What are reported questions and how are they formed in indirect speech?

Reported questions, also known as indirect questions, are statements that report or relay a question that was originally asked by someone else. They are used to report or convey information about a question that was asked in the past.

To form reported questions in indirect speech, there are a few key changes that need to be made:

1. Change the question word: The question word (such as who, what, where, when, why, how) is usually changed to the corresponding interrogative pronoun or adverb in the reported speech. For example, "Where did you go?" becomes "He asked where I had gone."

2. Change the verb tense: The verb tense in the reported question is usually changed to reflect the past tense. For example, "Are you coming?" becomes "He asked if I was coming."

3. Use the reporting verb: Introduce the reported question with an appropriate reporting verb such as ask, inquire, wonder, or want to know. This helps to indicate that the statement is reporting a question. For example, "What time is it?" becomes "She asked what time it was."

4. Use the appropriate word order: In reported questions, the word order changes from the original question. The subject usually comes before the reporting verb, and the verb comes before the subject. For example, "Did you see him?" becomes "He asked if I had seen him."

It is important to note that when reporting yes/no questions, the word "if" or "whether" is often used to introduce the reported question. For example, "Are you ready?" becomes "She asked if I was ready."

Overall, reported questions in indirect speech involve changing the question word, verb tense, word order, and using an appropriate reporting verb to convey a question that was asked in the past.