Narration: Interrogative Sentences
Narration: Interrogative Sentences
English Grammar Guide • Rules, Structures, Solved Examples, Practice Worksheet and Classroom Activities
This guide is designed for school students, English teachers, and independent learners. It explains how to change direct questions into indirect questions, with special attention to Yes/No questions, WH-questions, reporting verbs, tense changes, modal verbs, and common errors.
1. What is an interrogative sentence?
An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a question. It usually ends with a question mark (?).
There are two main types of questions.
A. Yes/No questions
These questions can generally be answered with yes or no.
“Are you ready?”
“Do you like English?”
“Have you finished your work?”
B. WH-questions
These questions begin with question words such as what, where, when, why, who, whom, whose, which, and how.
“Where do you live?”
“Why are you crying?”
“How did you solve the problem?”
2. The basic rule of narration
When changing a direct question into indirect speech:
Change the reporting verb according to the meaning, commonly said to → asked.
Use if/whether for Yes/No questions.
Retain the question word in WH-questions.
Change question word order into statement word order.
Apply pronoun, tense, and time-expression changes where necessary.
Remove quotation marks and the question mark; use a full stop in the reported sentence.
DIRECT QUESTION
He said to me, “Are you busy?”
INDIRECT QUESTION
He asked me if I was busy.
Remember: An indirect question follows statement word order, not question word order.
Incorrect: He asked me if was I busy.
Correct: He asked me if I was busy.
3. Rules for Yes/No questions
Rule 1: Use if or whether
If a question can be answered with yes or no, use if or whether after the reporting clause.
Structure:
Subject + asked + object + if/whether + subject + verb
Examples:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
He said to me, “Are you happy?” | He asked me if I was happy. |
She said to him, “Do you play cricket?” | She asked him whether he played cricket. |
Mother said to me, “Have you eaten?” | Mother asked me if I had eaten. |
The teacher said to Ravi, “Did you finish the work?” | The teacher asked Ravi whether he had finished the work. |
Teaching point: In indirect speech, remove question inversion and auxiliary do/does/did where it is only used to form the direct question.
Direct: “Does he work here?”
Indirect: She asked whether he worked there.
Rule 2: Questions with is, am, are, was, and were
Move the verb after the subject in the reported clause.
1. Direct: He said to me, “Is your brother at home?”
Indirect: He asked me if my brother was at home.
2. Direct: She said, “Are the children sleeping?”
Indirect: She asked if the children were sleeping.
3. Direct: Ali said to Sara, “Were you absent yesterday?”
Indirect: Ali asked Sara whether she had been absent the previous day.
Rule 3: Questions with has, have, and had
Keep the appropriate auxiliary but use statement word order. Backshift where required.
1. Direct: He said to me, “Have you completed the project?”
Indirect: He asked me if I had completed the project.
2. Direct: She said, “Has Riya arrived?”
Indirect: She asked whether Riya had arrived.
3. Direct: He said, “Had you met him before?”
Indirect: He asked whether I had met him before.
The past perfect normally remains unchanged.
4. Rules for WH-questions
Rule 4: Retain the WH-word
Keep the original question word, such as what, where, when, why, or how. Do not add if or whether when the WH-word already introduces the question.
Structure:
Subject + asked + object + WH-word + subject + verb
Examples:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
He said to me, “Where do you live?” | He asked me where I lived. |
She said to him, “Why are you crying?” | She asked him why he was crying. |
Mother said to me, “When will you return?” | Mother asked me when I would return. |
The teacher said, “How did you solve it?” | The teacher asked how I had solved it. |
Rule 5: Questions beginning with who, whom, whose, and which
1. Direct: She said to me, “Who is your class teacher?”
Indirect: She asked me who my class teacher was.
2. Direct: He said to her, “Whose bag is this?”
Indirect: He asked her whose bag that was.
3. Direct: The teacher said to me, “Which book do you prefer?”
Indirect: The teacher asked me which book I preferred.
4. Direct: He said to me, “Whom did you invite?”
Indirect: He asked me whom I had invited.
Special case — when who is the subject:
Direct: She said, “Who broke the window?”
Indirect: She asked who had broken the window.
The word who is already the subject, so we do not insert another subject before the verb.
5. Reporting verbs in interrogative narration
The most common reporting verb is asked. Other verbs may be used when they accurately express the meaning.
Reporting verb | Example |
|---|---|
Asked | He asked me if I was ready. |
Enquired / inquired | She enquired where I lived. |
Wanted to know | He wanted to know why I was late. |
Wondered | She wondered whether he would come. |
Said to versus asked
Direct: He said to me, “Are you ready?”
Indirect: He asked me if I was ready.
In ordinary school grammar, asked is the expected reporting verb for questions. Enquired and inquired are also appropriate for seeking information.
Avoid: He asked me that I was ready.
Correct: He asked me if I was ready.
6. Modal verbs in interrogative narration
Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
“Can you swim?” | He asked me if I could swim. |
“Will you help me?” | She asked whether I would help her. |
“May I come in?” | He asked if he might come in. |
“Could you help me?” | She asked if I could help her. |
“Would you like some tea?” | He asked if I would like some tea. |
“Should I call the doctor?” | She asked whether she should call the doctor. |
“Must I attend the meeting?” | He asked whether he had to attend the meeting. |
“Have you been able to finish?” | She asked whether I had been able to finish. |
Important: Modal changes depend on the meaning and context. Could, would, and should usually remain unchanged. Must may become had to when it expresses an obligation, but it can also remain must.
Questions beginning with shall
The meaning determines the reporting structure.
Direct: He said to me, “Shall I open the window?”
Indirect: He asked whether he should open the window.
Direct: He said to me, “Shall we start now?”
Indirect: He suggested that we should start then.
The second sentence expresses a suggestion rather than a request for information.
7. Special cases and common mistakes
A. Questions with do, does, and did
When these auxiliaries simply form a question, remove them and use the appropriate tense.
Direct: “Does she sing well?”
Indirect: He asked whether she sang well.
Direct: “Did he call you?”
Indirect: She asked whether he had called me.
B. Questions that already contain a past perfect
Direct: He said, “Had she left before you arrived?”
Indirect: He asked whether she had left before I arrived.
The past perfect remains unchanged.
C. Questions with this, that, here, and there
Direct: She said to me, “Is this your pen?”
Indirect: She asked me if that was my pen.
Direct: He said to her, “Do you work here?”
Indirect: He asked her whether she worked there.
These changes depend on the reporting context.
D. Questions with who or what as the object
Direct: She said, “What did you buy?”
Indirect: She asked what I had bought.
Direct: He said, “Who did you meet?”
Indirect: He asked whom I had met.
In everyday English, who is also widely used instead of whom.
E. Questions without a stated listener
A personal object is not always necessary.
Direct: He said, “Where is the station?”
Indirect: He asked where the station was.
Do not add an object unless the context supports one.
8. Worked examples: Learn step by step
Example 1 — Yes/No question
Direct: Rina said to me, “Do you speak English?”
Reporting verb: said to → asked
Connector: if or whether
Pronoun: you → I
Word order: do you speak → I spoke
Answer: Rina asked me if I spoke English.
Example 2 — WH-question
Direct: The teacher said to Ali, “Why are you late?”
Reporting verb: said to → asked
Retain the WH-word why.
Pronoun: you → he
Tense: are → was
Answer: The teacher asked Ali why he was late.
Example 3 — Modal question
Direct: She said to me, “Can you solve this problem?”
Use asked me if.
Change can to could.
Change you to I.
Change this to that if the context requires it.
Answer: She asked me if I could solve that problem.
Example 4 — Question with who as subject
Direct: He said, “Who has taken my notebook?”
Answer: He asked who had taken his notebook.
Reason: Who is the subject, so the reported clause follows statement word order.
9. Practice worksheet
Try changing each direct question into indirect speech. Read the question carefully and identify whether it is a Yes/No question or a WH-question.
Write your answers before revealing the key. Teachers can also use these questions for oral drills, pair work, or a written test.
1. Ravi said to me, “Are you busy?”
2. She said to him, “Do you know my brother?”
3. The teacher said to Riya, “Have you completed your homework?”
4. Mother said to me, “Where are you going?”
5. He said to me, “Why did you miss the bus?”
6. Sara said to Ali, “Will you help me tomorrow?”
7. The teacher said, “Who wrote this poem?”
8. He said to me, “Can you lend me your pen?”
9. She said, “Has the train arrived?”
10. Father said to me, “When will you return home?”
11. The officer said to the man, “Where do you work?”
12. He said to her, “Must I submit the form today?”
10. Classroom activity: Question detectives
Activity 1: Sort the questions
Write ten direct questions on cards. Learners classify each as Yes/No or WH-question, then explain which connector is needed.
Activity 2: Ask and report
Student A asks a question. Student B reports it to the class: “Ayesha asked me where I lived.”
Activity 3: Repair the sentence
Write a faulty indirect question on the board. Learners correct the connector, word order, tense, and punctuation.
12. Quick revision chart
Direct question type | Connector | Indirect structure |
|---|---|---|
Yes/No | If / whether | Asked + object + if/whether + subject + verb |
WH-question | Original WH-word | Asked + object + WH-word + subject + verb |
Modal question | If/whether or WH-word | Asked + clause with appropriate modal form |
Question with who as subject | Who | Asked + who + verb/clause |
Final checklist for learners
Teacher's note: Teach learners to identify the question type first. Once they know whether to use if/whether or a WH-word, the most important skill is converting question word order into statement word order without changing the original meaning.
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