Reported questions & commands

Rules

• Rule 1: yes/no questions → if / whether

  If the question has no question word, add if or whether. Then use statement order: subject + verb.

  Pattern: asked (+ person) + if / whether + subject + verb

  Example: "Do you like jazz?" → Ali asked me if I liked jazz.

  Example: "Can you swim?" → The coach asked whether we could swim.

• Rule 2: wh- questions → where / what / why…

  Keep the question word, but follow it with subject + verb. Don't use do / does / did, and don't use a question mark.

  Pattern: asked + question word + subject + verb

  Example: "Where did you park?" → Dad asked where I had parked.

  Example: "What are you reading?" → Mia asked what I was reading.

• Rule 3: commands and requests → told / asked + person + to

  Use told for commands and asked for requests. Then add the person and to + base verb. For negatives, use not to.

  Pattern: told / asked + person + (not) to + verb

  Example: "Close the door, please." → She asked me to close the door.

  Example: "Don't run!" → The teacher told us not to run.

• Rule 4: when does the tense change?

  If the situation is over and in the past, the tense moves back: is → was, did → had done, will → would, can → could. If it's still true, the shift is optional: *She asked me where I live.*

  Example: Yesterday, Leo asked me if I was free that evening.

  Example: Last week, she asked if I would come the next day.

Common mistakes

• She asked me where did I live. → She asked me where I lived.

  Reported questions have no did and use statement order.

• He said me to wait. → He told me to wait.

  Person + to + verb → told, not said.

• They asked if or not we were coming. → They asked whether or not we were coming.

  Right before “or not”, use whether.