" Dan asked Lynn.
_______________________________________________________________________

3. "Let's order hamburgers instead of Indian food," Martin said.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. "Would you like to stay for supper?" we asked our son's girlfriend.
_______________________________________________________________________

5. "Please, let's not quarrel any more," she begged.

_______________________________________________________________________

6. "Let's go over to John's house," Mike suggested.

_______________________________________________________________________

7. "Let's not jump to any conclusions," Denise suggested.

_______________________________________________________________________

8. "Dad, don't forget to send the e-mail, please," Jodi said.

_______________________________________________________________________

9. "Type the letter soon, please," the manager said to me.

 _______________________________________________________________________

10. "Will you let me take the car tonight?" Jean asked her father.
_______________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 9
Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning of the original
sentence.

1. He suggested that we make some spaghetti sauce then.

"Let's make some spaghetti sauce now" he said.
2. He asked us who had stolen his suitcase.
"Who _________________________________________________________?" he asked.

3. She asked him where he played tennis.

"Where __________________________________________________?" she asked him.

4. The official wanted to know my date of birth. (born)

The official asked, _______________________________________________________?"

5. He enquired whether I was leaving later that afternoon.

"Are _______________________________________________________?" he enquired.

6. Paula wanted to know whether John would arrive on time.

"Will ______________________________________________ .?" Paula wanted to know.
7. Greta asked James not to smoke there.
"Please ______________________________________________," Greta asked James.

8. Diana apologised for losing the book.

"Please ______________________________________________________," said Diana.
9. Helen asked how much the ring cost.
" __________________________________________________________?" Helen asked.

10. Her mother told her to take that cheque and put it in the bank.
"Take ___________________________________________________!" her mother said.

11. My father said that we had to paint the whole house by the following day.
"We ______________________________________________________" my father said.

12. The landlord ordered Mary to move out that day.

"Move ____________________________________________" the landlord said to Mary.

TRANSLATION
Translate the sentences below into your native language.
1. She asked if we had already bought the books.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. I wanted to know what time the train had arrived.
_______________________________________________________________________
3. They asked us if we had liked the new film.
_______________________________________________________________________
4. They wondered what we were waiting for.
_______________________________________________________________________
5. He begged me not to smoke in his car.
_______________________________________________________________________
6. She suggested asking the teacher about the test.
_______________________________________________________________________
7. I asked her if she always went to work by bus.
_______________________________________________________________________
8. He requested me not to arrive late for our appointment.
_______________________________________________________________________

SPOT THE ERROR X

• Can you correct the mistakes?
1. I said that I need a new book, but nobody listened.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. My father asked me how did I feel.
_______________________________________________________________________
3. We wondered what time was it.
_______________________________________________________________________
4. He asked us what time does the train arrive.
_______________________________________________________________________
5. She said if I was very busy.
_______________________________________________________________________
6. The tourist wondered himself where the church was.
_______________________________________________________________________
7. The teacher asked did we finish reading the text.
_______________________________________________________________________
8. She asked if it will be hot the next day.
_______________________________________________________________________
9. They asked us if we were ready?
_______________________________________________________________________
10. She wanted to know who to send the flowers.
_______________________________________________________________________
 REVIEW EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1
Choose the correct answer.

1. Jane remarked that I .... a very pretty sweater that day.

a. am wearing ​ b. wore ​​ c. was wearing

2. The doctor warned my dad … so hard.

a. to not work​ ​ b. not working​​ c. not to work

3. Her parents pointed out that she had come home very late
a. tonight​ ​ b. the previous evening​ c. the following evening

4. My mum .... to invite everyone to the party so that nobody would be offended.
a. insisted​ ​ b. agreed​ ​ c. suggested

5. They wanted to know what time ...

a. is the train leaving ​​ b. was the train leaving​ c. the train was leaving

6. Danny told us that he ….. his grandparents in the country that weekend.
a. will be visiting​ b. is visiting ​ ​ c. would be visiting

7. The man behind me in the theatre shouted that he …. the stage.

a. can see​ ​ b. couldn't see​​ c. can't see

8. The coach ordered the players ….faster.

a. to run​ ​ b. running​ ​ c. run

EXERCISE 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1.​ Last night, my neighbour ____________ (knock) on the door. She wanted my father
___________ (move) the car. She said she ____________(not can) get out of her
parking space.

2.​ Linda __________ (phone) me and ___________ (explain) that she _____________
(not come) to our party the next day because she ___________ (be) still ill.

3.​ Barry had an argument with Tom. Barry claimed that he _______________ (return)
Tom's money the week before. Tom insisted that he ______________ (not receive) it.

4.​ Jim was angry when we finally ___________ (arrive) at the cinema. He __________
(say) that he______________ (wait) for us for almost an hour. He told us that we
_______________ (have to) hurry or there ______________(not be) any tickets left.
EXERCISE 3
Fill in the blanks. Use one word only in each space.
I went for a job interview yesterday. The manager (1) __________ me a lot of questions. He
wanted to know where I (2) __________ worked in my last job. He asked (3) __________I
could speak any foreign languages. In addition, he (4) __________ me a lot of details about
the new job. He said I (5) __________ have to come in at 7 every day, explaining that it (6)
__________ very important for the job. Then I had a chance to ask my own questions. I
wondered what the salary (7) __________ for this job. When I left, I (8)__________ quite
confident. Later on, I told my friends about the interview. They said I (9) __________ asked
good questions and they felt sure that I (10) __________ get the job.

EXERCISE 4
Read what Sue says to her friend Jill and report what she said.
"I passed my exams and I'm going out this evening to celebrate. My boyfriend will probably
take me for a meal at the new restaurant. I won't be home before midnight. I'm sorry I can't
meet you today. Let's meet tomorrow."

Sue told Jill that (1) _______________________________ to celebrate and (2) __________
________________________ at the new restaurant. She said (3) ____________________
_______________________ and she explained that (4)_____________________________
_________ before midnight. She apologised to Jill, saying that (5) _____________________
______________ .She suggested her __________________________________________.