GR - reported speech part 4

In this fourth installment of our GrammarReminder series on reported speech, let's look at how to report questions.

There are two main things to remember: first, follow the rules of reported speech outlined in our Sept. 8 post; second, follow the rules of embedding questions--use the question words in information questions, use if or whether for yes/no questions, and invert the placement of subjects and verbs. For a quick review of embedded questions start with our August 23 post.

like this:
1. "Where can I mail this letter?" John asked.
Reported speech: John asked where he could mail this letter.
2. "Why did Sue go to Miami?" John asked.
Reported speech: He was wondering why Sue had gone to Miami.
3. "Does she fly there often?" he asked.
Reported speech: He also asked if she flew there often.
4. "Have they been to Disney World?" he wondered.
Reported speech: He wondered if they had been to Disney World.
5. "When will they get back?" John asked.
Reported speech: John asked when they would get back.
6. "How many kids are going with them?" he asked.
Reported speech: He asked me how many kids were going with them.
7. "Will they be back in time for the party next month?" he inquired.
Reported speech: He inquired as to whether they would be back in time for the party next month.
8. "Are they looking forward to their trip?" John asked.
Reported speech: John asked whether they were looking forward to their trip.

Look out for more examples in our fifth and last installment in this series. For now, have you signed up for our email updates? Enter your email address on the right margin and start getting our lessons in your inbox!

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