examples of indirect speech interrogative

Narration Change of Interrogative Sentences

Back to: Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Interrogative sentence poses question. This type of sentence is very much different from assertive sentence which makes a statement. In interrogative sentence predicate (verb) comes first, then comes the subject. In some cases the helping verb comes before the subject and the main verb remains behind to form question. The entire verb can also be placed before subject in some instances. 

Interrogative sentence are two types –

• WH – question.
• Yes-no question. 
• WH – question is formed with the use of who, which, when, where, how why.
• Yes-no question is formed with the use of auxiliary verbs such as – am, is, are, was, were, do, did, can, shall, will, have, has, may. 
• A question mark should always be used at the end of interrogative sentence in direct speech.
• To convert direct speech to indirect speech quotation marks should be omitted . 
• Ask is used as reporting verb instead of say, tell, say to. 
• In narration change, interrogative sentence changes to assertive form [direct to indirect speech]
• After the conversion of interrogative sentence from direct to indirect speech, the question mark changes to full stop.
• The conjunction ‘ that ’ is not used to connect reporting and reported clause.
• Instead ‘ if ’ or ‘ whether ’ is used for the conversion of yes-no question.
• ‘ If ’, ‘ whether’ , ‘ that ’ are not used in WH – questions. 

Direct and Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences (2024)

Direct and Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences into statements, maintaining proper punctuation and grammatical rules has been discussed in the following. Explore how to use reporting verbs , change word order , and use appropriate tone to convey the meaning of the original question for the direct indirect speech of interrogative sentences.

Interrogative Sentence in English

An interrogative sentence is a type of sentence that asks a question and requires an answer. We form interrogative sentences by using an auxiliary verb and subject-verb inversion. For example:

• “Do you like pizza?”
• “What is your name?”
• “Where do you live?” etc.

We use these sentences to gather information, express curiosity, or initiate a conversation.

Direct and Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences can be identified by their question structure and the use of question words such as “ what ,” “ when, ” “ where, ” “ why ,” “ who ,” “ whose, ” “ which, ” “ how ,” etc. Interrogative sentences can also be recognized by the use of question marks (?) at the end of the sentence.

(a) Basically, the reported speech in direct narration will be introduced with an auxiliary verb or wh-word. Such as,

• He said to me, “Are you ill?”
• You said to me, “Why have you failed?”

(b) The sentence is normally ended with a note of interrogation or (?). Such as,

• The teacher said to me, “Why are you late?”
• He said to me, “Have you done it?”

People also ask

Rules for direct to indirect speech of interrogative sentences.

Study the following rules on how to change direct speech to indirect speech of Interrogative sentences with proper reporting verbs, change word order, and punctuation marks.

Rule 1: Identification of Reported Speech in Direct Narration

The first thing to remember, find out which kind of sentence it is in the quotation mark or inverted commas under direct narration.

From the example provided above, we observe that the sentence “Are you ill?” is enclosed within quotation marks or inverted commas in direct narration and begins with a question mark. Hence, we can identify it as an interrogative sentence.

Next, we need to introduce the appropriate rules for transforming direct speech into indirect speech for interrogative sentences.

Direct: He said to me, ‘ Will you go there?’ Indirect: He asked me if I would go there.

Direct: I said to him, ‘ How did you enjoy the movie?’ Indirect: I asked him how he had enjoyed the movie.

Direct: “ Are you coming to the party?” Indirect: She asked if I was coming to the party.

Direct: “ Did you finish your homework?” Indirect: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework.

Direct: “ Have you seen my keys?” Indirect: She wondered if I had seen her keys.

Direct : “ Could you lend me some money?” Indirect: He asked if I could lend him some money.

Direct: “ Where is the nearest post office?” Indirect: He asked where the nearest post office was.

Direct: “ When did they arrive?” Indirect: She wondered when they had arrived.

Direct: “ Why did you leave so early?” Indirect: The boss asked why I had left so early.

Direct: “ Whose book is this?” Indirect: He wanted to know whose book that was.

Rule 2: Changes of Reporting Verb Direct and Indirect Speech of Interrogative Sentences

In Indirect Narration, interrogative Verbs such as “ ask ”, “ enquire ”, “ demand ”, “ want to know ” etc are used as reporting Verbs before the reported Speech in place of simple verbs “ say ” or “ tell ”.

Direct: “Are you coming to the party?” she asked. Indirect: She asked if I was coming to the party.

Direct: “Do you need any help?” he enquired . Indirect : He enquired if I needed any help.

Direct: “Where is the nearest ATM?” she wanted to know. Indirect: She wanted to know where the nearest ATM was.

Direct: “Why didn’t you attend the meeting?” they demanded. Indirect: They demanded why I hadn’t attended the meeting.

Direct: “Will you be able to finish the project on time?” he asked. Indirect: He asked if I would be able to finish the project on time.

Direct: “Are they arriving tomorrow?” she asked. Indirect: She asked if they were arriving the next day.

Direct: “Have you seen my keys?” he wanted to know. Indirect: He wanted to know if I had seen his keys.

Direct: “Did you complete the assignment?” she asked. Indirect: She asked if I had completed the assignment.

Direct: “Can you help me with this problem?” he enquired. Indirect: He enquired if I could help him with that problem.

Direct: “How long will the journey take?” she asked. Indirect: She asked how long the journey would take.

Direct: He said to me, ‘When will the down train arrive?’ Indirect: He inquired of me when the down train would arrive.

Direct: I said to him, ‘Where is the post office?’ Indirect: I wanted to know where the post office was.

Rule 3: Interrogative sentences with Yes/No answers (non ‘wh-word’) Examples

If the reported speech in Direct Narration is introduced by Verbs like “ be ”, “ have ”, “and do ”, or any other auxiliary Verbs like “ can ”, “ shall ”, or “ will ”, or (in a simpler way, the Questions that can be answered by Yes , or No ,) the connective “ if ”, “ whether ” is used after the reporting verb or object of the reporting verb in the Indirect Narration.

Direct: I asked him, ‘ Have you eaten the cake?’

Indirect: I asked him if/whether he had eaten the cake.

Direct: He asked the boy, ‘ Did you pass the exam?’

Indirect: He asked the boy if/whether he had passed the exam.

Direct: She said, “ Did you finish the report?” Indirect: She asked if I had finished the report.

Direct: He said, “ Are you going to the concert?” Indirect: He inquired whether I was going to the concert.

Direct: The manager said, “ Will she be attending the meeting?” Indirect: The manager wanted to know if she would be attending the meeting.

Direct: Thet said, “ Have they decided on a location?” Indirect: They asked if a location had been decided on.

Direct: She said, “ Can you help me with this assignment?” Indirect: She wondered if I could help her with the assignment.

Rule 4: Interrogative sentences with ‘wh-word’

If the Reported Speech in Direct Narration is introduced by interrogative pronouns ( who , which ) interrogative adjectives ( what , how much ), or interrogative adverbs ( why, when, where, how ), we can not use the conjunction if ( or whether ). Instead, the Wh-Word with which the reported speech of direct narration begins replaces the ‘ if’ or ‘ whether ‘ by that Wh-Word in indirect narration .

Direct: I said to him, ‘ When will you do it?’

Indirect: I asked him when he would do it.

Direct: He said to her, ‘ What is your name?’

Indirect: He asked her what her name was.

Direct: He said to her, ‘ Whose type-writer are you using?’

Indirect: He inquired of her whose type-writer she was using.

Direct: Father said, ‘ Where have you been so long in the sun, my son?’

Indirect: Father inquired of the son where he had been so long in the sun.

Direct: The king said, ‘ Who is not ready to die for his land, my countrymen?’

Indirect: The king asked his countrymen who were not ready to die for his land.

Rule 5: Change of Punctuation Mark in Indirect speech of Interrogative sentence.

We have to change The Interrogative Form of the Reported Speech in Direct Narration into a Statement or Assertive Sentence in Indirect Narration . At the end of the sentence of Indirect Narration, we must use a full stop ( . ) instead of a question mark ( ? ). So, in Indirect Narration, the Reported Speech will start with the Subject, then the Verb, and then others.

Direct: He said to me, ‘Did you write to me before ?’

Indirect: He asked me if I had written to him before .

Direct: He said to you, ‘Can you tell me your address?’

Indirect: He asked you if you could tell him your address.

Direct: She said to him, ‘Will you help me lift this luggage?’

Indirect: She asked him if he would help her lift that luggage.

Rule 6: Interrogative Sentences with Modals in Indirect Speech

An Interrogative Sentence beginning with “ Shal l” in the Direct Narration, takes the form “ would ” in the Past Tense in the Indirect Narration. We use “should” only when the statement is a Polite question or involves or implies a matter of propriety or duty.

Direct: He said to me, ‘ Shall we reach the village before dawn ?’

Indirect: He asked me if they would reach the village before dawn .

Direct: They said, ‘ Shall we contribute to the Poor Fund?’

Indirect: They asked if they should contribute to the Poor Fund. [ polite question ]

Direct: Ridhi said to me, ‘Could I be of any help to you?’

Indirect: Ridhi asked me if I could be of any help to her.

Rule 7: Direct to Indirect Speech with Tag Questions

Sentence with Question Tags: Sometimes an Interrogative sentence is formed in the Direct Narration by adding some Interrogative Tags to an Assertive sentence.

In Indirect Narration, the tag is omitted after the meaning of the sentence(Affirmation or Negation) has been guessed from it. Sometimes different verbs such as “ think ”, “ hope ”, “ believe ”, and “ ask ” may be used to express that idea in an Indirect Form.

Direct: Robert said, ‘John is a good boy, isn’t it ?’

Indirect: Robert said that he thought that John was a good boy .

Direct: Robin said, ‘The captain did not agree to go, did he?’

Indirect: Robin said that believed that the captain had not agreed to go.

Direct: The teacher said to the boy, ‘You will do the job, won’t you?’

Indirect: The teacher told the boy that he hoped he (the boy) would do the job.

Direct: He said, ‘You are going to market, aren’t you?’

Indirect: He asked me if it was true that I was going to market.

Rule 8: Changes in Persons for Interrogative Sentences

Get the rules on how to make Changes in Persons in indirect narration on the previous page under the General Rules section.

Rule 9: Change the Tense of Reporting Verb for Interrogative Sentences

Study the rules to change the tense of the Reporting Verb in Indirect Narration and the Verb of the reported speech in indirect narration by going to the above link which is the General Rules section on the previous page.

Some Work Out Examples: Interrogative Sentences Direct Indirect Speech:

Note carefully the Changes in Interrogative Sentences from Direct Speech to Indirect Speech.

Direct: I said to the boy, “Did you go to school?”

Indirect: I asked (enquired of) the boy if he had gone to school.

Direct: “Is not poverty a curse?” my father said to me.

Indirect: My father asked me if poverty was (is) not a curse.

Direct: “Are you weeping?” he asked her.

Indirect: He asked her if she was weeping.

Direct: “Have you brought a pen for me?” the girl said to her father.

Indirect: The girl asked her father if he had brought a pen for her.

Direct: “Can you see a woman seated at a table?” he asked her.

Indirect: He asked her if she could see a woman seated at a table.

Direct: Persome said, “Marie, isn’t the soup boiling yet?”

Indirect: Persome asked Marie if the soup was not boiling by that time.

Direct: “Would you sing for our visitors?” my mother said to my sister.

Indirect: My mother asked my sister if she would sing for our visitors.

Direct: He said to me, “What are you doing ?”

Indirect: He asked me what I was doing.

Direct: He said to me, “When will you go home ?”

Indirect: He enquired of me when I would go home.

Direct: You said to me, “Why have you failed ?”

Indirect: You asked me why I had failed.

Direct: He said to me, “Who has gone to the sea ?”

Indirect: He asked me who had gone to the sea.

Exam Questions Answers 2024:

Direct: Reba said, “Which book is mine ?”

Indirect: Reba asked which book was hers.

Direct: He said to me, “When will the down train arrive ?”

Indirect: He inquired of me when the down train would arrive.

Direct: Mina said, “Why must I stay ?”

Indirect: Mina asked why she must stay.

Direct: He said, “Where is the post office?”

Indirect: He wanted to know where the post office was.

Direct: He said, “How will the Sherpa climb the peak ?”

Indirect: He wondered how the Sherpa would climb the peak.

Direct: She said to me, “Maya can’t speak Hindi, can she”?

Indirect: She told me that she didn’t think Maya could speak Hindi.

Direct: Amal said, “They will not go, will they”?

Indirect: Amal hoped they would not go.

Direct: He said to me, “You are going to the playground, aren’t you?”

Indirect: He asked me whether it was true that I was going to the playground.

Solved Worksheet

Change the following sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech:

1. Ram said to his friends, “Do you want to go to Kolkata with me ?”

2.”Shall we send it to your flat ?” he said.

3. Rina said to Samir, “Are you going today ?”

4. Pradeep said to me, “When will you go home ?”

5. “Whom do you want ?” he said to her.

6. He said to Rita “How is your father ?”

7. “Who told you about my success ?” she said to her friend.

8. The lady said to the man, “May I park my car here ?”

9. “Who has dared to wound you ?” cried the Giant.

10. The workers said to the manager, “When do you like to talk to us ?”

11. The poor woman said, “Will none of you help me today ?”

12. “Can you find your way home ? said I to the little boy.

13. “Which way did you see the thief go ?” asked the policeman.

14. He said to the girl, “Don’t you know my sister ?”

Report the following into Indirect Speech

Turn the following sentences from Direct to Indirect Speech

1. “Have you anything to say on behalf of the prisoner ?”. said the judge to the lawyers.

2. The traveller said, “Are you really telling me the truth ?”

3. He said to the strangers, “Who are you ?”

4. Sanat said to Debu, “Where have you kept my pen ?”

5. She said to the boy, “What are you doing here ?”

6. He said, “What do you want ?”

7. He said to John, “Why are you shouting ?”

8. “Who is our master ?” asked William Tell.

9. Babu said to the stranger, “Who are you?”

10. Pompi said, “Which of the pens do you need ?”

11. “Where do you live”, he asked

Frequently asked questions

1. q: what is an example of direct and indirect speech of an interrogative sentence.

Ans: Interrogative sentence Direct Speech Example: I said to the boy, “Did you go to school?”

Interrogative sentence Indirect Speech Example: I asked (enquired of) the boy if he had gone to school.

2. Q: What is an example of an interrogative sentence indirect?

Ans: interrogative sentence indirect: My father asked me if poverty was (is) not a curse.

3. Q: What is an example of a direct speech for an interrogative sentence?

Ans: Interrogative sentence Direct Speech: “Is not poverty a curse?” my father said to me.

4. Q: What are 10 examples of interrogative?

What is your name? How old are you? Why have you done this? When will you go? Which shirt do you like? Whose car is this? Whom do you prefer most? Have you done this before? Did you notice that? Will he make it?

5. Q: What are the 7 interrogative words?

Ans: What, When, Who, Whose, Whom, How, Why.

Related Posts:

English With Ashish

Interrogative sentences in reported speech: rules and examples

Hey learners! In this post, we will master how to change direct speech to indirect speech when the reported speech in the direct speech is an interrogative sentence. Before we do that, we must know what direct and indirect speech is.

What is a direct speech?

Direct speech definition: It is a way to narrate what someone said using the speaker’s exact words. The reported speech (the speaker’s words) is placed in quotation marks and is offset using a comma.

What is an indirect speech?

Indirect speech definition: it is a way to narrate what someone said but not using the speaker’s exact words. Unlike a direct speech, it is not placed in quotation marks and separated by a comma.

Direct speech: She said to me, “Do you love me?” Indirect speech: She told me if I loved her.

Important things to understand :

1. Directing speech: It is the part (clause) that you (the person who narrates the speaker’s original words) say. In the above examples, “She said to me” and “She told me” are reporting speeches. These are the parts the narrator of the reported speech says.

2. Directed speech: it is the part that comes from the original speaker. In the above examples, “ Do you love me? “ and “ if I loved her “ are reported speeches.

Interrogative sentences in the reported speech

Interrogative sentence definition: Sentences that are used to ask questions are called interrogative sentences. They end with a question mark.

There are two types of interrogative sentences:

• Ones that can be answered in YES or NO .
• Ones that can not be answered in YES or NO . They need to be explained.
• Direct speech : My uncle said to me, “What are you studying?”
• Direct speech : She asked me, “Do you still love me?”
• Indirect speech: My uncle asked me what I was studying.
• Indirect speech: She asked me if I still loved her .

NOTE : Interrogative sentences in direct speech are changed into assertive sentences.

Process/steps of changing Interrogative sentences (reported speech) into indirect speech:

• Remove the quotation marks and the comma from the reported speech.
• Put the question word (WH family word) at the beginning of the reported speech when the question can’t be answered in YES or NO. If the question can be answered in YES/NO, replace the helping verb (auxiliary) with IF or WHETHER.
• Put the subject of the reported speech after it.
• Put the verb after the subject.
• Replace the question mark with a period/full stop.
• The reporting verb SAY in the direct speech is changed into ASK/INQUIRE.

NOTE : Interrogative sentences that can be answered in YES/NO start with auxiliary verbs (is/am/are/do/does/has/have/will/shall/can/could/may/might/should/would…). And interrogative sentences that can’t be answered in simple YES/NO start with WH family words (what/why/where/when/how/who/whom).

Direct speech structure : Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + subject complement? Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object/modifier?

Indirect speech structure : If/whether + subject + main verb + subject complement. If/whether + subject + main verb + object/modifier.

• Direct speech: I asked her, “Will you go out with me?” Indirect speech: I asked her if/whether she would go out with me.
• Direct speech: The guy on the street said to me, ” Do you know whom you are messing with?” Indirect speech: The guy on the street asked me if I knew whom I was messing with.
• Direct speech: On the very first date, she asked me, “Have you kissed a girl?” Indirect speech: On the very first date, she asked me if I had kissed a girl.
• Direct speech: The other night, Jon asked me, “Are you taking drugs?” Indirect speech: The other night, Jon asked me if I was taking drugs.
• Direct speech: She said, “Can you kiss me right now?” Indirect speech: She asked if I could kiss her right then.

In the indirect speech of the reported part, we replace the auxiliary verb with IF or WHETHER . The subject is put before the verb so that the interrogative sentence changes into an assertive sentence.

All these questions can be answered in YES/NO. If the questions can’t be answered in YES/NO, don’t use if/whether . Let’s look at the following examples:

Direct speech structure : WH family word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object/modifier (optional)?

Indirect speech structure : WH family word + subject + main verb + object/modifier.

• Direct speech: The police asked, “What were you doing when the incident happened?” Indirect speech: The police asked what I had been doing when the incident had happened .
• Direct speech: He said, “What can I do for you?” Indirect speech: He asked what he could do for me.
• Direct speech: Ron asked my father, “What do you do?” Indirect speech: Ron asked my father what he did.
• Direct speech: She said to us, “What do you think of yourselves?” Indirect speech: She asked us what we thought of ourselves.
• Direct speech: My brother asked, “Who is that girl?” Indirect speech: My brother asked who that girl was.

Now, we know how to change an interrogative sentence into a reported speech. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.

For one-on-one classes, contact me at  [email protected] .

Ashish Sharma

Ashish found his first love—the English language—a few years back. Since then, he has been immersed in the language, breaking down the language and teaching it to passionate English learners. He has a flair for listening to the English language (podcasts, sitcoms, stories), observing the nuances, and making it easy for English learners. He is known for breaking down complex English topics and making them easy to be understood.

15 thoughts on “Interrogative sentences in reported speech: rules and examples”

Sir in the Wh-question u make wrong indirect speech . Ex.1 The police asked, “what were you doing when the incident happened..? ” Ans-The police asked what I had been doing when the incident had happened.. Plz check this ex if I will wrong then plz tell me where I was wrong…

Hello, Ritesh! Yes, I had forgotten to change the subject of the clause from YOU to I. Thank you for pointing out the mistake!

Sunil said to Sunita, “What was the theme of the story?”

Sunil asked Sunita what the theme of the story was.

Sunita asked sunil that what was the theme of the story. Is it correct or not

It’s not. Correction: Sunita asked Sunil what the theme of the story was. 1) We don’t use two conjunctions together. We can’t. 2) A noun clause does not take a question structure (use inversion in it).

Can it not be, Sunil asked Sunita what had been the theme of the story.

That’s grammatical incorrect. A verb or a verb phrase can’t come before the subject in a dependent clause. Also, the right verb tense of the reported speech is the Simple Past tense.

“Be not so amazed, daughter Miranda”,said Prospero. change this.

That’s not a question.

Calling Miranda as his daughter Prospero forbade/advised her not to be amazed.

the gate keeper said,” who made this mess?”

The gatekeeper asked whom that mess had been made by.

He said to me,” do you know him kiran”.

He asked if me I knew him/kiran.

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

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Indirect Questions – Examples & Worksheet

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

How do you ask a stranger for directions? Would you rather say, “Where is Collin Drive?” or “Do you have any idea where Collin Drive is?” Perhaps you might say, “I was wondering where Collin Drive is.” These three sentences are examples of direct and indirect questions.

In this article, I will discuss the definition and examples of indirect questions. Learn how to transform direct questions into indirect questions (and vice versa) using the correct sentence structure. Then, answer the worksheet I provided to test your knowledge of the topic.

What Is an Indirect Question?

An indirect question in the English language is a type of question embedded in declarative sentences or other questions. Here’s an indirect question example.

• Mae asked if I liked cheese.

The word if can be replaced by whether. This indirect question is a direct question within a statement or a declarative sentence. If this statement were a direct question, the sentence structure would be in the form of a normal question.

• Do you like cheese?

Unlike direct questions, indirect questions are statements. They do not start with interrogative adjectives like how, what, why, where, when, whose, and who.

Easy Examples of Indirect Questions

Let’s take a look at more examples of indirect questions in conversations and other real-life scenarios.

• I wonder if Gino knows the meaning of exclamatory sentences.

In this sentence example, the embedded question is, “Does Gino know the meaning of exclamatory sentences?” Therefore, it’s a direct question within a declarative sentence.

• Does she know whether Julia is sleeping?

This sentence is a question within a question or an interrogative sentence. The embedded direct question is, “Is Julia sleeping?”

• Please check when the store is closing.

This is a direct question within a command or an imperative sentence . The embedded direct question in the sentence is, “When is the store closing?”

• I wonder whether it would be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not need limp gifts of fish but sturdy fishing rods and fair access to the pond. (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

This beautiful quote is a direct question within a declarative sentence. The lengthy direct question is, “Would it be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not need limp gifts of fish but sturdy fishing rods and fair access to the pond?”

• Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. (Katherine Hepburn)

This is another direct question within a declarative sentence. The direct question embedded in the statement is, “Do men and women really suit each other?”

Do Indirect Questions Have Question Marks?

A complete sentence in the form of an indirect question may have a question mark if it’s in question form. For example:

• Direct question: Where is the post office?
• Indirect question: Would you tell me where the post office is?

But if the indirect questions are not in the form of interrogative sentences, do not use a question mark. Below are examples of indirect questions using a positive sentence structure.

• Incorrect: I want to know where the post office is?
• Correct: I want to know where the post office is.
• Incorrect: Please tell me if you need anything?
• Correct: Please tell me if you need anything.

How to Write an Indirect Question

An indirect question’s structure may include modal verbs can, could, and would when we make requests. This construction is a polite way to ask for information from people, especially strangers and coworkers.

Some common indirect question phrases include “Can you tell me…?” and “Do you have any idea…?” Then, we add the word order of a normal positive sentence.

To form indirect questions for tenses that make questions with inversion, be sure to add the word if.

Below is an example of a direct question and its corresponding indirect question that uses one of the most common question phrases.

• Direct question: Where is Holly Street?

The word order here is verb-subject: verb is, then subject Holly Street.

• Indirect question: I want to know where Holly Street is.

The word order in this indirect question is subject-verb, the subject being Holly Street and the verb is. Here’s an interrogative form of the indirect question.

• Indirect question: May I ask where Holly Street is?

Yes/no questions may also take indirect question forms. These questions do not have interrogative adjectives like why, what, and who. For example:

• Direct question: Did he call?

To turn it into an indirect question, you may use the phrase “Do you know…?” and then the subordinating conjunction if or whether.

• Indirect question: Do you know if he called?

Here’s how to transform a direct yes/no question into an indirect question using the present continuous verb.

• Direct question: Is she enjoying the party?
• Indirect question: Do you know whether she’s enjoying the party?

For past continuous verbs, the structure is almost identical. For example:

• Direct question: Were you playing the piano yesterday morning?
• Indirect question: Can you tell me if you were playing the piano yesterday morning?

The rule is the same for perfect verb tenses. Consider the example below.

• Direct question: Has the food gone bad?
• Indirect question: Do you know if the food has gone bad?

If the verb tense is in the present perfect continuous, we still use the same word order as the other tenses.

• Direct question: Has she been reading new novels lately?
• Indirect question: Can you tell me if she has been reading new novels lately?

The sentences below use the simple future simple tense with the phrase going to.

• Direct question: Are you going to dance later?
• Indirect question: Can you tell me if you are going to dance later?

I usually use imperative sentences when asking for favors. But requests may also include an indirect question phrase like “Is there any chance…?” or “Would it be possible…?” and the noun clause afterward. Read the sentences below.

• Direct question: Can you please help me find my old purse later?
• Indirect question: Is there any chance you could help me find my old purse later?
• Indirect question: Would it be possible for you to help me find my old purse later?

Notice how the direct question still sounds like a huge request, even with the word please. You might be too embarrassed to say it to an acquaintance or coworker. So, you would instead use the indirect question version.

The indirect question also lets the listener understand that the request is a huge one. It may take extra effort or commitment.

Another common indirect question phrase for requests is “I was wondering…” When using this phrase, we do not use question marks. Instead, the sentence is in declarative form. For example:

• Indirect question: I was wondering if you could help me find my old purse later.

This phrase is a fantastic option if you don’t want to sound demanding when asking for a favor.

Below is another set of sentence examples.

• Direct question: Did you finish the article?
• Indirect question: Can you tell me if you finished the article?
• Indirect question: I was wondering if you finished the article.

Which indirect question form do you think sounds nicer and less demanding?

Indirect Questions in a Nutshell

Any sentence that reports a question or a statement with an embedded question is called an indirect question. When constructing indirect questions, remember that there is no inversion of the word order.

Use indirect questions to sound more polite when asking for information or making requests. Structure your sentences like so when you don’t know the person with whom you’re talking.

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What Is an Indirect Question? (with Examples)

Marcus Froland

March 28, 2024

Ever been in a chat and found yourself softening the blow before asking something? That’s probably because you were crafting an indirect question. It’s like giving your words a comfy cushion before letting them out into the world. This approach doesn’t just keep things polite; it’s also about being tactful.

But why do we go the extra mile to phrase our questions this way, and how does it change the game in conversations? Well, without spoiling too much, let’s just say that mastering this technique can turn awkward interrogations into smooth discussions. And isn’t that a skill worth having up your sleeve?

An indirect question is when you ask something in a less direct way. Unlike a direct question that gets straight to the point, an indirect question is more polite and roundabout. For example, instead of asking “What time is it?”, you might say “Could you tell me what time it is?”. Indirect questions often start with phrases like “Could you tell me…” or “I was wondering…”. They are useful in situations where you want to be more respectful or less intrusive. So, using indirect questions can make your conversations smoother and more courteous.

Understanding Indirect Questions in English

Indirect questions serve as a subtler approach for inquiries and are especially important in professional and formal settings where politeness is paramount. They are often structured with modal verbs to express politeness and consideration, acknowledging the recipient’s ability to decline the request. These questions commonly include phrases such as “ Would you mind…? ” or “ Do you have any idea…? “. The formulation emphasizes softening the request to avoid sounding too demanding or imposing.

When forming indirect questions , it is crucial to remember some key aspects of indirect questioning techniques . These techniques aim to strike a balance between seeking information and maintaining English language politeness . Consider the following steps as a guide to mastering the art of indirect speech :

• Begin with a polite introductory phrase, such as “Can you tell me…?” or “Would you mind telling me…?”
• Use modal verbs, such as “can”, “could”, “would”, and “might”, to express possibility and permission, thus giving the recipient the option to decline your request.
• Transform the word order of the original direct question into that of a statement.
• For ‘yes or no’ questions , add “if” or “whether” to introduce the subject of the query.

Here is an illustration of different indirect question formations using a direct question as the starting point:

Direct question: “When does the meeting start?”

Examples of forming indirect questions :

• Can you tell me when the meeting starts?
• Do you know when the meeting starts?
• Would you mind checking when the meeting starts?

Employing these indirect speech rules consistently can help you maintain politeness and professionalism in various workplace scenarios, such as communicating with colleagues or superiors, or even attending interviews.

Understanding and utilizing indirect questions in English is vital for ensuring cordial and respectful communication. By using polite introductory phrases, modal verbs, and the appropriate word order, you can convey your queries with grace and subtlety, avoiding overwhelming your conversation partner or coming across as unduly demanding.

How to Form an Indirect Question Correctly

Creating a well-structured indirect question involves mastering the use of modal verbs, understanding the changes in word order, and appropriately utilizing ‘Wh-question’ words or ‘Yes or No’ questions . In this section, we will discuss these aspects in detail to help you form indirect questions correctly.

The Role of Modal Verbs in Indirect Questions

Modal verbs play a crucial role in constructing polite and non-imposing indirect questions. Some common English modal verbs used in questions include “can”, “could”, and “would”. By integrating these modal verbs, a speaker can gently introduce a question while allowing the recipient the option to refuse or provide the information requested at their discretion.

Direct Question: What time does the meeting start? Indirect Question: Could you please tell me what time the meeting starts?

Word Order Changes in Indirect Questions

When shifting from a direct to an indirect question, the English word order transitions from the typical verb-subject format found in direct questions to the subject-verb format of a statement. Adjusting the word order is essential in constructing indirect speech .

Direct Question: When is Emily’s flight? Indirect Question: Do you know when Emily’s flight is?

Using ‘Wh-question’ Words and ‘Yes or No’ Questions in Indirect Speech

‘Wh-question’ words (where, what, when, who, why, how) are used in indirect speech , preserving their form but following the word order of statements rather than questions. Additionally, indirect ‘Wh-question’ words can be embedded within phrases like “Do you know…?” to create more polite questions.

Direct Question: How do I get to Spencer Street? Indirect Question: Could you please tell me how to get to Spencer Street?

When it comes to ‘Yes or No’ questions , they can be transformed into indirect questions by beginning with phrases like “Do you know…?” followed by “if” or “whether” to introduce the query. This maintains the statement word order within the noun clause, ensuring the question remains indirect and polite.

Direct Question: Are you coming to the party tonight? Indirect Question: Can you tell me if you’re coming to the party tonight?

Examples of Indirect Questions in Everyday Situations

Indirect questions are frequently used in a variety of daily conversational contexts. They often come into play when you are trying to gather information discreetly or make polite requests. In this section, we will provide some everyday examples of indirect questions that help maintain a polite and respectful conversation when compared to direct questions.

• Asking about someone’s well-being: Instead of directly asking, “What’s wrong with her?”, try using indirect speech , like “Do you know what’s wrong with her?” to show empathy and politeness.
• Seeking directions: Rather than bluntly inquiring, “Where’s the nearest Starbucks?”, opt for an indirect question like, “Could you please tell me where the nearest Starbucks is?” to come across as more courteous.
• Gathering opinions: To ask for someone’s thoughts on a movie, you can replace the direct question “Did you like the movie?” with an indirect question, such as “I was wondering if you liked the movie.”
• Requesting assistance: If you need help with a task but do not want to be too imposing, avoid asking, “Can you help me with this report?” Instead, use the indirect question “Would it be possible for you to help me with this report?”
• Inviting someone: When inviting someone for dinner, rather than using the direct question “Do you want to come over for dinner?” you can present the invitation in a more subtle manner through the indirect question, “Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?”

Remember, indirect questions help maintain a polite and respectful conversation, which is especially important in unfamiliar or formal situations.

The table below offers a comparative analysis of everyday direct questions and their indirect counterparts:

As evident from these everyday examples of indirect questions , using indirect speech can significantly improve the tone and politeness of the conversation. By incorporating this language tool in your daily interactions, you can maintain a respectful and cordial atmosphere when communicating with others.

The Politeness Principle: Using Indirect Questions to Soften Speech

Indirect questions serve as an essential tool for conveying politeness and softening requests , particularly when asking for favors. Their subtle, understanding tone enables the listener to feel at ease, knowing that they have the option to decline or agree to the request without feeling imposed upon.

Asking for Favors Using Indirect Questions

When asking for favors, it’s crucial to use indirect language in requests to show respect and consideration for the listener’s time and effort. Certain phrases can prove effective in crafting polite and non-imposing requests. Here are a few examples:

• Is there any chance…?
• Would it be possible…?
• I was wondering if…
• Could I kindly ask you to…?

These phrases demonstrate politeness by giving the listener the option to decline the request or offer assistance as they see fit. This flexibility conveys empathy and understanding while softening requests and enhancing the chances of a positive response.

For example, instead of saying, “Can you help me move this weekend?”, try phrasing your request as, “I was wondering if you might be available to help me move this weekend?”. This subtle change in phrasing makes a significant difference in the tone and intention of the question.

Asking favors politely also involves acknowledging the listener’s effort and expressing gratitude, both of which contribute to creating a positive atmosphere in which requests are more likely to be met with willingness.

Understanding and implementing indirect questions in everyday speech can significantly contribute to effective and courteous communication. Use them wisely to demonstrate politeness and respect for the listener’s time and efforts, thereby fostering positive interactions and fostering successful relationships, both personal and professional.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Indirect Questions

While indirect questions are an effective way of maintaining politeness in speech, it’s essential to be aware of common errors to ensure correct usage. Some frequently encountered mistakes in forming indirect questions are incorrect placement of the question mark, confusion between “if” and “whether”, and incorrect word order.

One crucial aspect of indirect question formation is maintaining the word order of a statement. Avoid the inverted word order found in direct questions. For instance, “Can you tell me where the library is?” is accurate, whereas “Can you tell me where is the library?” is not. Additionally, ensure proper punctuation by using a period at the end of an indirect question unless the entire sentence is structured as a question. For example, “Do you know if the meeting was canceled.”

When converting ‘Yes or No’ questions into indirect speech , choose between “if” and “whether” with care. Use “if” to present conditions, and “whether” when no condition is implied. For instance, “Do you know whether Laura will attend the meeting?” emphasizes a choice between two alternatives, whereas “Let me know if you need any help” implies a condition.

In summary, mastering indirect questions requires a keen understanding of their structure, word order, and appropriate usage of “if” or “whether”. By paying attention to these details, you can confidently utilize indirect questioning in your daily conversations and maintain a polite and considerate tone.

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Reported Speech: Practice Exercises in Interrogative Sentences

• Post last modified: 1 March 2023
• Post category: Grammar Exercises / School Grammar

Do practice converting Direct Speech Interrogative sentences into Indirect Speech. The exercises are based on both types of Questions – Starting with an Auxiliary Verb and the other type starting with a Q Word. Try to first attempt yourself then see the answers given in the last of every set of questions.

More exercises are added from time to time, so keep coming here 😊

Click here more English Grammar study materials

I – Interrogative Sentences – Yes/No Type (Questions starts with an auxiliary verb)

See some examples before attempting practice exercises.

Direct speech: “Are you the one who stole the money?”

Indirect speech: He asked if I was the one who had stolen the money.

Direct speech: “What are you doing here at this time?”

Indirect speech: She asked what I was doing there at that time.

Direct speech: “Have you ever been to Europe before?”

Indirect speech: He asked if I had ever been to Europe before.

Direct speech: “Who taught you how to play the guitar so well?”

Indirect speech: She asked me who had taught me how to play the guitar so well.

Direct speech: “Why did you leave your previous job?”

Indirect speech: He asked me why I had left my previous job.

Q. Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech.  

1. “Are there any more files?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon.  

2. The teacher said to Rena, “Did you break the window pane?” “No, sir,” said Reena, “I did not.” 

3. “If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees?” said the astrologer. “No,” replied the customer.  

4. I said to him, “Do you want to go to Delhi?” He said, “No, sir.”  

5. Rahul said to me, “Does Mohit still play?” I said, “Yes, sir.”  

6. Malik said to her, “Has Sara invited you to dinner?”  

7. I said to her, “Did you enjoy the film?” She said, “No, sir.”  

8. Sachin said, “Sonam, do you see what I see?” Sonam said, “Yes.”  

9. He said, “Do you not like it?” She said, “Yes.”  

10. She said to me, “Shall we ever see each other again?” I said, “Perhaps, never.” 

1. He asked the peon if there were any more files. The peon replied respectfully in the affirmative.  

2. The teacher asked Reena if she had broken the window pane. Reena replied respectfully that she had not done it.  

3. The astrologer asked the customer if he would give him five rupees if he found his answers satisfactory. The customer replied in negative.  

4. I asked him if he wanted to go to Delhi and he replied respectfully in negative.  

5. Rahul asked me if Mohit still played and I replied respectfully in positive.  

6. Malik asked her if Sara had invited her to dinner.  

7. I asked her if she had enjoyed the film. She replied respectfully in negative.  

8. Sachin asked Sonam if she saw what he saw. She replied in affirmative.  

9. He asked if she did not like that and she replied in affirmative.  

10. She asked me if we would ever see each other again but I replied that we would perhaps never. 

II – Interrogative Sentences – Q. Word Type (Question begins with a Q. Word)

Q. change the following sentences into indirect speech.  .

1. He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact?”  

2. They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing?”  

3. You said to him “Why are you making mischief?”  

4. They said to us, “How have you solved this sum?”  

5. We said to them, “Who has misguided you?”  

6. They said to him, “Where have you been wandering since yesterday?”  

7. She said to me, “Why were you hiding today?”  

8. Raja said to us, “When do you expect to see me again?”  

9. He said to her, “What shall I be offering you with tea?”  

10. We said to them, “When shall we have paid you a visit?” 

1. He asked me whom she wanted to contact.  

2. They asked her whose house she was purchasing.  

3. You asked him why he was making mischief.  

4. They asked us how we had solved that sum.  

5. We asked them who had misguided them.  

6. They asked him where he had been wandering since the previous day.  

7. She asked me why I had been hiding that day.  

8. Raja asked us when we expected to see him again.  

9. He asked her what he would be offering her with tea.

10. We asked them when we would have paid them a visit. 

Miscellaneous Exercises on Interrogative Sentences

I. change the following sentences into indirect speech..

• “What is your name?” asked the teacher. Indirect speech:
• “Where did you go yesterday?” she asked me. Indirect speech:
• “Are you feeling better now?” he asked her. Indirect speech: .
• “Will you come with me?” he asked her. Indirect speech: .
• “Why did you break the vase?” he asked his son. Indirect speech:
• “What are you doing here?” asked John.
• “Have you finished your homework?” the teacher asked.
• “Why did you leave the party so early?” she asked
• “Are you going to the concert tonight?” Tom asked.
• “Where did you put my phone?” asked Sarah.
• The teacher asked me what my name was.
• She asked me where I had gone the previous day.
• He asked her if she was feeling better then
• He asked her if she would go with him
• He asked his son why he had broken the vase.
• John asked what I was doing there.
• The teacher asked if I had finished my homework.
• She asked why I had left the party so early.
• Tom asked if I was going to the concert that night.
• Sarah asked where I had put her phone.

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Reading comprehension passages english grammar cbse/icse, rearrange and form meaningful sentences: english grammar, parts of speech: practice exercises, reported speech: exclamatory sentences practice questions with answers, this post has 5 comments.

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Cool…!!

Hi Safa, we have added a few more questions. You can also see and attempt them.

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10.3: Indirect speech acts

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• Paul Kroeger
• Dallas International University via Language Library Press

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The Nigerian professor Ozidi Bariki describes a conversation in which he said to a friend:

“I love your left hand.” (The friend had a cup of tea in his hand). The friend, in reaction to my utterance, transferred the cup to his right hand. That prompted me to say: “I love your right hand”. My friend smiled, recognized my desire for tea and told his sister, “My friend wants tea”… My friend’s utterance addressed to his sister in reaction to mine was a representative, i.e. a simple statement: “my friend wants a tea”. The girl rightly interpreted the context of the representative to mean a directive. In other words, her brother (my friend) was ordering her to prepare some tea. (Bariki 2008)

This brief dialogue contains two examples of indirect speech acts. In both cases, the utterance has the form of a simple statement, but is actually intended to perform a different kind of act: request in the first case and command in the second. The second statement, “My friend wants tea,” was immediately and automatically interpreted correctly by the addressee. (In African culture, when an older brother makes such a statement to his younger sister, there is only one possible interpretation.) The first statement, however, failed to communicate. Only after the second attempt was the addressee able to work out the intended meaning, not automatically at all, but as if he was trying to solve a riddle.

Bariki uses this example to illustrate the role that context plays in enabling the hearer to identify the intended speech act. But it also shows us that context alone is not enough. In the context of the first utterance, there was a natural association between what was said ( your left hand ) and what was intended (a cup of tea); the addressee was holding a cup of tea in his left hand. In spite of this, the addressee was unable to figure out what the speaker meant. The contrast between this failed attempt at communication and the immediately understood statement My friend wants tea , suggests that there are certain principles and conventions which need to be followed in order to make the illocutionary force of an utterance clear to the hearer.

We might define an indirect speech act (following Searle 1975) as an utterance in which one illocutionary act (the primary act) is intentionally performed by means of the performance of another act (the literal act). In other words, it is an utterance whose form does not reflect the intended illocutionary force. My friend wants tea is a simple declarative sentence, the form which is normally used for making statements. In the context above, however, it was correctly interpreted as a command. So the literal act was a statement, but the primary act was a command.

Most if not all languages have grammatical and/or phonological means of distinguishing at least three basic types of sentences: statements, questions, and commands. The default expectation is that declarative sentences will express statements, interrogative sentences will express questions, and imperative sentences will express commands. When these expectations are met, we have a direct speech act because the grammatical form matches the intended illocutionary force. Explicit performatives are also direct speech acts.

An indirect speech act will normally be expressed as a declarative, interrogative, or imperative sentence; so the literal act will normally be a statement, question, or command. One of the best-known types of indirect speech act is the Rhetorical Question, which involves an interrogative sentence but is not intended to be a genuine request for information.

Why is the statement I love your left hand not likely to work as an indirect request for tea? Searle (1969; 1975) proposes that in order for an indirect speech act to be successful, the literal act should normally be related to the Felicity Conditions of the intended or primary act in certain specific ways. Searle restated Austin’s Felicity Conditions under four headings: preparatory conditions(background circumstances and knowledge about the speaker, hearer, and/ or situation which must be true in order for the speech act to be felicitous); sincerity conditions (necessary psychological states of speaker and/or hearer); propositional content (the kind of situation or event described by the underlying proposition); essential condition (the essence of the speech act; what the act “counts as”). These four categories are illustrated in Table 10.1 using the speech acts of promising and requesting.

Generally speaking, speakers perform an indirect speech act by stating or asking about one of the Felicity Conditions (apart from the essential condition). The examples in (7) show some sentences that could be used as indirect requests for tea. Sentences (7a–b) ask about the preparatory condition for a request, namely the hearer’s ability to perform the action. Sentences (7c–d) state the sincerity condition for a request, namely that the speaker wants the hearer to perform the action. Sentences (7e–f) ask about the propositional content of the request, namely the future act by the hearer.

(7) a. Do you have any tea?

b. Could you possibly give me some tea?

c. I would like you to give me some tea.

d. I would really appreciate a cup of tea.

e. Will you give me some tea?

f. Are you going to give me some tea?

All of these sentences could be understood as requests for tea, if spoken in the right context, but they are clearly not all equivalent: (7b) is a more polite way of asking than (7a); (7d) is a polite request, whereas (7c) sounds more demanding; (7e) is a polite request, whereas (7f) sounds impatient and even rude.

Not every possible strategy is actually available for a given speech act. For example, asking about the sincerity condition for a request is generally quite unnatural: # Do I want you to give me some tea ? This is because speakers do not normally ask other people about their own mental or emotional states. So that specific strategy cannot be used to form an indirect request.

We almost automatically interpret examples like (7b) and (7e) as requests. This tendency is so strong that it may be hard to recognize them as indirect speech acts. The crucial point is that their grammatical form is that of a question, not a request. However, some very close paraphrases of these sentences, such as those in (8), would probably not be understood as requests in most contexts.

(8) a. Do you currently have the ability to provide me with tea?

b. Do you anticipate giving me a cup of tea in the near future?

We can see the difference quite clearly if we try to add the word please to each sentence. As we noted in Chapter 1, please is a marker of politeness which is restricted to occurring only in requests; it does not occur naturally in other kinds of speech acts. It is possible, and in most cases fairly natural, to add please to any of the sentences in (7), even to those which do not sound very polite on their own. However, this is not possible for the sentences in (8). This difference provides good evidence for saying that the sentences in (8) are not naturally interpretable as indirect requests.

(9) a. Could you possibly give me some tea, please?

b. Will you give me some tea, please?

c. I would like you to give me some tea, please.

d. Are you going to give me some tea (?please)?

e. Do you currently have the ability to provide me with tea (#please)?

f. Do you anticipate giving me a cup of tea in the near future (#please)?

The contrast between the acceptability of (7b) and (7e) as requests vs. the unacceptability of their close paraphrases in (8) suggests that the form of the sentence, as well as its semantic content, helps to determine whether an indirect speech act will be successful or not. We will return to this issue below, but first we need to think about a more fundamental question: How does the hearer recognize an indirect speech act? In other words, how does he know that the primary (intended) illocutionary force of the utterance is not the same as the literal force suggested by the form of the sentence?

Searle suggests that the key to solving this problem comes from Grice’s Cooperative Principle. If someone asks the person sitting next to him at a dinner Can you pass me the salt?, we might expect the addressee to be puzzled. Only under the most unusual circumstances would this question be relevant to the current topic of conversation. Only under the most unusual circumstances would the answer to this question be informative, since few people who can sit up at a dinner table are physically unable to lift a salt shaker. In most contexts, the addressee could only believe the speaker to be obeying the Co-operative Principle if the question is not meant as a simple request for information, i.e., if the intended illocutionary force is something other than a question.

Having recognized this question as an indirect speech act, how does the addressee figure out what the intended illocutionary force is? Searle’s solution is essentially the Gricean method of calculating implicatures, enriched by an understanding of the Felicity Conditions for the intended speech act. Searle (1975) suggests that the addressee might reason as follows: “This question is not relevant to the current topic of conversation, and the speaker cannot be in doubt about my ability to pass the salt. I believe him to be cooperating in the conversation, so there must be another point to the question. I know that a preparatory condition for making a request is the belief that the addressee is able to perform the requested action. I know that people often use salt at dinner, sharing a common salt shaker which they pass back and forth as requested. Since he has mentioned a preparatory condition for requesting me to perform this action, I conclude that this request is what he means to communicate.”

So it is important that we understand indirect speech acts as a kind of conversational implicature. However, they are different in certain respects from the implicatures that Grice discussed. For example, Grice stated that implicatures are “non-detachable”, meaning that semantically equivalent sentences should trigger the same implicatures in the same context. However, as we noted above, this is not always true with indirect speech acts. In the current example, Searle points out that the question Are you able to pass me the salt? , although a close paraphrase of Can you pass me the salt? , is much less likely to be interpreted as a request (# Are you able to please pass me the salt? ). How can we account for this?

Searle argues that, while the meaning of the indirect speech act is calculable or explainable in Gricean terms, the forms of indirect speech acts are partly conventionalized. Searle refers to these as “conventions of usage”, in contrast to normal idioms like kick the bucket (for ‘die’) which we might call conventions of meaning or sense.

Conventionalized speech acts are different from normal idioms in several important ways. First, the meanings of normal idioms are not calculable or predictable from their literal meanings. The phrase kick the bucket contains no words which have any component of meaning relating to death.

Second, when an indirect speech act is performed, both the literal and primary acts are understood to be part of what is meant. In Searle’s terms, the primary act is performed “by way of” performing the literal act. We can see this because, as illustrated in (10), the hearer could appropriately reply to the primary act alone (A1), the literal act alone (A2), or to both acts together (A3). Moreover, in reporting indirect speech acts, it is possible (and in fact quite common) to use matrix verbs which refer to the literal act rather than the primary act, as illustrated in (11–12).

(10) Q: Can you (please) tell me the time? A1: It’s almost 5:30. A2: No, I’m sorry, I can’t; my watch has stopped. A3: Yes, it’s 5:30.

(11) a. Will you (please) pass me the salt? b. He asked me whether I would pass him the salt.

(12) a. I want you to leave now (please). b. He told me that he wanted me to leave.

In this way indirect speech acts are quite similar to other conversational implicatures, in that both the sentence meaning and the pragmatic inference are part of what is communicated. They are very different from normal idioms, which allow either the idiomatic meaning (the normal interpretation), or the literal meaning (under unusual circumstances), but never both together. The two senses of a normal idiom are antagonistic, as we can see by the fact that some people use them to form (admittedly bad) puns:

(13) Old milkmaids never die — they just kick the bucket. 7

Birner (2012/2013: 196) points out that under Searle’s view, indirect speech acts are similar to generalized conversational implicatures. In both cases the implicature is part of the default interpretation of the utterance; it will arise unless it is blocked by specific features in the context, or is explicitly negated, etc. We have to work pretty hard to create a context in which the question Can you pass the salt? would not be interpreted as a request, but it can be done. 8

Searle states that politeness is one of the primary reasons for using an indirect speech act. Notice that all of the sentences in (7), except perhaps (7f), sound more polite than the simple imperative: Give me some tea! He suggests that this motivation may help to explain why certain forms tend to be conventionalized for particular purposes.

7 Richard Lederer (1988) Get Thee to a Punnery. Wyrick & Company.

8 Searle (1975: 69) suggests that a doctor might ask such a question to check on the progress of a patient with an injured arm.

Indirect Speech Definition and Examples

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Indirect speech is a report on what someone else said or wrote without using that person's exact words (which is called direct speech). It's also called indirect discourse or reported speech . 

Direct vs. Indirect Speech

In direct speech , a person's exact words are placed in quotation marks and set off with a comma and a reporting clause or signal phrase , such as "said" or "asked." In fiction writing, using direct speech can display the emotion of an important scene in vivid detail through the words themselves as well as the description of how something was said. In nonfiction writing or journalism, direct speech can emphasize a particular point, by using a source's exact words.

Indirect speech is paraphrasing what someone said or wrote. In writing, it functions to move a piece along by boiling down points that an interview source made. Unlike direct speech, indirect speech is  not  usually placed inside quote marks. However, both are attributed to the speaker because they come directly from a source.

How to Convert

In the first example below, the  verb  in the  present tense  in the line of direct speech ( is)  may change to the  past tense  ( was ) in indirect speech, though it doesn't necessarily have to with a present-tense verb. If it makes sense in context to keep it present tense, that's fine.

• Direct speech:   "Where is your textbook? " the teacher asked me.
• Indirect speech:  The teacher asked me  where my textbook was.
• Indirect speech: The teacher asked me where my textbook is.

Keeping the present tense in reported speech can give the impression of immediacy, that it's being reported soon after the direct quote,such as:

• Direct speech:  Bill said, "I can't come in today, because I'm sick."
• Indirect speech:  Bill said (that) he can't come in today because he's sick.

Future Tense

An action in the future (present continuous tense or future) doesn't have to change verb tense, either, as these examples demonstrate.

• Direct speech:  Jerry said, "I'm going to buy a new car."
• Indirect speech:  Jerry said (that) he's going to buy a new car.
• Direct speech:  Jerry said, "I will buy a new car."
• Indirect speech:  Jerry said (that) he will buy a new car.

Indirectly reporting an action in the future can change verb tenses when needed. In this next example, changing the  am going  to was going implies that she has already left for the mall. However, keeping the tense progressive or continuous implies that the action continues, that she's still at the mall and not back yet.

• Direct speech:  She said, "I'm going to the mall."
• Indirect speech:  She said (that) she was going to the mall.
• Indirect speech: She said (that) she is going to the mall.

Other Changes

With a past-tense verb in the direct quote, the verb changes to past perfect.

• Direct speech:  She said,  "I went to the mall."
• Indirect speech:  She said (that)  she had gone to the mall.

Note the change in first person (I) and second person (your)  pronouns  and  word order  in the indirect versions. The person has to change because the one reporting the action is not the one actually doing it. Third person (he or she) in direct speech remains in the third person.

Free Indirect Speech

In free indirect speech, which is commonly used in fiction, the reporting clause (or signal phrase) is omitted. Using the technique is a way to follow a character's point of view—in third-person limited omniscient—and show her thoughts intermingled with narration.

Typically in fiction italics show a character's exact thoughts, and quote marks show dialogue. Free indirect speech makes do without the italics and simply combines the internal thoughts of the character with the narration of the story. Writers who have used this technique include James Joyce, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Zora Neale Hurston, and D.H. Lawrence.  

• Indirect Speech in the English Language
• Direct Speech Definition and Examples
• French Grammar: Direct and Indirect Speech
• How to Teach Reported Speech
• Definition and Examples of Direct Quotations
• How to Use Indirect Quotations in Writing for Complete Clarity
• Backshift (Sequence-of-Tense Rule in Grammar)
• What Is Attribution in Writing?
• Indirect Question: Definition and Examples
• Reported Speech
• Using Reported Speech: ESL Lesson Plan
• Constructed Dialogue in Storytelling and Conversation
• The Subjunctive Present in German
• What Are Reporting Verbs in English Grammar?
• Preterit(e) Verbs
• Dialogue Guide Definition and Examples

• English Grammar
• Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Table of Contents

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

• The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
• You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
• You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
• Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

• Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
• Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
• Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

• Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
• Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
• Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
• The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
• Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
• Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
• Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
• Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
• The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
• Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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• Reported Speech /

Direct And Indirect Speech Questions: Comprehensive Guide with Examples

• Updated on  
• May 11, 2024

Direct and indirect speech questions , commonly known as reported speech questions, are pivotal in facilitating effective communication . Mastery of direct and indirect speech concepts is crucial, particularly when forming questions, to ensure clarity and precision in communication. In this blog, you will learn more about rules for forming question sentences using direct and indirect speech followed by illustrative examples. Let’s dive in to learn!

This Blog Includes:

Understanding direct and indirect speech questions, rules for changing questions sentences into indirect speech, examples of change from direct to indirect speech, exercises of direct and indirect speech question sentences , reported speech exercise.

Must Read: Reported Speech

Let’s understand direct and indirect speech questions in detail below:

Direct Speech Questions

In direct speech, the actual words spoken by the speaker are enclosed in quotation marks. Whenever you form questions using direct speech, it is important to make note of actual words spoken and punctuation.

For example : 

Example 1 She asked, “ Where are you going”?

Example 2  He asked ,” Did you finish your homework”?

Indirect Speech Questions

In Indirect speech, the questions are not quoted in quotation marks as they are not the actual words of the speaker whereas the speaker tries to quote the meaning of someone’s else words. Transformation of sentences from direct speech to indirect speech involves several changes such as a change in the verb form, the removal of quotation marks, alteration in pronouns and a change in word order.

For example:

Example 1  She asked where I was going.

Example 2  He asked if I had finished my homework.

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

One must follow these rules while changing direct speech question sentences to indirect speech: 

Rule 1: Reporting Verb is changed to ask, inquire, or wonder according to the sentence.

Rule 2 : The question mark is removed thus changing the interrogative form of the sentence to an affirmative sentence. This is done by placing the subject before the verb and if a sentence starts with a helping verb such as do or did they are removed in indirect speech.

Rule 3 : If the sentence begins with the who words such as where, how etc. then we will not use any conjunction in the indirect speech for conversion.

Rule 4 : If the sentence begins with the helping verbs such as do, did, have, etc. then conjunctions “if “ or “whether” are used to transform it into indirect speech.

Must Read: Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, 12 Rules & Examples

Read the following examples thoroughly to know the changes made while converting direct to indirect speech:

Let’s check your understanding with a few practical sentences:

• The girl said to the boy  “Is the mango sweet?”
• The teacher said to Rahul, “Are you ill?”
• I said to her, “Do you know the man?”
• I said to her,” May I take your pen?”
• Nita said to Mohan “Will you help me?”
• I said to Manisha “Did you see our cow?”
• The professor said to his students, “Can you answer this question?”
• I said to Rohan, “Do you know my brother?”
• Father said to my brother, “Do you have any problem?”
• I said to her, “Have you had your tea?”

Match your answers with the solved sentences and analyze the understanding of the concept.

1. The girl asked the boy if the mango was sweet.

2. The teacher asked Rahul if he was ill.

3.  I asked her if she knew the man.

4.  I asked her if I might take her pen.

5.  Nita asked Mohan if he would help her.

6.  I asked Manisha if she had seen our cow.

7.  The professor asked his students if they could answer that question.

8.  I asked Rohan if he knew my brother.

9.  Father asked my brother if he had any problems.

10. I asked her if she had had her tea.

Must Read: Figures of Speech

Instruction: Convert the following sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

• “I’m going to the library,” she said.
• “Please don’t forget to lock the door,” he reminded me.
• “I wish I had studied harder,” she sighed.
• “I’ll be here tomorrow,” she promised.
• “Give me the book,” he ordered.

Reported speech often known as indirect speech means conveying someone else’s words or thoughts without quoting them directly.

In reported speech, interrogative sentences are changed by changing the question word order, omitting the question mark, and using appropriate conjunctions.

Direct questions are something which we ask every day regularly. While Indirect questions are framed with a particular phrase.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Amanpreet Kaur

📚✨ From Classroom Chats Entered Into The Wordy World ….. Yes , If you all Remember that teacher who kept you on your toes with pop quizzes and endless homework? YEP! THAT WAS Me ! 🌟 But with the blessings of almighty and the key motivation of my husband who came across the spark of writing in me has insisted me to pave my way away from chalk dust to creative burst!💫  Being in this new world of writing I can compose pun-tastic content, poetry full of emotions and humorous articles that can even make Shakespeare envious of me 📝🎭.Yippee! from teaching young minds to educating worldwide readers it's an epic career switch. From teaching grammar lessons to grammatically flawless copy, I'm todays' wordsmith on a mission! Let me spin literary magic all around and conquer my exact destination of proving myself as The Best Writer in The World.🚀🏆 My promise is to provide you with valuable insights, solutions to your questions, and a momentary escape from the routine. I believe in the power of words to create connections, provoke thought, and foster growth. Woods are lovely dark and deep  But I have promises to keep and  Miles to go before I sleep ……..🌳✨🌌

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Digital English

Narration change of interrogative sentence 100+example, narration change of interrogative sentence [direct and indirect speech].

Table of Contents

Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence is very simple if you follow the rules as mentioned earlier. The rules have been highlighted with examples step by step. If a reader reads the article, he will get interested and start learning. At last, I have given more than 100 exercises with answers.

Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence

How to Identify Interrogative Sentence

It is very easy to identify interrogative sentences. If you find the below points in the sentence, you will be quite sure that the sentence is an interrogative sentence.

• The sentence ends with a question (?) mark.
• The sentence starts with a helping verb or wh-word.
• When did you go there?
• Who likes you the most?
• How have you solved the problem?
• Will you eat rice?
• Do you play with me?
• Did they call you?
• Basic Rules of Narration Change

Some rules are mandatory for all types of sentences at the time of narration change. The rules are below.

• How to identify direct and indirect speech
• How to identify “Reporting Verb” and “Reported Speech”
• How to identify “Sentence”
• Change words or phrases [Direct to Indirect]
• Change Tense [Direct to Indirect]
• Change Person/ Noun/ Pronoun

All the rules or points have been highlighted in the previous post. Click here………

We change the “Reporting Verb” of direct speech into indirect speech according to the tense at the time of narration change. I have mentioned the reporting verb below.

Interrogative Sentence

When we change the direct speech of the interrogative sentence into the indirect, we use “Ask/Enquire/Want to know” instead of “Say”. Then we use “If/Whether” if the reported speech is yes/ no interrogative sentence. Next, we use a full stop instead of a question mark.

Direct: I said to her, ‘’Have you brought my book?

Indirect: I asked her if she had brought my book.

Direct: Rahim said to the girl, “why are you shouting?’’

Indirect: Rahim asked the girl why she was shouting.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “What is your name?”

Indirect: The teacher asked me what my name was.

Direct: He said to me, “Have you received a letter?’’

Indirect: He asked me if I had received a letter.

Yes or No Interrogative Sentence from Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct: The girl said to me, “Is the mango sweet?”

Indirect: The girl asked me if the mango was sweet.

Direct: The teacher said to me, “Are you ill?”

Indirect: The teacher asked me whether I was ill.

Direct: I said to him, “Do you know the man?”

Indirect: I asked/inquired of him if/whether he knew the man.

Direct: Nitai said to Mangal, “Will you help me?”

Indirect: Nitai asked Mangal if he would help him.

Direct: I said to Manish, “Did you see our cow?”

Indirect: I asked Manish if he had seen my cow.

Direct: The teacher said to the student, “Did you come to school yesterday?”

Indirect: The teacher asked the student whether he had come to school the previous day.

Direct: The teacher said to his students, “Can you answer this question?”

Indirect: The teacher asked his students if they could answer that question.

Direct: I said to Ratan, “Do you know my brother?”

Indirect: I asked Ratan whether he knew his brother.

Direct: Father said to me, “Do you have any problem?”

Indirect: Father asked me if I had any problem.

Direct: Mother said to me, “Did you eat anything last night?”

Indirect: My mother asked me if I had eaten anything the previous night.

Direct: I said to him, “Have you had your tea?”

Indirect: I asked him if he had had his tea.

Direct: He said, “Will you listen to such a man?”

Indirect: He wanted to know whether you would listen to such a man.

Direct: Ratan said to me, “Did you need money?”

Indirect: Ratan asked me if I had needed money.

Wh-word Interrogative Sentence from Direct to Indirect Speech

Direct: She said, “Who broke the glass?”

Indirect: She wanted to know who had broken the glass.

Direct: He said, “Whom have they made leader of the party?”

Indirect: He wanted to know whom they had made leader of the party.

Direct: The boy said to the man, “Whose mobile phone are you using now?”

Indirect: The boy asked the man whose mobile phone he was using then.

Direct: Ramen said to me, “Why do you look so sad and gloomy today?”

Indirect: Ramen asked me why I looked so sad and gloomy that day.

Direct: I said to the porter, “When does the next train come?”

Indirect: I asked the porter when the next train went.

Direct: Gita said to her mother, “Where have you kept my umbrella?”

Indirect: Gita asked her mother where she had kept her umbrella.

Direct: He said, “How can I do such a thing?”

Indirect: He wanted to know how I could do such a thing.

Direct: I asked the little boy, “What is your name?”

Indirect: I asked the little boy what his name was.

Direct: The man said, “Which bridge did you cross?”

Indirect: The man wanted to know which bridge you had crossed.

Direct: The teacher said to the boy, “Why were you absent yesterday?”

Indirect: The teacher asked the boy why he had been absent the previous day.

Direct: I said to her, “How are you?”

Indirect: I asked her how she was.

Direct: The police said to the thief, “How did you get inside the room?”

Indirect: The police asked the thief how he had gotten inside the room.

100+ Exercise Direct to Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentence

• He said to me, “Will you borrow the phone?”
• I said to the man, “Can you build a house?”
• Brother said to us, “Should they miss the train?”
• The man said to the guard, “Are the boys playing football in the field?”
• The teacher said to us, “Have you seen tiger in the zoo?”
• You said to his sister, “Was Bikash running in the morning?”
• Rajib said to them, “Had Moumita been singing for two hours?”
• My friend said to me, “Will you help me?”
• Father said to me, “Did he go to the market?”
• I said to Rita, “Did you phone me?”
• The teachers said, “Did you buy the books?”
• Rahim said, “Did they come here yesterday?”
• He said to you, “Did Gopal eat rice last Sunday?”
• You said to me, “Do you take tea daily?”
• I said the man, “Do you teach English?”
• He said to me, “Does your sister read English newspaper daily?”
• Uncle said to me, “Does Rajesh study?”
• I said the man, “Do the trees give us fruits?”
• I say to you, “Have you a pen?”
• I said to Khakan, “Are you busy now?”
• I say to mother, “Have you cooked rice?”
• He says to me, “Are you well?”
• Sumon says to you, “Are you sad?”
• He said to me, “Do you love me?”
• Mitali said to Kabita, “Are you a mad?”
• They said to me, “Do you know english?”
• She said, “Must you be rude?”
• He asked me, “Must I go so soon?”
• He said, “Were you OK?”
• He asked her, “Can you dance on the stage?”
• The teacher said to me, “Had you read the book?”
• He said, “Is honey not sweet?”
• The boy said to me, “Will you tell me a story?”
• The lady said to me, “Have you heard the sound?”
• The passerby said to me, “Can you tell me the man’s address?”
• I said the boy, “Could you cross the river?”
• The man said to the girl, “Were you asking the question repeatedly?”
• The students said to the teacher, “Should she apply for a new job?”
• The coach said, “Would you practice cricket?”
• I said to my friend, “Do you take coffee?”
• I said to your brother, “Can Madan break the door?”
• Mother said to me, “Should you go there?”
• The teacher said to the parents, “Would they go to school along this way?”
• The driver said to us, “Must you take tea here? “
• My father said to me, “Did you taken bath yesterday?”
• I said to you, “Will you meet with me?”
• The man said to her, “Was the baby leaping on the bed?”
• Your elder brother said to me, “Are you sleeping now?”
• I said to you, “Do you know the teacher?”
• He said to Sumona, “Have you caught fish in the river?”
• She said to me, “What are you doing in the room?”
• She said to me, “When will you come back?”
• The man asked the doctor, “When will I take medicine?”
• She said the boy, “Which picture do you like best?”
• I said to him, “How many times do you practice spoken English at home?”
• The man said to her, “When do you get up?”
• Nabin said to her, “What do you want?”
• The student said to the teacher, “What does this word mean?”
• The teacher said to the students, “Why are you shouting in the class?”
• My friends said to me, “Where are you going next week?”
• He said to me, “When will our exam start?”
• The doctor said to the nurse, “How is the patient today?”
• The traveler said, “How far is Kolkata from here?”
• He said to me, “What are you doing?”
• I said to him, “What do you do?”
• The man said to me, “Where do I live?”
• The passerby said to me, “What is the time by your watch?”
• Dipa said to Madhabi, “Where are you going now?”
• The passenger said, “When will the train start?”
• I said to the man, “Why did you beat the boy?”
• The boy said to the girl, “Whom do you love?”
• I said to him, “Whom is he calling?”
• He said to me, “Whom can they help?”
• They said to you, “Whom have the police arrested?”
• My friend said to me, “Whom are you teaching English?”
• The man said to us, “Whom have they seen there?”
• Priya said to Sonali, “Whom did you offer a cup of tea?”
• I said to her, “Whom should he borrow money?”
• The man said to me, “Whom did you tell the event?”
• He said to us, “Whom had India defected?”
• Your friend said to me, “To whom do they learn English?”
• Your father said to you, “With whom is she going to kolkata?”
• You said to me, “Who are you?”
• I said to him, “Who were there?”
• I said to my sister, “Who are going with you?”
• She said to you, “How is your mother?”
• The boy said to the man, “How does the girl look?”
• The man said to me, “How far is your house from here?”
• The passerby said to him, “How far is airport?”
• The teacher said to Ratan, “How can Tamal pass the exam?”
• I said to the girl, “Where have they lost the key?”
• The teacher said to the students, “Where has the boy lost his pen?”
• My mother said, “Where are you searching the phone?”
• We said to his father, “Where will Gopal start a new business?”
• They said, “Where should they donate money?”
• I said the man, “When did you sell the house?”
• She said, “When will you lodge an F.I.R?”
• Mohan said, “When could he return the money?”
• The man said to the boy, “What are you looking for?”
• I said to him, “What is he watching?”

The answer to the Above Exercises

Direct and Indirect Speech Interrogative Sentences

• He asked me if I would borrow the phone.
• I asked the man if he could build a house.
• Brother asked us if they should miss the train.
• The man said the guard whether the boys were playing football in the field.
• The teacher asked us if we had seen tiger in the zoo.
• You asked his sister if Bikash had been running in the morning.
• Rajib asked them if Moumita had been singing for two hours.
• My friend asked me if I would help him.
• Father asked me if he would go to the market.
• I asked Rita if She had phoned me.
• The teachers wanted to know if you had bought the books.
• Rahim asked if they had gone there the previous day.
• He asked you if Gopal had eaten rice the previous Sunday.
• You asked me if I took tea daily.
• I asked the man he taught English.
• He asked me if my sister read English newspaper daily.
• Uncle asked me if Rajesh studied.
• I asked the man if the trees gave them fruits.
• I asked you if you had a pen.
• I asked Khakan if he was busy then.
• I asked mother if she had cooked rice.
• He asks me if I am well.
• Summon asks you if you are sad.
• He asked me if I loved him.
• Mitali asked Kabita if she was a mad.
• They asked me if I knew English.
• She asked you have to be rude.
• He asked me if he have to go so soon.
• He wanted to know if you had been OK.
• He asked her if she could dance on the stage.
• The teacher asked me if I had read the book.
• He wanted to know whether honey was not sweet.
• The boy asked me if I would tell him a story.
• The lady asked me if I had heard the sound.
• The passerby asked me whether I could tell him the man’s address.
• I asked the boy if he could cross the river.
• The man asked the girl if she had been asking the question repeatedly.
• The students asked the teacher if she should apply for a new job.
• The coach asked if you would practice cricket.
• I asked my friend if he took coffee.
• I asked my brother if Madan could break the door.
• Mother asked me if I should go there.
• The teacher asked the parents if they would come to school along that way.
• The driver asked us we have to take tea there.
• My father asked me if I had taken bath the previous day.
• I asked you if you would meet with me.
• The man asked her if the baby had been leaping on the bed.
• Your elder brother asked me if I had been sleeping then.
• I asked you if you knew the teacher.
• He asked sumona if she had caught fish in the river.
• She asked me what I was doing in the room.
• She asked me when he would come back.
• The man asked the doctor when he would take medicine.
• She asked the boy which picture he liked best.
• I asked him how many times he practiced spoken English at home.
• The man asked her when she got up.
• Nabin asked her what she wanted.
• The student asked the teacher what that word meant.
• The teacher asked the students why they were shouting in the class.
• My friends asked me where I was going the following week.
• He asked me when their exam would start.
• The doctor asked the nurse how the patient was that day.
• The traveler wanted to know how far Kolkata was from there.
• He asked me what I was doing.
• I asked him what he did.
• The man asked me where he lived.
• The passerby asked me what the time was by my watch.
• Dipa asked Madhabi where she was going then.
• The passenger wanted to know when the train would start.
• I asked the man why he had beaten the boy.
• The boy asked the girl whom she loved.
• I asked him whom he was calling.
• He asked me whom they could help.
• They asked you whom the police had arrested.
• My friend asked me whom I was teaching English.
• The man asked us whom they had seen there.
• Priya asked Sonali whom she had offered a cup of tea.
• I asked her whom he should borrow money.
• The man asked me whom I had told the event.
• He asked us whom India had defected.
• Your friend asked me to whom they learnt English.
• Your father asked you with whom she was going to Kolkata.
• You asked me who I was.
• I asked him who there had been.
• I asked my sister who had been going with her.
• She asked you how your mother was.
• The boy asked you how the girl looked.
• The man asked me how far my house was from there.
• The passerby asked him how far was airport.
• The teacher asked Ratan how Tamal could passed the exam.
• I asked the girl where we had lost the key.
• The teacher asked the students where the boy had lost his pen.
• My mother wanted to know where you were searching the phone.
• We asked his father where Gopal would start a new business.
• They wanted to know where they should donate money.
• I asked the man when he had sold the house.
• She wanted to know when you would lodge an F.I.R.
• Mohan wanted to know when he could return the money.
• The man asked the boy what he was looking for.
• I asked him what he was watching.
• Narration Change (A to Z)
• Assertive Sentences Narration Change
• Degree Change
• Transformation of sentences (Simple/Complex and Compound)
• Joining of sentences
• Voice Change (A to Z)
• Transformation of sentences (Affirmative to Negative)
• Voice Change of Affirmative Sentences
• Imperative Sentences Narration Change
• Optative Sentences Narration Change
• Exclamatory Sentences Direct and Indirect Speech

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Direct and Indirect Speech

Ai generator.

Direct and Indirect Speech: Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, using quotation marks, while indirect speech paraphrases the spoken words without quotes, often changing tenses and pronouns. Both forms are essential for effective communication, emphasizing clarity and context in reporting speech.

What is Direct Speech?

Direct speech refers to the exact words spoken by someone, presented within quotation marks and often accompanied by a speech tag that attributes the statement to the speaker. This method of reporting speech is used to convey the original words and the tone in which they were spoken, preserving the personal touch and specific expressions of the speaker.

For example , if John says, “I am going to the store,” the direct speech presentation would be:

John said, “I am going to the store.”

What is Indirect Speech?

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a method of conveying what someone said without quoting their exact words. Instead of using direct quotations, indirect speech summarizes or paraphrases the original statement. It often involves changes in verbs tenses, pronouns, and other elements to fit the grammatical context of the reporting sentence.

For example , consider the direct speech statement:

Tom said, “I am going to the gym now.” When converted into indirect speech, it becomes:

Tom said that he was going to the gym then.

Indirect speech does not use quotation marks and typically introduces the reported clause with conjunctions like “that,” although “that” can be omitted in informal contexts.

Rules of Direct and Indirect Speech

Rules for converting direct into indirect speech.

• Example : Direct: He said, “I am tired.”
• Indirect: He said that he was tired.
• Example : Direct: She says, “I am reading a book.”
• Indirect: She says that she is reading a book. (Note: When reporting in the present tense, as with ‘says’, the tense may not always change.)
• Example : Direct: “I will go there tomorrow,” John said.
• Indirect: John said that he would go there the next day.
• Example : Direct: She said, “I can solve the problem.”
• Indirect: She said that she could solve the problem.
• Example : Direct: He asked, “Are you coming?”
• Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
• Example : Direct: He said, “Close the door.”
• Indirect: He asked me to close the door.
• Example : Direct: She said, “What a beautiful day!”
• Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.

Rules for converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

• Example : Indirect: He said that he was tired.
• Direct: He said, “I am tired.”
• Example : Indirect: She says that she is reading a book.
• Direct: She says, “I am reading a book.” (Note: Sometimes the tense doesn’t need to change if the reporting verb is in the present tense.)
• Example : Indirect: John said that he would go there the next day.
• Direct: John said, “I will go there tomorrow.”
• Example : Indirect: She said that she could solve the problem.
• Direct: She said, “I can solve the problem.”
• Example : Indirect: He asked if I was coming.
• Direct: He asked, “Are you coming?”
• Example : Indirect: He asked me to close the door.
• Direct: He said, “Close the door.”
• Example : Indirect: She exclaimed that it was a beautiful day.
• Direct: She said, “What a beautiful day!”

Difference Between Direct and Indirect Speech

This table should help you clearly see how the format, verbs, pronouns, and other elements differ between direct and indirect speech.

Direct and Indirect Speech Examples

1. Direct : “I love reading books,” Jane said. Indirect : Jane said that she loved reading books. 2. Direct : “We will go to the park,” they announced. Indirect : They announced that they would go to the park. 3. Direct : “I have finished my homework,” he told his mother. Indirect: He told his mother that he had finished his homework. 4. Direct : “Can you help me with this?” she asked. Indirect: She asked if I could help her with that. 5. Direct : “I am feeling sick today,” he whispered. Indirect: He whispered that he was feeling sick that day. 6. Direct : “I won’t be able to attend the meeting,” Laura said. Indirect: Laura said that she would not be able to attend the meeting. 7. Direct : “Please open the window,” she requested. Indirect: She requested him to open the window. 8. Direct : “Do not touch my phone,” he warned. Indirect: He warned not to touch his phone. 9. Direct : “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she promised. Indirect: She promised that she would call me the next day. 10. Direct : “What time does the concert start?” he asked. Indirect: He asked what time the concert started.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises with Answers

Direct to indirect speech exercises.

Convert the following sentences from direct to indirect speech:

Exercise 1 : “I am learning to play the piano,” she said. Answer 1 : How did she say she was learning to play the piano?

Exercise 2 : “Will you be attending the meeting?” he asked me. Answer 2 : How did he ask if I would be attending the meeting?

Exercise 3 : “I have seen that movie three times,” Alex told her. Answer 3 : How did Alex tell her that he had seen that movie three times?

Exercise 4 : “You should try the new Italian restaurant,” he recommended. Answer 4 : How did he recommend trying the new Italian restaurant?

Exercise 5 : “Please pass the salt,” she requested. Answer 5 : How did she request to pass the salt?

Exercise 6 : “I cannot come to your party,” Jane apologized. Answer 6 : How did Jane apologize that she could not come to the party?

Exercise 7 “Let’s meet at the mall,” they suggested. Answer 7 : How did they suggest meeting at the mall?

Exercise 8 : “Do you know where the station is?” he inquired. Answer 8 : How did he inquire if I knew where the station was?

Exercise 9 : “I must finish this book tonight,” she declared. Answer 9 : How did she declare that she must finish the book that night?

Exercise 10 : “I didn’t take your notebook,” he denied. Answer 10 : How did he deny taking my notebook?

Indirect to Direct Speech Exercises

Convert the following sentences from indirect to direct speech:

Exercise 11 : She said that she was learning to play the piano. Answer 11 : What did she say about learning to play the piano in direct speech?

Exercise 12 : He asked if I would be attending the meeting. Answer 12 : How did he ask about my attendance at the meeting in direct speech?

Exercise 13 : Alex told her that he had seen that movie three times. Answer 13 : What did Alex tell her about how many times he had seen the movie in direct speech?

Exercise 14 : He recommended trying the new Italian restaurant. Answer 14 : What did he say about trying the new Italian restaurant in direct speech?

Exercise 15 : She requested to pass the salt. Answer 15 : What did she request about the salt in direct speech?

Exercise 16 : Jane apologized that she could not come to the party. Answer 16 : What did Jane say when she apologized for not coming to the party in direct speech?

Exercise 17 : They suggested meeting at the mall. Answer 17 : What did they suggest about meeting in direct speech?

Exercise 18 : He inquired if I knew where the station was. Answer 18 : How did he inquire about the location of the station in direct speech?

Exercise 19 : She declared that she must finish the book that night. Answer 19 : What did she declare about finishing the book in direct speech?

Exercise 20 : He denied taking my notebook. Answer 20 : What did he say when he denied taking the notebook in direct speech?

FAQ’s

How do tenses change in indirect speech.

Tenses in indirect speech usually shift back (e.g., present to past) to reflect that the speaking occurred in the past.

Do pronouns always change in indirect speech?

Pronouns change in indirect speech to match the perspective of the speaker reporting the speech, ensuring clarity and coherence.

How do you convert a question from direct to indirect speech?

Questions in direct speech are converted by introducing a clause with ‘if’ or ‘whether’, and rearranging the syntax to statement form.

What happens to modal verbs in indirect speech?

Modal verbs often change in indirect speech, with ‘will’ becoming ‘would’ and ‘can’ changing to ‘could’, for example.

Can the verb tense remain the same in indirect speech?

Yes, if the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense within the reported clause might not change.

What are the typical introductory verbs used in indirect speech?

Common verbs include ‘said’, ‘told’, ‘asked’, ‘replied’, ‘exclaimed’, and ‘advised’, depending on the nature of the speech.

How do you handle imperatives in indirect speech?

Imperatives are converted into infinitive structures, such as changing “Close the door” to “He asked her to close the door.”

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on His Investing in America Agenda | Racine,   WI

Gateway Technical College Racine, Wisconsin

11:57 A.M. CDT THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hello, Wisconsin!  (Applause.)  And, Nick, thank you for that introduction. Look, before — before I get started, I want to set the record straight.

Please, sit down.

I went to a Catholic High School in Delaware taught by the Norbertine priest from St. Norbert’s College, you know, a little t- — a little team called “Green Bay.”  (Applause.)

Now, here’s the deal.  We were the only high school in Delaware that overwhelmingly rooted for Green Bay e- — (laughter) — not a joke; I’ll tell you why — every single Sunday.  Not only did they have great teams at the time — they still do — but not only that, my theology professor at the Catholic school I went to was a guy named Reilley, last name.  And he had been drafted by the Green Bay Packers.  And he decided to become a priest before that, so he didn’t go.  But every single, solitary Monday that Green Bay won, we got the last period of the day off.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now, we Catholics call that indirect bribery.  (Laughter.)  But it worked.  (Laughter.)

It’s always great to be with one of the best governors in America, Tony Evers.  Tony — (applause) — I think of Tony — I mean it — I think of one word: integrity.  You’re a man of absolute integrity.  (Applause.) 

And what I’m really doing — I’m really auditioning for a job — (laughter) — with a — a little company that’s going to build something out here.  (Laughter.)

Thank you for the comments you made about what we’re doing together.

Well, look, while she couldn’t be here, I want to thank the best — one of the best U.S. senators in the United States of America and a good friend of mine, Tammy Baldwin.  (Applause.)  I mean it. You also got a great mayor in Racine, Cory Mason.  (Applause.) Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, thank you for your partnership and for showing how we get things done — and big things done — in America.  And thank you for your friendship.  (Applause.)  I really mean it. And Liz Schuler, the president of AFL-CIO, thank you for all you do benefitting the American union movement.  There’s a — you know, I get called the most pro-union president in American history.  I make no apologies for it.  (Applause.)  None.  I’m serious.

The middle class built America, but unions built the middle class.  (Applause.)  I’ve been saying that for a long time. Folks, I’m here to talk about a great comeback story in America. And I’m sure you remember.  Racine was once a manufacturing boomtown, all the way through the 1960s, powering companies — invented and manufacturing Windex, pro- — portable vacuum cleaners, and so much more, and powered by middle-class jobs. And then came trickle-down economics — cut taxes for the very wealthy and biggest corporations beginning in the ‘60s.  We shipped American jobs overseas because labor was cheaper.  We slashed public investment in education and innovation.  And the result: We hollowed out the middle class. My predecessor and his administration doubled down on that failed trickle-down economics, along with the trial of broken promises.  Look, my dad used to have an expression.  He’d say, “Joey, a job” — I mean this sincerely.  “A j-” — my dad was a well-read man.  Never got to go to college, but he was a good man all across the board.  And he’d say, “Joey, remember, a job is a lot more than a — about more than a paycheck.  It’s about your integrity.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about being treated with respect.  It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, everything is going to be okay.’”  (Applause.) In fact, six years ago, when my predecessor came to Racine with a promise of, quote, “reclaiming our country’s proud manufacturing legacy.”  Well, we had “Infrastructure Day” every — ev- — “Week” every week for four years, didn’t build a damn thing.  (Laughter.) He and his administration promised a $10 billion investment by Foxconn to build a new manufacturing complex and create 13,000 new jobs. In fact, he came here with your senator, Ron Johnson, literally holding a golden shovel, promising to build the “eighth wonder of the world.” Are you kidding me?  (Laughter.)  Look what happened.  They dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it.  (Laughter and applause.)  Look, they didn’t shovel other dirt — they did shovel some dirt.  One hundred homes were bol- — were bulldozed.  They wasted hundreds of millions of dollars — your state and local tax dollars — to promise a project that never happened. Foxconn turned out to be just that: a con.  Go figure. In just four years under his administration, instead of creating 13,000 jobs in Racine, my predecessor — and a hundred — and 1,000 manufacturing jobs — rather than creating them, 1,000 manufacturing jobs left Racine.  Eighty-five thousand five — eighty-three thousand five hundred total jobs left Wisconsin during my predecessor’s term. But that’s not on my watch.  We’re determined to turn it around. Thus far, since we’ve come into office, we’ve created — and with the governor’s overwhelming leadership, we’ve created over 178,000 jobs in Wisconsin and we’re going to create more here in Racine and big time.  (Applause.) Some of my friends on the far right have criticized my Investing in America agenda, my — which includes my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.  But a lot of business leaders support it as a key to economic growth that we’re seeing now. Remember hear — you’re going to hear “a recession next week,” “a recession next week,” “no soft landing.”  Well, in fact, I’ve asked business leaders like Brad a simple question: When the United States decides to invest considerable resources in a new industry that we need to build, does that encourage or discourage them engaging?  The answer overwhelmingly is it encourages business investment.  And that’s what we’re seeing now with our administration. My Investing in America agenda is fueling a historic boom in rebuilding our roads and bridges, developing and deploying clean energy, revitalizing American manufacturing, and so much more. So far, we’ve created $866 billion in private-sector investment nationwide — almost a trillion dollars — historic amounts in such a short time.  And that’s literally creating hundreds of thousands of jobs; building new semiconductor factories, electric vehicles and battery factories; and so much more here — all here in America. Today is another example of the private sector optimism.  Microsoft, as the president already pointed out, is investing $3.3 billion to build a new data center here in Racine that’s going to help operate one of the most powerful artificial intelligence systems in the world.  And I’ve gone around the world — literally, not figuratively — meeting with the leading architects of AI. It’s going to result in 2,300 union construction jobs just to build the new facility — (applause) — and 2,000 permanent workers to work in the data centers.  In addition, we’re also providing a pipeline to train these — for new — these new jobs — a pipeline that starts right here at this very spot. Microsoft is partnering with Gateway Technical Community College right here to train and certify 200 students a year to fill high-demand, good-paying jobs in data and IT at Microsoft’s new AI data center here in Racine. But that’s not all.  In addition, Microsoft is continuing a pipeline, going to high schools in nearby Mount Pleasant to train high school students for jobs of the future.  As the boss pointed out, it’s going to create 100,000 jobs over time.  It’s all part of Microsoft’s broad plan to build an artificial intelligence ecosystem right here in Racine. And it’s going to be transformative not he- — just here but worldwide.  It’s not only a significant investment in infrastructure of Racine but for the people of Racine. It means folks are getting trained — folks are getting trained in new high-paying, high-skilled jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree and don’t require you to leave home. You know, where I come from, that really matters. I know what it’s like when your parents have to move the family in search of work because there’s no jobs, what it does to the family’s dignity. My wife, Jill, who teaches full time at a community college, cares a lot about this as well.  Last year, she announced our first five Workforce Hub sites to build a pipeline of workers in industries that create the new hometowns — that are creating new — there are new — hometowns in Phoenix; Baltimore; Columbus, Ohio; Augusta, Georgia, building everything from semiconductors to electric vehicles. Last month, I announced four new hubs to continue to train workers for the jobs of the future — one of which is in Milwaukee that trains workers to help replace every poisonous lead pipe in America in a decade and funded by the Infrastructure Law.  (Applause.) And, by the way, “Buy America” has been the law of the land since the ‘30s, but it’s been ignored by most administrations.    Past administrations, including my predecessor, have failed to buy American. Not anymore.  Here’s how it works.  When the pre- — when the Congress sends something to the president to build something — whether it’s a road, a highway, a deck of an aircraft carrier; whatever it is — that president is — back from a law that was passed in the ‘30s — is supposed to hire American workers to build it and use American products.  Well, on my watch and with Tammy’s leadership, federal projects like the Blatnik Bridge here in Wisconsin — it’s going to cost $1 billion, but it’s all — all American made, all American products, and all American workers.  And it’s creat- — going to create 10,000 new jobs — 10,000.  (Applause.)  In addition, the roads and highways and so much more will be made with American products, built by American workers, creating good-paying American jobs. What’s happening in Racine is really important for another reason. We’ll see more technical community colleges — technical changes needed in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50.  AI is already driving that change in every part of American life, from how we teach and learn to how we solve the biggest challenges, from curing cancer to climate change. America is a global leader in AI, and American companies lead the world in A- — AI innovation and a lot of what we’re going to see here in Racine. Because of our initiatives, American workers will power that innovation here in America. But, look, to get the full benefit of all this safeguards [AI], we need safeguards.  That’s why, as the president pointed out, I signed the landmark executive order on which the most significant action any government has taken anywhere in the world — has ever taken for AI safety, security, and trust.  This order helps make sure workers have a seat at the table in determining how these technologies are developed and used.  (Applause.)  For real. And we’ll support workers in every industry by defending their right to a fair wage, to organize as these technologies emerge across the board.  And they’re going to happen.  (Applause.) Folks, during the previous administration, my predecessor made promises which he broke more than kept and left a lot people behind in communities like Racine. On my watch, we make promises and we keep promises.  (Applause.)  And we leave no one behind. Since I took office, we’ve added nearly 4,000 jobs in Racine.  As I said earlier, we’ve added 178,000 in the state of Wisconsin.  The unemployment rate has hit a record low in Racine.  Racine has seen some of the strongest new business growth in all of Wisconsin.  And it’s only just beginning. We’re seeing the great American comeback story all across Wisconsin and, quite frankly, the entire country. The bottom line is we’re doing what’s always worked in this country: Giving people a fair shot, leaving nobody behind, and grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  When that happens, everybody does well.  Everybody does well.  (Applause.) Let me close with this.  When folks see a new factory being built here in Wisconsin, people going to work making a really good wage in their hometowns, I hope they feel the pride that I feel.  Pride in their hometowns making a comeback.  Pride in knowing we can get big things done in America still. Folks, I’ve never been more optimistic — and I’ve only been around a couple years, I know.  (Laughter.)  I know I don’t look it, but I’m only 40 plus 2 times — well, anyway.  (Laughter.)  But I’ve never been more op- — I swear to God, I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.  We just have to remember who in the hell we are.  We’re the United States of America.  And there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.  Nothing.  I mean that: nothing.  (Applause.) The rest of the world looks to us.  So, keep it going.  God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.) AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t jump! 12:12 P.M. CDT

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