B1 Intermediate Conditionals and reported speech
Reported questions and commands
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can report questions and commands, and you will stop keeping question word order.
When to use it
- Reporting Yes/No questions: She asked if I was tired.
- Reporting Wh- questions: He asked where I lived.
- Reporting orders and requests: She told me to close the door.
Form
| Type | Reported pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No question | asked (+ sb) if / whether + S + V | She asked if I was tired. |
| Wh- question | asked (+ sb) + question word + S + V | He asked where I lived. |
| Commands | told / asked sb to + verb | She told me to close the door. |
| Negative commands | told / asked sb not to + verb | He told me not to be late. |
Step by step
- For questions: drop do, does, did and the question mark.
- Put the subject before the verb — normal statement order.
- Back-shift and change pronouns as in the previous lesson.
- For commands: use told / asked + object + to + verb.
Word order — the biggest trap
| Direct question | Correct | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you live? | where I lived | where did I live |
| Why are you late? | why I was late | why was I late |
| What do you want? | what I wanted | what did I want |
Examples
“Are you tired?” → She asked me if I was tired.
“Where do you work?” → She asked me where I worked.
“Open the door.” → He told me to open the door.
“Don't touch the glass.” → My mother told me not to touch the glass.
“Can you help me?” → He asked me if I could help him.
“Please sit down.” → The teacher asked us to sit down.
Common mistakes
He asked me where did I live. → He asked me where I lived.
A reported question is a statement, so drop did and keep subject + verb order. This is the most common error here.
She asked me was I tired. → She asked me if I was tired.
Yes/No questions need if or whether, still in statement order.
She told me don't worry. → She told me not to worry.
A reported negative command is not to + verb, not the original don't.
Memory tip
After writing, read the part after asked. If it still sounds like a question (did, inversion, a question mark), it is wrong.
Summary
- Yes/No questions → asked if / whether + statement order.
- Wh- questions → asked + question word + subject + verb, no do/does/did.
- Commands → told / asked sb to + verb; negative is not to.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.