Косвенные вопросы. Reported Questions
Косвенная речь (Reported Speech)
Reported speech is when you say somebody else about what you or another person said before. Distinction must be made between direct speech and reported speech.
Direct Speech
She says, “I like tuna fish.”
She said, “I’m visiting Paris next weekend.”
Reported Speech
She says that she likes tuna fish.
She said that she was visiting Paris the following weekend.
Find 13 reporting verbs
Изменения при преобразовании прямой речи в косвенную
When you use reported speech, you either report statements, questions, requests, orders or other types.
When transforming questions, use the same rules as in reported statements. Check whether you have to transform pronouns, demonstratives, tenses, and time or placeexpressions.
Пример:
Pronouns
She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.”
She says that her dad likes roast chicken.
Tenses
He says, “I write English poems.”
He says that he writes English poems.
He said, “I am happy.”
He said that he was happy.
Time expressions
Today – that day
Now – then
Yesterday – the day before
Ago – before
Last week – the week before
Next week – the following week
Tomorrow – the next day/the following day
Place
Here – there
Demonstratives
This – that
These – those
When transforming questions into reported questions, use question words (“when”, “where”, “how”, etc.) or “if”/“whether” depending on the type of the question (“yes/no questions” or “special questions”). Remember to use the normal word order in reported questions. It means that the subject comes before the verb and there is no need to use auxiliary verbs (see fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Normal word order
Общие вопросы (General Questions)
The structure in ‘Yes-No Questions’: ask + if/whether + clause.
Direct speech
He asked, “Do you want to dance?” (Present Simple)
He asked, “Are you going to the shop?” (Present Continuous)
He asked, “Did you watch the latest film?” (Past Simple)
He asked, “Has John arrived?” (Present Perfect)
He asked, “Were you going to the gym?” (Past Continuous)
He asked, “Have you been going to the gym?” (Present Perfect Continuous)
He asked, “Will you go to school?” (Future Simple)
He asked, “Can I help you?” (Modal verb in the Present)
He asked, “Must I do the shopping?” (Modal verb in the Present)
Reported speech
He asked if I wanted to dance. (Past Simple)
He asked if I was going to the shop. (Past Continuous)
He asked if I had watched the latest film. (Past Perfect)
He asked if John had arrived. (Past Perfect)
He asked if I had been going to the gym. (Past Perfect Continuous)
He asked if I had been going to the gym. (Past Perfect Continuous)
He asked if I would go to school. (Future Simple in the Past)
He asked if he could help me. (Modal verb in the Past)
He asked if he had to do the shopping. (Modal verb in the Past)
Listen to the song “Are you lonesome tonight”
Listen, read and pay attention to direct/reported questions.
Are you lonesome tonight,
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world's a stage
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart.
Act one was where we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change, you acted strange
And why? I've never known.
Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
And I had no cause to doubt you.
But I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than to go on living without you.
Now the stage is bare and I'm standing there
With emptiness all around
And if you won't come back to me
Then they can bring the curtain down.
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?
Специальные вопросы (Special Questions)
The structure in ‘Wh-questions’: ask + question word + clause.
Direct speech
He asked, “How are you?” (Present Simple)
He asked, “Where are you going?” (Present Continuous)
He asked, “Whom did you call?” (Past Simple)
He asked, “Where have you been?” (Present Perfect)
He asked, “What were you doing?” (Past Continuous)
He asked, “What have you been doing?” (Present Perfect Continuous)
Reported speech
He asked how I was. (Past Simple)
He asked where I was going. (Past Continuous)
He asked whom I had called. (Past Perfect)
He asked where I had been. (Past Perfect)
He asked what I had been doing. (Past Perfect Continuous)
He asked what I had been doing. (Past Perfect Continuous)
Упражнение
Follow the example and report the questions. Use the words ‘wonder’, ‘want to know’, ‘ask’.
Example: “Do you like R&B?” – They wondered if I liked R&B.
1. “What are you doing here?” – She wondered ________________________________.
2. “Will it rain tomorrow?” – Yesterday he asked me ___________________________.
3. “Why didn’t Nick go to New York last summer?” – Yesterday Nancy wanted to know __________________________________________________.
4. “Must I do my homework this afternoon?” – Yesterday Barbara asked me __________________________________.
5. “Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?” – Yesterday Linda wanted to know ______________________________________________.
6. “When did you come?” – Betty wanted to know ______________________________.
7. “When can we have dinner?” – She asked ________________________________.
8. “Is he busy now?” – He wondered _________________________________________.
9. “How much pocket money does Lisa get?” – Frank wanted to know ______________.
10. “Where does Maria park her car?” – Ronald asked me ________________________.
Ответы к упражнению:
1. …what I was doing there.
2. …if it would rain today.
3. …why Nick hadn’t gone to New York the summer before.
4. …if she had to do her homework that afternoon.
5. …if Max had flown to London two weeks before.
6. …when I had come.
7. …when they could have dinner.
8. …whether/if he was busy then.
9. …how much pocket money Lisa got.
10. …where Maria parked her car.
Construct reported questions
1. Why does he suddenly want to learn judo? – Don’t ask me ______________________.
2. Did she see us? – I don’t know ______________________________________.
3. Have they come back yet? – I haven’t checked ________________________________.
4. How is this supposed to work? – I have no idea __________________________________.
5. Whose children are they? – How am I supposed to know __________________________?
a) why he suddenly wants to learn judo.
b) how this is supposed to work.
c) whose children they are?
d) whether she saw us.
e) whether they have come back yet.
Ответы:
1 a
2 d
3 e
4 b
5 c