We use Reported speech to communicate something another person said before, in a narrative voice.

We reproduce what someone said, told, asked…

The verbs suffer changes and also the time markers.

The pronouns will be changed too, we need to be very careful when changing them to keep the sense of the message we are communicating intact.

Reported speech – How to report questions

When we report a question, we use the verb ‘ask‘. There are two different ways to do it:

1. Wh- questions. (What, who, when, where, whose…)

In the reported sentence, we use the wh- word + subject + verb.

Example:

Direct speech: Where do you live?

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.

2. Other questions.

In the reported sentence, we use if + subject + verb.

Direct speech: Do you live in Spain?

Reported speech: She asked me if I lived in Spain.

 Direct speech                                      Reported speech     

Mary drinks coffee                 ⇒    She said that Mary drank coffee.

We will not go to the party    ⇒    She said that they would not go to the party.

I have finished                         ⇒    She said that she had finished.

They can go                              ⇒    She said they could go.

Will you come?                        ⇒     She asked if I would come.

Where is the shop?                 ⇒     She asked me where the shop was.