Material Unit 5

Reported questions have a different word order from direct questions (the same as an afirmative sentence).  We also change the tenses used in the same way as we do for reported statements.

A. Verb + subject (direct question)

Example: "Where are you from?" She asked

B. Subject + verb (reported question)

Example: She asked me where I was from.

If a direct question uses words such as who, why, when, how and what, we repeat the question word in the reported question.

Example: "What's the time?" --- She asked me what the time was.

If a direct question doesn't use question words, we use if or whether in the reported question instead.

Example: "Are you happy?" he asked her. --- He asked her if/ whether she was happy.