INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:
1. As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns and the time and place information, and set back the tense (back shift).
2. Instead of that (as in a declarative sentence), we use the question word. If there is no question word, we use whether/if instead.
3. Besides this, we also need to use an indirect question in indirect speech. This means that after the question word or after whether/if, we simply write a declarative sentence (subject-verb etc.).
4. The helping verb do from the direct speech construction is removed and the conjunction if is introduced
Type Example
With question word Direct speech “What do you bring home from the market?”
Indirect speech He asked me what I bought home from the market.
Without question word Direct speech “Do you play cricket?”
indirect speech He asked me whether/if I played cricket.