REPORTING

QUESTIONS-

LAS PREGUNTAS

EN ESTILO

INDIRECTO

PREGUNTAS DEL TIPO YES/ NO

Estudia lo que ocurre en los siguientes ejemplos:
"Did you speak to Iohn last night?" sh0ked.
She asked ifJ whether 1 had spoken to [ohn the night before.
"Are you working these days?" he enquired.
He enquired if I whether 1was working those days.
1 La pregunta se ha convertido en una frase y por tanto ya no ha inversin del
sujeto y el verbo.
2 Han desaparecido las comillas y el signo de interrogacin.
3 Detrs del reporting verb hemos puesto if o whether (pueden usarse
indistintamente).
4 Tambin el tiempo verbal ha cambiado (recuerda que da un salto atrs)
cuando el verbo introductorio va en pasado.
REPORTING QUESTlONS-

S Hemos cambiado los pronombres adecundolos a la situacin.

LAS PREGUNTAS EN ESTILO INDIRECTO

6 La expresin temporal tambin ha sufrido una modificacin.

PREGUNTAS CON PARTCULA INTERROGATIVA (WH-QUESTlONS)

REPORTING REQUESTS AND SUGGESTIONS PETICIONES

Y SUGERENCIAS

EN ESTILO INDIRECTO

Al poner en estilo indirecto este tipo de preguntas mantenemos la partcula

interrogativa (what, who, where, when, why, etc.) en lugar de poner if o
whether.
"Who did you speak to last night!" she asked.
She asked who 1had spoken to the night before.
"Where are you working these days?" he asked.
He wondered where she was working those days.
Todos los dems cambios son idnticos a las preguntas del tipo Yes / No, pero si
la partcula interrogativa es el sujeto de la pregunta, el orden de las palabras de
la oracin se mantiene igual.
"Who told you this story!" he asked.
He asked who had told us that story.
Los verbos ms frecuentes para introducir el estilo indirecto en preguntas son:
ask

enquire

wonder

want to know

EXERCISE

EXERCISE

Choose the correct answer.

Choose the correct answer.

1.

He asked them how (they had spent, had they spent) their money.

2.

I wanted to know whether (she was coming, was she coming) on the trip.

3.

She asked me why (1flew, did I fly) to Creece every year.

4. Jill asked me (when was her test, when her test was).
5.

He asked me if (1knew, did I know) French.

6.

We asked him when (would the film start, the film would start).

7.

The doctor asked her how long (she had been, had she been) ill.

8. They asked us which team (we liked, we did like).

9.

1. The stranger asked us where the car park

She asked me if (did I want, I wanted) anything to eat.

was

a. is

10. My father asked me what (had I decided, I had decided) to do.

2. My teacher asked me
EXERCISE
~

Write the following

sentences in reported

a. to close

3. Daniel

speech. Start with the words given.

a. told

1. "00 you understand me?"

The teacher asked us If....................................................................................
I whether we understood him I her.
2.

a. must

a. are leaving

"00 we have to answer all the questions?"

The pupils asked

4.

a. could hear

6.

a. hide
8. They asked if we

.....................................................................................

a. will want

"How are you going to pay?"

The cashier asked me

7.

"Who is your favourite actor?"

She asked me

250

9.

He
a. said

"When will my car be ready?"

Mr Creen wanted to know

8.

c. asked

b. said

go home .

b. had to

c. has to
the building.

b. leave

c. to leave
another story.

b. can hear

c. will hear
her jewellery.

b. is hiding

c. had hidden

to see the film with them.

b. wanted

c. want

me not to move.
b. wondered

10. They enquired whether the girls had

a. left

c. will I close

if he could leave the room.

7. I asked my friend where she

"Have you been ill?"

My friend wondered

b. close

6. The children wondered if they

"15 he sleeping?"
Mother asked .................................................................................................

5.

the door quietly.

5. The men instructed the boys

He wants to know ..........................................................................................

3.

c. will be

4. Sarah wanted to know if her friend

"Will it rain tomorrow?"

b. leaving

c. ordered
school early that day.
c. leave

...............................................................................................

251

EXERCISE

"How far is the station from our hotel?" the girl wanted to know.

6.

....................................................................................................................

Write the following Ves / No questions in reported speech.

1.

7.

"Are you going to the club now?" he wanted to know.

.J:-!~.~~~~~~ .~?.~~C?~.tU~.0~~0.~.r..~
.':I:'?~.8.?!0B..~?.t.!:.":. ~J.l!!?~!:~0:
2.

"Haven't you ever worked on a laptop before?" she wanted to know.

3.

"Have you ever visited the Tate Gallery in London?" she wanted to know.

.
8.

6.

"Can we see him this evening or tomorrow morning?" the woman wondered.

1. The teacher

if the class had finished their homework.

@enquired

b. remarked

2. The policeman

b. enquired

3. The chairman

b. would like to know

4. The judge

5. She

him that he would burn himself if he touched the heater.

6. The passenger

Write the following Wh-questions

1.

3.

c. explained

if the flight would leave on time.

b. pointed out

EXERCISE

"Whose pencil is this?" the teacher enquired.

c. insisted

"Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?" he asked.

..

'

"Who was singing just now?" my mother asked.

Complete the sentences below using your own words and ideas .
1. Last lesson the teacher asked me if

"Where are Niagara Falls?" the child asked.

................................................................................................................

4.

a. wanted to know

b. warned

in reported speech.

.~~~.~~.~~0.~:.
~~9.I!J!.~~.
':"!.0.?~~.
p.~':.~!!.~~~.~.':I:'~~:
2.

c. told

b . d ec Iare d

a. said

EXERCISE

c. declared

the accused to stand up.

a. said
"Did anyone try to save her life?" the poi ice officer asked.

c. wondered

that workers would be fired.

a. told
7. "00 you read the newspaper every day?" he asked.

c. begged

me where I was going.

a. asked

8.

Choose the corred answer .

...................................................................................................................

"Was Don Quixote de la Mancha written by Cervantes?" he wondered.

"What have you made for dinner?" she asked him.

EXERCISE

"Will the workers be at work next Saturday?" the manager asked.

5.

.:

..................................................................................................................

4.

"Where will [ane be next Thursday at six o'clock?" Carol asked.

J.hnd.O'O'f).f:.my.h.Qmf'.wQrL

2. My parents wondered why my friend

3. My mum wanted to know whether teenagers

4. A policeman once asked my friend if.

S. The interviewer asked the president when

...
5.

"When did the committee decide to fire the workers?" he wondered.

253
25

EXERCISE
REPORTING

REQUESTS

ANO

PETICIONES

Y SUGERENCIAS

SUGGESTlONSEN

ESTILO

INDIRECTO

Write the following sentences in reported speech.

PETICIONES

Para expresar/as en estilo indirecto:

1 Ponemos los verbos esk, demand, beg, request, etc., delante de la persona a

quien pedimos algo, y la peticin en infinitivo con to.

2 Sieperece la palabra please, esta se omite.
"John, don't open the window, pIease," 1 said.
1 asked I requested I begged Iohn not to open the window.

1.

3 Si en la peticin aparece el verbo let, lo ponemos en infinitivo con to y

omitimos el modal que le precede.
"Can you Iet me use your phone, please?" 1 asked my neighbour.
1 asked my neighbour to Iet me use her phone.
4 Si no aparece let, mantenemos

el modal.
1 asked my neighbour if 1 couId use her phone.

"Why don't we playa game of tennis?" Sheila said.

Sheila suggested playing / that we (should) playa game of tennis.

.....................................................................................................................
2.

"Could you please phone the bank?" Dan asked Lynn.

3.

"Let's order hamburgers

4.

"Would you like to stay for supper?" we asked our son's girlfriend.

5.

"Please, let's not quarrel any more," she begged.

6.

"Let's go over to lohn's house," Mike suggested.

7.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions,"

8.

"Dad, don't forget to send the e-mail, please,"

9.

"Type the letter soon, please," the manager said to me.

instead of Indian food," Martin said.

SUGERENCIAS

Suelen expresarse de varias maneras:

1 let's ...
"Let's go to the theatre!" she said.
2 Why don't we ...
"Why don't we go to the theatre?" she said.
3 Shall we ...
"Shall we go to the theatre?" she said.
4 Why not ...

Denise suggested.

"Why not go to the theatre?" she said.

Para pasar una sugerencia a estilo indirecto, la introduciremos con el verbo
suggest, que puede ir seguido de:

Icdi said.

1 un gerundio (muy frecuente).

She suggested going to the theatre.
2 una oracin subordinada introducida por that (no es tan frecuente).
She suggested that we (should) go to the theatre.

10.

"Will you let me take the car tonight?" lean asked her father.

"Let's not argue again," he said.

He suggested not arguing again.
He suggested that they (shouId) not argue again.

255

---,----~--------------~------------~----------EXERCISE

I~

Rewrite the following

TRANSLATION

sentences without changing the meaning of

the

original

sentence.

Translate the sentences below into your native language.

1. She asked if we had already bought the books.

1. He suggested that we make some spaghetti sauce then.

"Let's
2.

'!!.~~~
..~?'!!.~.~p.~$.~.~~~!.?~I!~.~.~?':":

2. I wanted to know what time the train had arrived.

," he said.

3. They asked us if we had liked the new film.

He asked us who had stolen his suitcase.

"Who

?" he asked.

4.

3. She asked him where he played tennis.

They wondered

what we were waiting foro

5. He begged me not to smoke in his car.

"Where

?" she asked him.

6. She suggested asking the teacher about the test.

4. The official wanted to know my date of birth. (born)

The official asked, "
5.

8. He requested

He enquired whether I was leaving later that afternoon.

"Are

6.

7. I asked her if she always went to work by bus.

?"

?" he enquired.

Paula wanted to know whether John would arrive on time.

"Will

SPOT

?" Paula wanted to know.

8.

2. My father asked me how did I feel.

Diana apologised for losing the book.

11.

4.

?" Helen asked.

He asked us what time does the train arrive.

6. The tourist wondered

himself where the church was.

!" her mother said.

7. The teacher asked did we finish reading the text.

My father said that we had to paint the whole house by the following day.

8. She asked if it will be hot the next day.

," my father said.

The landlord ordered Mary to move out that day.

"Move

what time was it.

5. She said if I was very busy.

Her mother told her to take that cheque and put it in the bank.

"We
12.

3. We wondered

," said Diana.

Helen asked how much the ring cost.

"Take

)t

," Greta asked [ames.

"
10.

ERROR

1. I said that I need a new book, but nobody listened.

"Please
9.

THE

Can you correct the mistakes?

7. Greta asked [ames not to smoke there.

"Please

me not to arrive late for our appointment.

9. They asked us if we were ready?

," the landlord said to Mary.

10. She wanted to know who to send the flowers.

L-

~257

EXERCISE

3. Barry had an argument with Tom. Barry claimed that he

(return) Tom's money the week before. Tom insisted that he

,~ Choose the correct answer.

(not receive) it.

1. [ane remarked that I

a. am wearing

a very pretty sweater that day.

b. wore

3.

so hard.

b. not working

b. the previous evening

My mum
be offended.

b. agreed

...........................

(wait) for us for almost an

EXERCISE

6.

Danny told us that he

weekend.
a. will be visiting

I went for a job interview yesterday. The manager (1)

questions. He wanted to know where I (2)

c. the train was leaving

me a lot of
worked in my last job. He

I could speak any foreign languages. In addition, he

me a lot of details about the new job. He said I (5)

have to come in at 7 every day, explaining that it (6)

very important for

the job. Then I had a chance to ask my own questions. I wondered what the salary
b. is visiting

c. would be visiting

(7)

the stage.

for this job. When I left, I (8)

quite confident. Later on,

I told my friends about the interview. They said I (9)

c. can't see

b. couldn't see

8. The coach ordered the players

a. to run

(4)

his grandparents in the country that

7. The man behind me in the theatre shouted that he

a. can see

FiIIin the blanks. Use one word only in each space.

b. was the train leaving

(have to) hurry or there

(not be) any tickets left.

c. the following evening

asked (3)
a. is the train leaving

(say) that he

c. suggested

5. They wanted to know what time

(arrive) at the cinema. He

...........................

to invite everyone to the party so that nobody would

a. insisted

Jim was angry when we finally

hour. He told us that we

c. not to work

Her parents pointed out that she had come home very late
a. tonight

4.

4.

c. was wearing

2. The doctor warned my dad

a. to not work

questions and they felt sure that I (10)

asked good

get the job.

faster.
c. run

b. running

EXERCISE

Read what Sue says to her friend JiII and report what she said.
EXERCISE

"1 passed my exams and I'm going out this evening to celebrate. My boyfriend will

FiIIin the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1.

Last night, my neighbour

my father

probably take me for a meal at the new restaurant. I won't be home before

(knock) on the door. She wanted

(move) the car. She said she

258

Linda

(phone) me and

Sue told [ill that (1)

(2)

(not can) get out of her parking space.

2.

midnight. I'm sorry I can't meet you today. Let's meet tomorrow."

(explain) that she

...........................

(not come) to our party the next day because she

...........................

(be) still ili.

and
to celebrate.

She said (3)

at the new restaurant,

and she explained that (4)

before midnight. She apologised to Jill, saying that

(5)

She suggested

(6)

her

(7)