What is the difference between reported statements and reported questions?

The main difference between reported statements and reported questions lies in the way they are reported or conveyed in indirect speech.

Reported statements are sentences that convey information or express a fact. When reporting a statement, we usually use reporting verbs such as "said," "told," or "stated." In indirect speech, the reported statement is usually introduced by a reporting verb followed by the conjunction "that." The verb tense may also change depending on the context and the time of the original statement. For example:

Direct speech: "I am going to the store," she said.
Reported speech: She said that she was going to the store.

In this example, the reported statement is conveyed indirectly by using the reporting verb "said" and the conjunction "that." The verb tense changes from present continuous ("am going") to past continuous ("was going") to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech.

On the other hand, reported questions are sentences that convey a question that was asked by someone. When reporting a question, we also use reporting verbs such as "asked," "inquired," or "wondered." In indirect speech, the reported question is usually introduced by a reporting verb followed by the question word or if/whether. The verb tense may also change depending on the context and the time of the original question. For example:

Direct speech: "Where are you going?" he asked.
Reported speech: He asked where I was going.

In this example, the reported question is conveyed indirectly by using the reporting verb "asked" and the question word "where." The verb tense changes from present continuous ("are you going") to past continuous ("I was going") to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech.

In summary, the difference between reported statements and reported questions lies in the type of sentence being reported and the way it is conveyed in indirect speech. Reported statements convey information or facts, while reported questions convey questions that were asked. The reporting verbs, conjunctions, and verb tense may vary depending on the context and the time of the original statement or question.