Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Direct Indirect
Direct Indirect
Examples:
1. WH Word used as the Subject.
2. WH Word used as the Object.
3. WH Word + Noun Structure.
4. WH Word used as the Adverb.
5. WH Questions with Auxiliary Verbs.
(A) Be Verb.
(B) Modal Auxiliary Verb.
Rules:
*** Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech of WH Questions.
Type 1:
Direct Indirect
John said to me, “Who likes me?” John asked me who liked him.
Kamal said, “Who is talking to her?” Kamal asked / wondered who was talking to h
“what has made you weak?”, She said to her brother. She asked her brother what had made him wea
John said to me, “Who threatened Mark last night?” John asked me who had threatened Mark the p
The teacher asked, “Who was making noise?” The teacher asked who had been making noise
Seth asked me, “What had frightened you?” Seth asked me what had frightened me.
Dean said to Seth and Roman, “Who will bell the cat?” Dean asked Seth and Roman who would bell th
I asked them, “Who will be playing as a forward?” I asked them who would be playing as a forwa
John said to me, “Who didn’t laugh at you?” John asked me who hadn’t laughed at me.
“Who did not help him yesterday?”, said John to me. John asked me who had not helped him the da
John said to me, “What doesn’t irritate you?” John asked me what didn’t irritate me.
John said to me, “Who hasn’t called him a coward?” John asked me who hadn’t called him a cowar
John said to me, “Who doesn’t know you?” John asked me who didn’t know me.
John said to us, “Who will not be going with me?” John asked us who would not be going with hi
John said to me, "What doesn’t make her feel proud?" John asked me what didn’t make her feel prou
Type 2:
Direct Indirect
They asked my brother, “What do you do?” They asked my brother what he did.
She asked me, “What are you doing.” She asked me what I was doing.
Mary said to her sister, “When is father arriving?” Marry asked her sister when their father
Daniel said to her, “What have you bought for the children?” Daniel asked her what she had bought fo
Dean said to her, “What did I say?” Dean asked her what he had said.
His wife said to Rob, “Why were you running?” His wife asked Rob why he had been run
“Why had you sent her to the shop before cleaning the floor?”, Rob asked why I had sent her to the shop
said Rob. the floor.
I said to him, “When will you clean the floor?” I asked him when he would clean the floo
The old lady asked me, “Whom will you be selling flowers if I The old lady asked me whom I would sel
shall die?” should die.
Dean said to his daughter, “What hasn’t you bought?” Dean asked his daughter what hadn’t she
Joseph said to me, “Whom don’t you respect?” Joseph asked me whom I didn’t respect.
His wife asked Joseph, “whom didn’t you invite?” His wife asked Joseph whom he hadn’t i
Kate said to her friends, “Why don’t you talk to me?” Kate asked her friends why they didn’t ta
“Why don’t you laugh?”, said Kate to me. Kate asked me why I didn’t laugh.
She also said, “Whom aren’t they going to allow?” She also asked whom they weren’t going
Related: Change the Narration of Universal Truth, Habitual Action and Historical fact.
Type 3:
Wh word used as an adverb –
Direct Indirect
John asked her, “When do you water the plants?” John asked her when she watered the plan
Joe said to me, “Why do you think football is boring?” Joe asked me why I thought football was b
Riyanka asked her teacher, “Why is the earth moving around Riyanka asked her teacher why the earth i
the sun?” the sun.
Joe said to his sister, “Where did you keep the keys?” Joe asked his sister where she had kept the
Ben said to me, “How did you do this?” Ben asked me how I had done that.
Nitin asked his sister, “Why was Rahul placating you?” Nitin asked his sister why Rahul had been
“Why had Dave left the place before I arrived?” said peter to Peter asked his friend why Dave had left b
his friend. arrived.
Reena said to her father, “Where did you see my mother for the Reena asked her father where he had seen
first time?” first time?
Joe said to me, “Why will you go to Darjeeling?” Joe asked me Why I would go to Darjeelin
I said, “When will you be reading this book?” I asked when he would be reading that bo
Joe said to me, “Why don’t you like football?” Joe asked me why I didn’t like football.
“When will these vacancies be filled?”, said the reporter to the The reporter asked the minister when thos
minister. be filled.
Type 4:
Wh word + noun –
Direct Indirect
She asked me, “Which book do you want to read?” She asked me which book I wanted to r
The reporter asked me, “Which candidate are you going to vote The reporter asked which candidate I w
for?” for.
Her uncle said to her, “Which cycle is yours?” Her uncle asked her which cycle was he
My father said to me, “Which novel have you read?” My father asked me which novel I had
“Which chocolate don’t you like?” said the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper asked which chocolate
Type 5:
As,
Direct Indirect
Peter said to me, “What am I supposed to do here?” Peter asked me what he was supposed to do
She asked me, “Who is that lady?” She asked me who that lady was.
I said to my sister, “Which is not your notebook?” I asked my sister which her notebook was n
I asked her “How are you?” I asked her how she was.
The old man asked the child, “What is your name?” The old man asked the child what his name
I asked mother “How was your day?” I asked mother how her day had been.
“Who was not present yesterday?” asked the teacher. The teacher asked who had not been presen
“What will be the consequences in your opinion?” the activist The activist asked what the consequences w
asked. opinion.
Rachael asked me, “Why shall I be there for nothing.” Rachael asked me why she should be there f
Michael said, “Why shall I not be there if I get valuable Michael asked why she should not be there
advice?” advice.
Direct Indirect
I said, “How can you be so irresponsible?” I wondered how she could be so irrespon
She said to us, “Who cannot remember math formula?” She asked us who couldn’t remember m
I asked her, “How could you insult me?” I asked her how she could insult me.
“Why couldn’t you score even a single run?” they said to me. They asked me why I couldn’t score eve
“When will you switch off the TV?” Said Mr. Paul to his son. Mr. Paul asked his son when he would sw
Jaya said to her son, “Why won’t you visit your grandparents?” Jaya asked her son why he wouldn't visi
“Well” he said, “What would you like to take?” He asked what I would like to take.
The police said, “Why wouldn’t you answer my questions?” The police asked why he wouldn’t answ
“Why shall I help him?” Said Roger. Roger asked why he should help him.
“Why shall not we encourage her?” I asked. I asked why we shouldn’t encourage her
“What should I ask for?” she said. She asked what she should ask for.
Mrs. Jones asked Mr. Jones, “Why shouldn’t she come to our Mrs. Jones asked Mr. Jones why she sho
house?” house.
“Why may not I come in?” She asked me. She asked me why she might not go in.
She said, “What might he ask for?” She asked what he might ask for.
“What might not she say?” I asked. I asked what she might not say.
“Who must be driving the car?” Mrs Jones said. Mrs. Jones asked who must be driving th
Anne said to her husband, “Who used to stare at me?” Anne asked her husband who used to sta
“Why used you not to help your mother?” I asked my friend. I asked my friend why he used not to he
The young man said, “Why ought you to take tuitions?” The young man asked why I ought to tak
I said to my friend, “Why need you say this?” I asked my friend why he need say that.
She asked, “Who need not pass the exam?” She asked who need not pass the exam.
She said, “How dare you say this?” She exclaimed how he dare say that.
I asked her, “Whom you dare not oppose?” I asked her whom she dare not oppose.
Okay,
That's all.
Well,
Here we’re going to talk about how to change the narration when the reported clause of a direct
narration is a wh question.
Rules for Direct and Indirect Speech of WH
Questions
Yes.
There are two types of question – Yes-No question and Wh question.
(ii) No conjunction ('that') is used, since the same wh word of the direct speech itself acts as a
conjunction here.
But, in case there is a do verb in the interrogative, the statement will remove the do verb and
modify its main verb -
Questions Statements
E.g.-
Direct – Kamla said, “Who breaks it?”
[Turn it into indirect speech]
Now you can turn it into an indirect speech with 3 easy steps...
Step 1:
Replace say /says /said (+ to) with ask/ asks/ asked or enquire / enquires / enquired.
Step 2:
Step 3:
Write the reported speech (including the WH word) as an assertive sentence by removing the
question mark (‘?’).
Other examples –
Okay,
Open your copy and start writing the answers one by one.
Alright.
Quickly turn these direct speeches given below into indirect:
D. Direct – "What prevents her from taking bribe?" Asked the man.
Indirect –
Okay,
Now match your answers with the answers given below.
Go ahead.
E.g. –
Direct – Joe said to me, “What do you want?”
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Write the reported speech as an assertive sentence by removing the question mark (‘?’).
Indirect – Joe asked me what I wanted.
Other examples –
Direct – “What have you done?” I asked him.
Indirect – I asked him what he had done.
Direct – “What did I say?” She asked him.
Indirect – She asked him what she had said.
In the indirect speech, the word order must be normal i.e. Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object.
Well,
Now, Can you turn these direct speeches given below into indirect?
Well,
Related: Direct and Indirect Speech rules for Vocative word or Addressing word.
Direct – Subject + reporting verb (+ to + object) + , + "WH + helping verb + subject + main
verb + object + ?"
E.g. –
Direct – Derek said to me, “When did you read the book?”
[Turn it into an Indirect Speech.]
You can see - this reported speech is almost similar to the previous one. Only the object was
missing in the previous type.
Anyways.
Step 1:
Step 2: