Grammar · Reported Speech
Reported Questions
How to tell someone what another person asked you. Learn the word order, and when to use if or a question word, with the film Death on the Nile.
Grammar › Reported Speech › Reported Questions
The rule in one sentenceWhen you report a question, use normal sentence order with no question mark — start with if / whether when the answer is yes or no, and with the question word (where, what, why…) for other questions.
About the film
Death on the Nile is a mystery film based on a famous story by Agatha Christie. The detective Hercule Poirot is on holiday in Egypt, on a boat that travels along the river Nile. When someone is killed on the boat, Poirot asks everyone where they were and if they saw anything.
What does it do?
Poirot asks a lot of questions. Later, people tell others what he asked. They do not repeat his exact words. They report them. When you report a question, it stops being a question. It becomes a normal sentence, so there is no question mark at the end.
There are two kinds of question. Some have a yes or no answer, like “Did you hear a noise?” For these, use if or whether. Others start with a question word, like “Where were you?” For these, keep the same question word. In both cases, the helping words do, does and did disappear.
Look at the tiles. After if or where, the person comes first and the verb comes next: she had heard, everyone had been. This is the same order as a normal sentence. The verb also usually moves one step back into the past, because he asked it earlier.
Each row makes the same changes. Are becomes was, did you see becomes had seen, can becomes could, and will becomes would. The pronoun changes too: you becomes I, and me becomes him.
Poirot: “Where were you at midnight?” Later: Poirot asked where I had been at midnight.
Same question, two ways. The first is his exact words. The second is you telling a friend about it.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
if / whether — yes or no questions
Poirot asked if Linnet was happy.
From: “Are you happy?”Poirot asked if Simon wasn’t feeling well.
From: “Aren’t you feeling well?”Did he ask you whether you were awake?
The main question keeps its question mark. The reported part does not change.question word — other questions
Poirot asked where Jacqueline had gone.
From: “Where did Jacqueline go?”He asked why she couldn’t sleep.
From: “Why can’t you sleep?”Do you know what he asked her?
Again, only the main question needs a question mark.When to use each one
if / whether — the answer is yes or no
question word — the answer is information
Words that help: which start do I need?
Look at the first word of the real question. It tells you how to start.
Starts with are, is, did, can, will → if / whether
Starts with where, what, why → question word
Common mistakes
❌ Poirot asked where had she been.
✅ Poirot asked where she had been.
After the question word, put the person first and the verb next.
❌ He asked did she know Simon.
✅ He asked if she knew Simon.
A yes or no question needs “if” or “whether”, and “did” disappears.
❌ Poirot asked what time did she go to bed.
✅ Poirot asked what time she had gone to bed.
No “did” after the question word. The verb moves back in time.
❌ He asked her if she was on the deck?
✅ He asked her if she was on the deck.
A reported question is a normal sentence, so it ends with a full stop.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
Only “whether” works before “or not” and before “to”. Most of the time, if and whether mean the same. But whether is the only choice straight before or not, and before to + verb. It also sounds a little more careful and formal, so detectives love it.
✅ Poirot asked whether or not the door had been locked.
✅ Simon couldn’t decide whether to call the captain. (not “if to call”)
Practice: report the question
Eight questions. Choose one answer. You get the answer, and why.
1. “Are you cold?” Poirot asked ___ cold.
Yes or no question → if + person + verb.
2. “Where did you go?” He asked ___.
Question word, then person + verb. “Did” disappears.
3. “Can you open the door?” She asked if I ___ open the door.
“Can” moves back to “could”.
4. “Did you see Jacqueline?” He asked ___ Jacqueline.
Yes or no question → if. “Did you see” becomes “had seen”.
5. “Why are you awake?” Poirot asked ___ awake.
After “why”, the person comes before the verb.
6. “Will you help me?” Linnet asked whether Poirot ___ help her.
“Will” moves back to “would”.
7. “Who has the key?” He asked ___ the key.
Here “who” is the person, so the order does not change. Just move the verb back.
8. Which sentence is correct?
Person before verb, and a full stop at the end.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
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