Study these sentences:
ï His friend asked, “Did you see the snake the next day, doctor?”
His friend asked the doctor whether/if he had seen the snake the next day.
ï The little girl wondered, “Will I be home before the TV show begins?”
The little girl wondered if/whether she would be home before the TV show began.
ï Someone asked, “Why has the thief left the vest behind?”
Someone asked why the thief had left the vest behind.
The words if/whether are used to report questions which begin with: do, will, can, have, are etc. These questions can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Questions beginning with why/when/where/how/which/what are reported using these same words. The reporting verbs we use in questions with if/whether/why/when etc. are: ask, inquire and wonder.
Remember that in Reported Speech :
*the present tense changes to past tense
*here, today, tomorrow, yesterday etc. change to there, that day, the next day, the day before, etc.
* I/you change to me/him/he, etc., as necessary.
Example:
ï He said to me, “I don’t believe you.” He said he did not believe me.
ï She said to him, ‘I don’t believe you.’ She told him that she did not believe him.
Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what. Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.
1. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”
2. David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”
3. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”
4. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”
5. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”
6. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”
7. Sheila asked the children, “Are you ready to do the work?”
