Shortcut Rules of Narration Change of Interrogative Sentence

 

Narration Change Rules

Interrogative Sentence — Prepared by PKG SIR

Important Golden Rule: In Indirect speech, the sentence structure always changes from a question form (Interrogative) into a statement form (Assertive). The question mark (?) is replaced by a full stop (.).

1. Basic Rules for Interrogative Sentence

Linker (Yes/No Questions)

if / whether

Linker (WH-Questions)

The WH-word itself (who, what, why, how, etc.)

Reporting Verb (said / said to)

asked / enquired of

2. Verb Conversion Chart

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
am / is / are	was / were
was / were	had been
had been	had been (No Change)
have / has	had
had	had (No Change)
shall / will	should / would
can / may	could / might
must	must
do / does + not	did not
did not	had not +v3

3. Change of Time and Place Expressions

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
today	that day
yesterday	the previous day
tomorrow	the next day
now	then
ago	before
here	there
this	that
these	those

4. Tense-by-Tense Examples (Yes/No Questions)

Present Indefinite Tense

Direct: He said to Ram, “Do you write the letter?”

Indirect: He asked Ram if he wrote the letter.

Present Continuous Tense

Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Are you writing the letter?"

Indirect: Ram asked Sita if she was writing the letter.

Present Perfect Tense

Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Have you written the letter?"

Indirect: Ram asked Sita if she had written the letter.

Simple Past Tense

Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Did you write the letter?"

Indirect: Ram asked Sita if she had written the letter.

Past Continuous Tense

Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Were you writing the letter?"

Indirect: Ram asked Sita if she had been writing the letter.

Simple Future Tense

Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Will you write the letter?"

Indirect: Ram asked Sita if she would write the letter.

5. WH-Question Examples (No "if/whether")

Example 1: WH-Word with Present Tense

Direct: He said to me, "What are you doing now?"

Indirect: He asked me what I was doing then.

Example 2: WH-Word with Past Tense

Direct: She said to him, "Where did you go yesterday?"

Indirect: She asked him where he had gone the previous day.

Example 3: WH-Word with Future Tense

Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Why will you not come tomorrow?"

Indirect: The teacher asked the boy why he would not come the next day.

Narration Change Home Task

Interrogative Sentences (Questions) — Practice Worksheet

Prepared by PKG SIR

Directions: Change the following interrogative sentences from Direct Speech into Indirect Speech in your assignment copy. Remember to convert the question structure into an assertive statement, remove the question mark, and change the reporting verb to "asked".

Practice Set - I (Yes / No Questions)

• 1
  Direct: He said to me, "Are you reading a book now?"
• 2
  Direct: The teacher said to the boy, "Do you know the answer?"
• 3
  Direct: She said to her sister, "Will you go to school tomorrow?"
• 4
  Direct: Ram said to Sita, "Have you seen my new pen?"
• 5
  Direct: The mother said to her son, "Did you take your lunch yesterday?"
• 6
  Direct: Father said to me, "Were you playing football in the afternoon?"
• 7
  Direct: They said to us, "Can you help us solve this sum?"
• 8
  Direct: The girl said, "Has the postman come today?"
• 9
  Direct: Gopal said to Hari, "Do you live in this village?"
• 10
  Direct: She said to him, "May I use your laptop for an hour?"
• 11
  Direct: The traveler said to the villager, "Is there any hotel near here?"
• 12
  Direct: Amal said to Bikram, "Had you completed your syllabus before the exam?"
• 13
  Direct: The master said to the servant, "Have you cleaned the room properly?"
• 14
  Direct: She said, "Does he speak English fluently?"
• 15
  Direct: The boy asked his friend, "Will you join our cricket match next Sunday?"

Practice Set - II (WH-Questions)

• 16
  Direct: The teacher said to the student, "What are you doing here today?"
• 17
  Direct: He said to me, "Where did you go yesterday?"
• 18
  Direct: She said to the boy, "Why are you crying so loudly?"
• 19
  Direct: Father said to Rohan, "When will you return from your hostel?"
• 20
  Direct: The man said to the stranger, "Who are you and what do you want?"
• 21
  Direct: Direct: Kamal said to Rahul, "How did you solve this difficult puzzle?"
• 22
  Direct: She said to her friend, "Whose textbook did you borrow last week?"
• 23
  Direct: The doctor said to the patient, "How long have you been suffering from fever?"
• 24
  Direct: The policeman said to the driver, "Where is your driving license?"
• 25
  Direct: He said to his sister, "Which dress do you like best?"
• 26
  Direct: The children said, "Why does the moon shine only at night?"
• 27
  Direct: Mother said to Rita, "What have you done with your new clothes?"
• 28
  Direct: He said to me, "Whom do you want to meet here?"
• 29
  Direct: The headmaster said to the boy, "Why were you absent from class yesterday?"
• 30
  Direct: She said, "How many mangoes did you buy from the market?"

Practice Set - III (Mixed Challenge)

• 31
  Direct: Deepa said to her mother, "Can I go to the playground now?"
• 32
  Direct: The captain said to the players, "Are we ready to win this final match?"
• 33
  Direct: The shopkeeper said to me, "What can I show you tonight?"
• 34
  Direct: He said, "Did it rain heavily here last night?"
• 35
  Direct: The lady said to the counter clerk, "When will the next train arrive?"
• 36
  Direct: She said to him, "Have you ever been to the Taj Mahal before?"
• 37
  Direct: The driver said to the passenger, "Should I stop the car at the next signal?"
• 38
  Direct: The lady said to the boy, "Why are you wandering in the sun alone?"
• 39
  Direct: He said to me, "Do you think it will rain tomorrow?"
• 40
  Direct: The interviewer said to the candidate, "What are your core strengths?"
• 41
  Direct: Bina said to her brother, "Will you help me complete these calculations?"
• 42
  Direct: The guide said to the tourists, "Have you seen these historic caves before?"
• 43
  Direct: He said to his friend, "Where will you be staying during the holidays?"
• 44
  Direct: The teacher said to Madhu, "Why did you not submit your homework on that day?"
• 45
  Direct: Subham said to Amal, "Is your father working in the office right now?"
• 46
  Direct: The little girl asked, "Can birds fly higher than airplanes?"
• 47
  Direct: The old man said to the passerby, "Could you show me the way to the post office?"
• 48
  Direct: She said to her cousin, "What were you cooking when I called you last evening?"
• 49
  Direct: The inspector said, "Has anyone seen the thief run this way?"
• 50
  Direct: Ram said to Shyam, "How long will it take to reach our school destination?"