Active/Passive & Narration • Topic 4 of 4

Reported Questions & Commands

Reporting questions: use 'asked' and turn the question into statement order (no inversion, no question mark). Yes/no questions add 'if/whether'; wh-questions keep the wh-word. Commands/requests use 'told/requested' + to-infinitive.

Questions and commands have their own rules

TypeHow to report
Yes/no questionasked + if/whether + statement order
Wh- questionasked + wh-word + statement order
Commandtold / ordered + to + base verb
Requestrequested + to + base verb
Negative commandnot to + base verb
Drop the inversion. "He said, 'Where do you live?'" → "He asked where I lived" (statement order, no "do", no "?"). Commands lose the imperative: "Open the door" → "told me to open the door".

✅ Solved examples

1. Report: He said, "Where do you live?"
He asked where I lived.
2. Report: She said, "Are you ready?"
She asked if/whether I was ready.
3. Report: He said to me, "Open the door."
He told me to open the door.
4. Report: She said, "Don't be late."
She told me not to be late.

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Report: He asked, "What is your name?"
Keep wh; statement order.
—
—
He asked what my name was.
2. Report: She said, "Do you like tea?"
Yes/no → if.
—
—
She asked if I liked tea.
3. Report: The teacher said, "Sit down."
Command → to + V.
—
—
The teacher told us to sit down.
4. Report: He said, "Please help me."
Request.
—
—
He requested me to help him.
5. Report: She said, "Don't touch it."
Negative command.
—
—
She told me not to touch it.

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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