1.2 Sonia asked Paco if he could phone as soon as he arrived in Saigon
Reflexión
In English there are four types of sentences.
Within interrogative sentences, how many types of questions do you know in English?
As you have seen there are four types of sentences in English: Declarative sentences, which make statements, interrogative sentences, imperative sentences, and exclamatory sentences. If we pay attention to interrogative sentences, we find there are two types of questions:
1. Yes/No questions, that is, questions which are answered with Yes or No (e.g. Are you eating well? - Yes, I am).
2. Wh- questions, that is, questions that ask for specific information and which begin by a wh- word: when, how, which, who, etc. (e.g. How are you all? - Very well, Paco).
Important
Remember that when we report interrogative sentences we must take into account, first, what kind of question it is, since in reported or indirect speech the indirect question is introduced differently. Have a look at the following chart:
Questions
Direct speech
Indirect or reported speech
Yes/No questions
Are you eating well
Can you phone as soon as you arrive in Saigon
Sonia asked Paco if/whether he was eating well.
Sonia asked Paco if/whether he could phone as soon as he arrived in Saigon.
Wh- questions
How are you all?
How often do you eat?
Paco asked Sonia how they all were.
Sonia asked Paco how often he ate.
Secondly, it is also important to take into account that in indirect questions there is no inversion of subject-verb, since the question is not a direct one. Thus, question marks, as you can see in the sentences above, are also dropped.
As you can see in the examples above, in indirect questions, the same changes in pronouns, tenses and some place and time adverbs take place. Don't forget to change them when you repeat in the present questions asked in the past!
Solved exercise
As we did in the previous section, let's have a look at some of the questions Sonia asks Paco and let's turn them into reported speech.
Sonia asked him _________________________________.
1. Sonia asked Paco when he was coming/going back.
2. Sonia inquired if/whether Paco didn't think it was more than enough.
3. Sonia asked him where he was going next.
Further knowledge
Now, let's continue practicing with all types of sentences. Click on the links below to do several exercises on the reported speech subject.
Finally, click here to complete more mixed exercises on the direct and indirect speech subject.
Self-assessment activity
Decide which of the following would complete a correct sentence in the reported speech.
1. Sonia asked Paco ___________ that again.
a. when will he do
b. when he will does
c. when he would do
Wrong! The word order is not correct!
Wrong! Modal verbs (will) are followed by infinitives!
Right! ("When will you do that again?)
2. She asked _____________ phone on his arrival.
a. if he can
b. whether he could
c. Either of them could be used.
Wrong!
Right! ("Can/Could you phone on your arrival?")
Wrong!
3. Paco asked her ________________ she won the lottery.
a. what she would do if
b. what she would have done if
c. what would she do if
Right! ("What will you do if you win the lottery?" or "What would you do if you won the lottery?". Both are possible).
Wrong! Conditional perfect is not possible since we would be saying that it is completely impossible for her to win the lottery.
Wrong! The order must be subject + verb, not the other way round (verb + subject).
As you can see, to report imperative, exclamatory, declarative and interrogative sentences in English is very easy. Let's work a little bit on the other way round. That is, from a reported conversation, we will guess the exact words uttered by the speakers. But this will be in the following section. Come on, let's complete your study of direct and indirect or reported speech.
Reflexión
Important
Solved exercise
Further knowledge
Self-assessment activity