Reported questions

When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are reporting – not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

Yes/no questions

·         Direct question: “Do you like working in teams?” Reported question: He asked if I like working in teams.

When we report yes/no questions we use ‘if’ or ‘whether’.

·         Direct question: “Did you enjoy the party?” Reported question: She asked me whether I’d enjoyed the party.

The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech but we don’t use auxiliary verbs. The word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence.

Questions with a question word

·         Direct question: “What time does the train leave?” Reported question: He asked what time the train left.

When there is a question word (what, where, why, who, when, how) we use that question word in the reported question but there is no auxiliary verb and the word order is like an affirmative sentence (‘what time the train left’ not He asked me what time did the train leave.)

Look at some more examples:

• ·         Direct question: “Who did you see?”
• ·         Reported question: She asked me who I’d seen.
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• ·         Direct question: “Where did you go to school?”
• ·         Reported question: He asked me where I’d gone to school.
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• ·         Direct question: “Why are you crying?”
• ·         Reported question: She asked him why he was crying.

Notice that the reported questions do not have a question mark at the end.

Indirect questions

Similar to reported questions are indirect questions.

·         Can you tell me what time the train leaves? NOT Can you tell me what time does the train leave?

·         I’d love to know what he said to her. NOT I’d love to know what did he say to her.

Reported speech

Partiendo de una oración en estilo indirecto, debemos seguir los siguientes pasos para pasarla a estilo indirecto:

·         Definir el tipo de oración:

o    Afirmación

Nosotros utilizamos los verbos

Say (Said): para hablar de manera general.

Tell (Told): es el que utilza un objeto después de este verbo. Por ejemplo:

Me, You. Him, Her, Us, Them

Podéis ver esto en mayor detalle en este post sobre el reported speech

·         Definir si se deben hacer concordar los tiempos verbales: como hemos dicho antes, si el verbo en la oración introductoria no está en presente, eso significa que habrá que cambiar los tiempos verbales para que concuerden. Aquí os dejamos una chuleta, para que sepáis que tiempo verbal sustituye a cada cual:

o    Present simple =Past Simple

o    Past Simple =Past Perfect

o    Present perfect = Past Perfect

o    Past perfect = Past Perfect

o    Will (future) = Would

o    Can = Could

o    Should = Should

o    Be going to = was/were going to

·         Definir en qué tiempo verbal está la oración introductoria: la oración introductoria es a que se convertirá en main clause en la nueva oración en estilo indirecto. Ésta puede estar o bien en presente o bien en algún tiempo pasado. Si está en presente, no será necesario cambiar el verbo de la subordinada; si está en un tiempo pasado será necesario cambiarlo para que concuerde. Por ejemplo

o    Paul always says: “ those were the best years of my life” > Paul always says those were the best years of his life.

o    Paul said: “ those were the best years of my life” > Paul said those had been the best years of his life.

·         Definir si se debe cambiar la persona (el pronombre personal): al igual que ocurre con los verbos, la persona también debe concordar cuando pasamos una oración a estilo indirecto. Esto puede suponer, en algunos casos, un cambio en los pronombres personales y posesivos (no cuando se refiere a una tercera persona). Por ejemplo:

o    Andrew said: “it is all my fault” > Andrew sad it was all his fault

o    Mary told me “you are my best friend” > MAry told me I was her best friend

o    Robert said: “the guests are about to arrive” > Robert said the guests were about to arrive.