Reported questions and commands · Preguntas y órdenes en estilo indirecto
Reporting questions and orders
- We can report questions and commands, not just statements.
- The word order and verbs change in special ways.
- She asked where I lived. He told me to wait.
She asked where the meeting was; the calendar asked the same thing.
Preguntas y órdenes reportadas
- Podemos reportar preguntas y comandos, no solo afirmaciones.
- El orden de las palabras y los verbos cambian de formas especiales.
- She asked where I lived. He told me to wait. (Ella preguntó dónde vivía. Él me dijo que esperara.)
She asked where the meeting was; the calendar asked the same thing. (Ella preguntó dónde era la reunión; el calendario preguntaba lo mismo.)
Reported questions
- Use statement word order (subject + verb), and no question mark.
- Yes/No questions → if / whether: He asked if I was busy.
- Wh- questions → keep the question word: She asked where I lived.
- No do / does / did: not where did I live.
Preguntas reportadas
- Usa orden de afirmación (sujeto + verbo), y sin signo de interrogación.
- Preguntas de sí/no → if / whether: He asked if I was busy. (Él preguntó si estaba ocupado.)
- Preguntas con Wh- → conserva la palabra interrogativa: She asked where I lived. (Ella preguntó dónde vivía.)
- No uses do / does / did: no digas where did I live.
Report the question “Where do you live?” · Reporta la pregunta “Where do you live?”
Reported questions use statement order, no “did”: “… where I lived.” · Las preguntas en estilo indirecto usan orden de afirmación, sin “did”: “… where I lived.”
Report the Yes/No question “Are you busy?”: He asked ___ I was busy. · Reporta la pregunta Sí/No “Are you busy?”: He asked ___ I was busy.
Yes/No questions are reported with “if” or “whether”. · Las preguntas Sí/No se reportan con “if” o “whether”.
Translate into English: 她问我住在哪里。 · Traduce al inglés: 她问我住在哪里。
Statement order, no “did”: “She asked where I lived.” · Orden de afirmación, sin “did”: “She asked where I lived.”
Reported commands
- Use tell / ask + someone + to + base verb.
- She told me to wait. He asked me to help.
- tell and ask take a person (me, him…).
Comandos reportados
- Usa tell / ask + alguien + to + verbo base.
- She told me to wait. He asked me to help. (Ella me dijo que esperara. Él me pidió que ayudara.)
- tell y ask requieren una persona (me, him...).
Negative commands
- For "don't …", use not to + base verb.
- He asked me not to be late. The sign tells people not to smoke.
Órdenes negativas
- Para "don't …", usa not to + verbo base.
- He asked me not to be late. The sign tells people not to smoke. (Él me pidió que no llegara tarde. El cartel le dice a la gente que no fume.)
Question, command or negative command? · ¿Pregunta, orden o orden negativa?
Reported questions use statement order; commands use told + to; negatives slip in 'not to'. · Las preguntas en estilo indirecto usan el orden de afirmación; las órdenes usan told + to; los negativos se introducen con 'not to'.
Is this a correct reported command? “He asked me not to be late.” · ¿Es correcta esta orden en estilo indirecto? “He asked me not to be late.”
Yes — reported commands use (not) to + base verb: “asked me not to be late.” · Sí — las órdenes en estilo indirecto usan (not) to + verbo base: “asked me not to be late.”
Common mistakes
- ❌ He asked me am I busy. → ✓ He asked me if I was busy. — if + statement order.
- ❌ He told me don't be late. → ✓ He told me not to be late.
- ❌ She suggested me to go. → ✓ She suggested going. / She suggested that I go.
Errores comunes
- ❌ He asked me am I busy. → ✓ He asked me if I was busy. — if + orden de afirmación.
- ❌ He told me don't be late. → ✓ He told me not to be late.
- ❌ She suggested me to go. → ✓ She suggested going. / She suggested that I go.
Match the direct speech to its reported form. · Une el discurso directo con su forma en estilo indirecto.
Commands → (not) to + verb; wh-questions keep the question word; yes/no → if / whether. · Órdenes → (not) to + verbo; las preguntas wh- conservan la palabra interrogativa; sí/no → if / whether.
Which sentence is correct? · ¿Cuál oración es correcta?
tell + person + to + verb — say never takes this pattern. · tell + persona + to + verbo — say nunca toma este patrón.
- Reported questions: statement order, if / whether or a wh- word, no do/did.
- Reported commands: tell / ask + someone + to + base verb.
- Negative: not to + base verb.
- Preguntas reportadas: orden de afirmación, if / whether o una palabra wh-, sin do/did.
- Comandos reportados: tell / ask + alguien + to + verbo base.
- Negativo: not to + verbo base.
Think of a question someone asked you. Report it in one sentence (She/He asked …). · Piensa en una pregunta que te hizo alguien. Repórtala en una oración (She/He asked …).
Example: “My teacher asked if I had finished my homework.” · Ejemplo: “My teacher asked if I had finished my homework.”