Questions in indirect speech. When we turn direct questions into indirect speech, the following changes are necessary:

When we turn direct questions into indirect speech, the following changes are necessary:

Tenses, pronouns and possessive adjectives, and adverbs of time and place change as in statements.

Some additional changes are required:

a) The interrogative verb order in the direct question changes to affirmative verb order in the indirect question.

Ellie said: "Where do you live?" Ellie asked where I lived.

b) The indirect question cannot use "say", it must be changed to a verb of inquiry, e.g. " ask,inquire, wonder,want to know etc."

Matt said: "Why is he going to do it?" Matt wondered why Nick was going to do it.

But "inquire, wonder, want to know" cannot take an indirect object, so if we wish to report a question where the person adressed is mentioned, we must use "ask.

He said, "Mary, when is the next train?" He asked Mary when the next train was.

c) In reported Yes / No questions, we use "if / whether"

The O'Brians asked: "Is Lucy at home?" The O'Brians asked if / whether Lucy was at home.

d) In reported "wh- questions", when the question words "when, where, who, how, why etc." are used, the wh- word is followed by statement word order, that is the subject followed by the verb.

"What is your favourite colour? she asked him. She asked him what his favourite colour was.

e) Questions beginning Shall I / we? and Will you / would you / could you?

A Questions beginning "Shall I?" can be of four kinds.

1. Speculations or requests for information about a future event:

"Shall I ever see them again?" he wondered.

This follows the ordinary rule about "shall/will". Speculations are usually introduced by "wonder"

He wondered if he would ever see them again.

2. Requests for advice:

"What shall I do with it?" = "Tell me what to do with it.";

These are expressed in the indirect speech by "ask, inquire, etc.,with "should" or the "be + infinitive construction". Requests for advice are normally reported by should:

"Shall we send it to your flat, sir?" he said. He asked the customer if they were to send / if they should send it to his flat.

3. Offers:

"Shall I bring you some tea?" could be reported He offered to bring me some tea.

4. Suggestions:

"Shall we meet at the theatre?" could be reported He suggested meeting at the theatre.

He said, "Let' s stop now and finish it later " would be reported He suggested stopping then and finishing it later.

But "let's not" used alone in answer to an affirmative suggestion is" against it / objected. So that:

"Let's sell the house", said Tom. "Let's not," said Ann could be reported Tom suggested selling the house but Ann was against it.

"let's / let us sometimes expresses a call to action. It is then usually reported by ' urge / advise" + object + infinitive

The strike leader said, "Let's show the bosses that we are united";

=The strike leader urged the workers to show the bosses that they were united.