How do we report a question that starts with a question word? 2 How do we report a yes/no question?

3 How do tenses change in reported questions?

4 How do we report a positive/negative command?

b) Report the questions and commands.

1 “Can we swim in the river?” Pat asked Sam.
Pat asked Sam .
2 “Turn off the light,” Mum said to me.
Mum told me .
3 “Are you going to the zoo?” asked Jack.
Jack asked .
4 “What time does the film start?” she asked me.
She asked me .
5 “Don't use your car,” he said to me.
He told me .
6 “Why did you throw the box away?” John asked.
John asked me .
CheckTry AgainClear answersHELP

a) Reporting questions and commands:

Reporting a question that starts with a question word:

The structure is: Reporting verb + question word + clause.

Example: Pat asked Sam if they could swim in the river.

Reporting a yes/no question:

The structure is: Reporting verb + if/whether + subject + verb.

Example: Mum asked me to turn off the light.

Tense changes in reported questions:

Present simple -> Past simple

Present continuous -> Past continuous

Present perfect -> Past perfect

Past simple -> Past perfect

Will -> Would

Can -> Could

May -> Might

Example: She asked me what time the film started.

Reporting a positive/negative command:

The structure is: Reporting verb + (not) + infinitive verb (without "to").

Example: He told me not to use my car.

b) Reported questions and commands:

1 Pat asked Sam if they could swim in the river.

2 Mum told me to turn off the light.

3 Jack asked if I was going to the zoo.

4 She asked me what time the film started.

5 He told me not to use my car.

6 John asked me why I had thrown the box away.