How to Report Questions in English?

What is the correct way to report a question in English? In reported or indirect speech, questions are reported by switching the position of the verb and the subject. 'He asked me where the station was.' is the correct option for the given exercise.

Understanding Reported Speech

Reported speech is a way of conveying someone else's words or thoughts by using our own words. When reporting questions in English, we need to pay attention to the changes in word order and verb tense.

Key Rules for Reporting Questions

When we report questions, we usually change the word order from subject-verb to verb-subject. In the example provided, "Where is the station?" becomes "Where the station is?"

It is important to remember that when we are reporting questions, we do not use question marks and the tense of the reported question may change depending on the context.

Application in Reported Speech

When someone directly asks a question ("Where is the station?"), and we need to report what was asked, we need to rephrase the question following the rules of reported speech. This involves changing the structure of the question to fit the reporting format.

Therefore, the correct way to report the question "Where is the station?" is "He asked me where the station was." This transformation adheres to the rules of reported speech and accurately conveys the original question.

← Cicadas fascinating creatures with big bulging eyes What does the metaphorical statement encourage people to do in the future →

More Posts: