How to change polar questions to reported speech

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. We change direct speech (the exact words someone said) into indirect speech (rephrased without quotes).

For example:

• Direct speech: He said, “I am tired.”
• Reported speech: He said that he was tired.

What are Polar Questions?

A polar question is a question where the answer can only be yes or no. It’s also called a yes/no question.

Some examples of polar questions:

• “Do you like coffee?” (Answer: yes or no)
• “Is she coming?” (Answer: yes or no)
• “Can you help me?” (Answer: yes or no)

The easiest way to identify a polar question is to check if the subject-verb is inverted; that is, the verb, usually an auxiliary verb (can, is, do) comes before the subject.

How to Change Polar Questions to Reported Speech

When reporting polar questions, you follow these four basic steps:

1. Change the question into a statement.
2. Use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.
3. Change the tense of the verb.
4. Adjust pronouns and other words as needed.

Steps Explained with Examples

a. Changing the Question into a Statement

When reporting a polar question, we don’t keep the question format. We turn it into a statement instead. For example:

• Direct speech: “Is it raining?”
• Reported speech: He asked if it was raining.

Notice that the reported speech is no longer in question form. It becomes a statement.

b. Using “if” or “whether”

When we report a yes/no question, we use “if” or “whether”. Both are correct, but “if” is more common in casual speech.

Examples:

• Direct speech: “Are you coming to the party?”
• Reported speech: She asked if I was coming to the party.
• Direct speech: “Can he drive?”
• Reported speech: She wondered whether he could drive.

When a question presents an alternative or choice, use “whether” instead of “if” in reported speech.

For example:

• Direct speech: Do you like rice or beans?
• Reported speech: He asked whether I liked rice or beans.

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c. Changing the Verb Tense

When changing from direct to reported speech, the tense of the verb usually moves one step back in time.

Here is a guide:

• Present simple → Past simple
  (“Do you like pizza?” → He asked if I liked pizza.)
• Present continuous → Past continuous
  (“Are they working?” → She asked if they were working.)
• Will → Would
  (“Will you come?” → He asked if I would come.)

d. Adjusting Pronouns and Time Words

We also need to change pronouns (I, you, he, she, etc.) and sometimes time words (now, today, tomorrow) when reporting.

Examples:

• Direct speech: “Are you going to the meeting tomorrow?”
• Reported speech: She asked if I was going to the meeting the next day.

Here, “you” changes to “I”, and “tomorrow” changes to “the next day.”

More Examples

Let’s look at more examples to see how this works:

Example 1:

• Direct speech: “Do they know the answer?”
• Reported speech: He asked if they knew the answer.

Example 2:

• Direct speech: “Will you call me?”
• Reported speech: She asked if I would call her.

Example 3:

• Direct speech: “Can she play the piano?”
• Reported speech: He wondered if she could play the piano.

Example 4:

• Direct speech: “Is he happy now?”
• Reported speech: She asked if he was happy then.

Common Mistakes When Changing Polar Questions to Reported Speech

Here are some common mistakes learners make when dealing with reported speech in polar questions:

a. Keeping the Question Form

Many learners forget to change the question into a statement. Remember, the reported speech should always be in statement form, not a question.

• Incorrect: He asked (if) was it raining.
• Correct: He asked if it was raining.

b. Forgetting to Change the Tense

The verb tense often needs to be changed to the past tense.

• Incorrect: She asked if he is coming.
• Correct: She asked if he was coming.

c. Not Changing Pronouns

Make sure to adjust the pronouns based on who is speaking.

• Incorrect: He asked if you were ready.
• Correct: He asked if I was ready.

Practice Exercise

Try turning the following direct questions into reported speech:

1. “Do you have a pen?”
2. “Is she reading the book?”
3. “Will they attend the meeting tomorrow?”
4. “Can we start the project?”
5. “Are they playing football now?”