How do you report questions in the future in reported speech?

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How do you report questions in the future in reported speech?

When reporting questions in the future tense in reported speech, there are a few key changes that need to be made. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to report questions in the future tense:

1. Identify the tense: Determine whether the original question is in the simple future tense or the future continuous tense. This will help you accurately report the question.

2. Introduce the reporting verb: Begin the reported speech by using an appropriate reporting verb such as "asked," "inquired," or "wondered." This verb should be in the past tense.

3. Change the pronouns and adverbs: Adjust the pronouns and adverbs in the reported speech to match the new context. For example, change "I" to "he/she" and "now" to "then."

4. Use the reporting verb in the future tense: Since the original question is in the future tense, the reporting verb should also be in the future tense. This helps to maintain the correct tense throughout the reported speech.

5. Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from a question form to a statement form. For example, "Will you be attending the party?" becomes "He/she asked if I would be attending the party."

6. Use the appropriate reporting clause: Depending on the situation, you may need to add a reporting clause to provide additional information about who asked the question or the context in which it was asked. This can be done by using phrases such as "He/she asked me," "I wondered," or "They inquired."

7. Punctuate correctly: Ensure that the reported speech is punctuated correctly, using quotation marks for direct speech and no quotation marks for indirect speech.

Here are a few examples to illustrate the process:

Original question: "Will you be coming to the meeting tomorrow?"
Reported speech: He/she asked if I would be coming to the meeting the next day.

Original question: "What time will the concert start?"
Reported speech: They inquired what time the concert would start.

By following these steps, you can accurately report questions in the future tense in reported speech. Remember to pay attention to the tense changes, pronouns, adverbs, word order, and punctuation to ensure the reported speech is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning.