We also use reported speech when we are saying what other people asked or wanted to know. We do not use do or question marks in indirect questions.
- “What time is it?” = He asked me what time it was.
- “Why hasn’t he come? = She wondered why he hadn’t come.
- “When will you be arriving?” = He wanted to know when we would be arriving.
- “What were you doing?” = They questioned him about what he had been doing.
We use the same structure when we report answers.
- “147 Oak Street.” = I told him what my address was.
- “I didn’t have time to do it.” = She explained why she hadn’t done it.
- “Look at this dress and bag.” = She showed me what she had bought.
- “Put the paper here and press this button.” = He demonstrated how the scanner worked.
Yes/no questions are reported with if or whether.
- Do you want a ride? = Mike asked me if I wanted a ride.
- Are you coming? = They wanted to know if I was coming.
- Will you be here later? = She asked me whether I would be here later.