Date: ____________________

Name: __________________

Indirect questions

The indirect question is really not a question at all. In a direct question, we put the auxiliary
verb before the subject. If there is no auxiliary verb, we put do before the subject.

Read the following sentences.

• They have arrived. (Statement)

• Have they arrived? (Direct question)
• It is cold. (Statement)
• Is it cold? (Direct question)
• She promised to come. (Statement) (No auxiliary verb, so we have to use a form of do
in the corresponding question.)
• Did she promise to come? (Direct question)

In an indirect question, the auxiliary verb does not come before the subject; nor does it use
the auxiliary do.

Read the following sentences.

• Why don’t you listen to me? (Direct question)

• I wonder why you don’t listen to me. (Indirect question)
• Where are you going? (Direct question)
• I would like to know where you are going. (Indirect question)
• When does he propose to start? (Direct question)
• I want to know when he proposes to start. (Indirect question)

We do not use question marks after an indirect question. Indirect questions cannot stand
alone. They are always used as part of a bigger sentence.

A. Now complete the rules:

1. Indirect questions normally have the subject _____________ the verb, so all
reported speech occurs in statement word order, whether it is a statement or a
question.
2. We can use either if or _______________ (or not) to report yes/no questions.
3. We use a ___________________ word to report Wh-questions.
4. ________________marks are not used in indirect questions.

Exercise
1. Turn the following direct questions into indirect using the introductory clauses given.

1. (I would like to know) ‘What are your plans?’

2. (He wants to know) ‘Why do the French eat frogs’

3. (I wonder) ‘Why don’t you listen to me?’

4. (I still can’t figure out) ‘What does she want?’

5. (Can you tell me whether) ‘Is that true?’

2. Rewrite each sentence in reported speech, beginning as shown.

1. “Are you staying here all summer?” the little girl asked me.
The little girl wanted to know
___________________________________________________

2. “What does ‘addiction’ mean?” I asked my teacher.

I asked my teacher
____________________________________________________________

3. “Have you done your homework or not?” his mother asked him.
His mother wanted to know
_____________________________________________________

4. “When is your birthday?” she asked Sue.

She asked Sue
_________________________________________________________________

5. “Did you remember to lock the door?” my father asked me.

My father asked me
____________________________________________________________

6. “Why have you turned off the television?” Laura asked her.
Laura asked her
_______________________________________________________________

7. “Do you speak Italian?” the tourist guide asked Peter.

The tourist guide asked Peter
__________________________________________________

8. “How much did you pay for your bike?” I asked John.

I asked John
__________________________________________________________________

3. Rewrite each sentence in reported speech, beginning as shown.

1. “I found 20€ on the street yesterday,” said Sara.

Sara said that
___________________________________________________________________
2. “Where is the bus station?” she asked.
She asked
______________________________________________________________________

3. “I’ll definitely be at your house before 8:00, Sofia,” said Nuno.

Nuno promised Sofia that
_________________________________________________________

4. “Don’t eat so many sweets!”

João told me
____________________________________________________________________

5. “Will you come to school tomorrow?” Tiago and Vera asked.

Tiago and Vera wanted to know
___________________________________________________

6. “We’re going to visit the University of the Azores on April 6th ,” said the students.
The students said that
____________________________________________________________

7. “Do you buy many books?” Diogo asked.

Diogo asked
____________________________________________________________________

8. “I had a Listening Progress Test last Tuesday,” said António.

António said that
________________________________________________________________
´
9. “Go to your room right now!” she said.
She told me
_____________________________________________________________________

10. “When did you buy this dress?” Cátia asked me.
Cátia asked me
__________________________________________________________________

11. “Don’t forget to do your homework,” the teacher said.

 The teacher told me
______________________________________________________________