Interrogative Direct Speech

The teacher said to me, "Are you ready for the test?"

Mother said to Ramesh, "Have you finished your homework?"

The policeman said to the driver, "Where are you going?"

The doctor said to the patient, "How do you feel now?"

Father said to me, "Did you call your friend?"

The shopkeeper said to the boy, "What do you want to buy?"

My friend said to me, "Can you lend me your pen?"

She said to her brother, "Why are you crying?"

The guide said to the tourists, "Do you need any help?"

The librarian said to the student, "When will you return the book?"

Interrogative Sentences: Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
The teacher said to me, "Are you ready for the test?"	The teacher asked me if I was ready for the test.
Mother said to Ramesh, "Have you finished your homework?"	Mother asked Ramesh if he had finished his homework.
The policeman said to the driver, "Where are you going?"	The policeman asked the driver where he was going.
The doctor said to the patient, "How do you feel now?"	The doctor asked the patient how he felt then.
Father said to me, "Did you call your friend?"	Father asked me if I had called my friend.
The shopkeeper said to the boy, "What do you want to buy?"	The shopkeeper asked the boy what he wanted to buy.
My friend said to me, "Can you lend me your pen?"	My friend asked me if I could lend him my pen.
She said to her brother, "Why are you crying?"	She asked her brother why he was crying.
The guide said to the tourists, "Do you need any help?"	The guide asked the tourists if they needed any help.
The librarian said to the student, "When will you return the book?"	The librarian asked the student when he would return the book.

🔥 Key Rules for Students:

• said to → asked (for questions)
• Are you...? / Do you...? / Can you...? → change into if / whether
• Wh-words (what, why, where, how, when) remain the same in indirect speech
• Change tenses back → (present → past, will → would, can → could)
  

Rules to Change Direct Speech of Interrogative Sentences into Indirect Speech

1. Reporting Verb Change:
   Replace said to with asked, inquired, or enquired.
2. No Use of Quotation Marks:
   Remove inverted commas (" "). Use conjunctions.
3. If or Whether for Yes/No Questions:
   For questions that can be answered with yes/no, use if or whether to join reported speech.
4. Wh-word for Information Questions:
   If the question begins with a wh-word (what, where, why, when, which, how), use the same wh-word to join.
5. Change Pronouns and Tenses:
   Change pronouns and tenses according to the rules for indirect speech (present → past, will → would, etc.).
6. Remove Question Format:
   Make the reported part a statement (subject + verb), not a question. Do not use a question mark in indirect speech.

Examples:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
He said to me, "Are you coming to the party?"	He asked me if I was coming to the party.
Mother said to Ramesh, "Why are you late?"	Mother asked Ramesh why he was late.
The teacher said to the students, "Have you understood the lesson?"	The teacher asked the students if they had understood the lesson.
The doctor said to the patient, "How do you feel now?"	The doctor asked the patient how he felt then.
Father said to me, "Where did you go yesterday?"	Father asked me where I had gone the previous day.