{"id":273441,"date":"2026-09-19T03:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T08:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273441"},"modified":"2026-09-19T03:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T08:00:37","slug":"reported-questions-b2-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/blog\/reported-questions-b2-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Reported Questions in English (B2 Grammar)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>Reported questions allow us to tell someone what another person asked without using their exact words.<\/strong> To form them correctly, you must make three key changes: first, change the word order from a question structure to a statement structure (subject + verb); second, shift the verb tense back (e.g., <span data-no-translation>present simple<\/span> \u00e0 <span data-no-translation>past simple<\/span>); and third, use a reporting verb like <span data-no-translation>asked<\/span>. For <span data-no-translation>wh-<\/span> questions (like <span data-no-translation>what<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>when<\/span>), you keep the <span data-no-translation>wh-<\/span> word as a connector. For <span data-no-translation>yes\/no<\/span> questions, you use <span data-no-translation>if<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> to introduce the reported question. Remember to remove question marks and auxiliary verbs such as <span data-no-translation>do<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>does<\/span>, ou <span data-no-translation>did<\/span>. This structure is essential for clear communication and for exams like the B2 First.<\/div>\n<h2>What Are Reported Questions?<\/h2>\n<p>Reported questions, also known as indirect questions, are a way to tell someone what another person asked without using their exact words. We often use them in conversations or when writing reports.<\/p>\n<p>Think of it as summarizing a question. Instead of saying <span data-no-translation>&#8220;He said, &#8216;Where are you going?'&#8221;<\/span>, dis-tu <span data-no-translation>&#8220;He asked where I was going.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You use a reporting verb, usually <span data-no-translation>asked<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>You change the word order from a question to a statement.<\/li>\n<li>You usually change the verb tense (this is called &#8216;backshift&#8217;).<\/li>\n<li>You do not use a question mark at the end.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-placement\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#2B87DA,#29C4A9);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\u270d\ufe0f Vous ne savez pas quel est votre niveau ?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">Passez notre test de niveau gratuit et recevez des commentaires personnalis\u00e9s de la part d'examinateurs certifi\u00e9s par Cambridge.<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/anglais\/academie\/test-gratuit\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#0A2540;color:#fff;\">Passez notre test de niveau GRATUIT<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>How to Report 'Wh-' Questions<\/h2>\n<p>For questions that start with <span data-no-translation>what<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>when<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>why<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, ou <span data-no-translation>how<\/span>, you keep the <span data-no-translation>wh-<\/span> word in the reported question.<\/p>\n<p>La structure est la suivante : <span data-no-translation>reporting verb + wh- word + subject + verb (in past tense)<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"What is your name?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: She asked what my name was.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Where do you live?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: He asked where I lived.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"When did you arrive?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: They asked when I had arrived.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Notice how the question word order (<span data-no-translation>verb + subject<\/span>) changes to statement word order (<span data-no-translation>subject + verb<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h2>How to Report 'Yes\/No' Questions<\/h2>\n<p>For questions that can be answered with a simple <span data-no-translation>yes<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>no<\/span>, on utilise <span data-no-translation>if<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> as the connector.<\/p>\n<p>La structure est la suivante : <span data-no-translation>reporting verb + if\/whether + subject + verb (in past tense)<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Are you hungry?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: She asked if I was hungry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Did you finish your homework?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: He asked whether I had finished my homework.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Will you come to the party?\"<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Reported: They asked if I would come to the party.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-no-translation>Whether<\/span> is slightly more formal than <span data-no-translation>if<\/span>, and it is often used with <span data-no-translation>or not<\/span> (par exemple, <span data-no-translation>He asked whether I wanted to go or not.<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h2>Important Changes When Reporting Questions<\/h2>\n<p>When you report a question, several things change from the direct speech version:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tense Backshift:<\/strong> The verb tense usually moves \"back\" in time. For example, <span data-no-translation>present simple<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>past simple<\/span>, et <span data-no-translation>past simple<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>past perfect<\/span>. (See table below for more details.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pronouns:<\/strong> These often change to reflect the new speaker and listener. For example, <span data-no-translation>I<\/span> might become <span data-no-translation>he\/she<\/span>, et <span data-no-translation>you<\/span> might become <span data-no-translation>I\/we\/they<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Time and Place Expressions:<\/strong> Des mots comme <span data-no-translation>now<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>yesterday<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>here<\/span> also change. For example, <span data-no-translation>now<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>then<\/span>, et <span data-no-translation>yesterday<\/span> becomes <span data-no-translation>the day before<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Auxiliary Verbs:<\/strong> You remove <span data-no-translation>do<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>does<\/span>, ou <span data-no-translation>did<\/span> from the reported question.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Question Mark:<\/strong> The reported question ends with a full stop (<span data-no-translation>.<\/span>), not a question mark (<span data-no-translation>?<\/span>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<caption>Common Tense Changes (Backshift) in Reported Questions<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Direct Question Tense<\/th>\n<th>Reported Question Tense<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Present Simple<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Past Simple<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Present Continuous<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Past Continuous<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Present Perfect<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Past Perfect<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Past Simple<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Past Perfect<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Will<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Would<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Can<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Could<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>May<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Might<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Must<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Had to<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Exemples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"What time is it?\" \u2192 Reported: She asked what time it was.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Where did you go last night?\" \u2192 Reported: He asked where I had gone the previous night.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Are you feeling better?\" \u2192 Reported: My friend asked if I was feeling better.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Have you ever been to London?\" \u2192 Reported: They asked whether I had ever been to London.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Why are you late?\" \u2192 Reported: The teacher asked why I was late.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Direct: \"Can you help me?\" \u2192 Reported: She asked if I could help her.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Entra\u00eenement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1966\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1966\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"FCE04 L2 GRAMMAR Reported questions\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-exam\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:#0A2540;\"><h3 style=\"color:#F2B705;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">Pr\u00eat \u00e0 obtenir votre certificat ?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.92;\">Le cours Langcom pr\u00e9pare les \u00e9tudiants aux examens de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL, DELE, SIELE et Michigan.<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#F2B705;color:#0A2540;\">Commencez avec Langcom<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones<\/h2>\n<p>Spanish speakers often make specific mistakes when forming reported questions due to differences in grammatical structures. Be careful with these common errors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect Word Order:<\/strong> A very common mistake is keeping the question word order (verb before subject) instead of changing to statement order (subject before verb).\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Incorrect: He asked where was I going.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Correct: He asked where I was going.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not Removing Auxiliary Verbs:<\/strong> Forgetting to remove <span data-no-translation>do<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>does<\/span>, ou <span data-no-translation>did<\/span>.\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Incorrect: She asked what did I want.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Correct: She asked what I wanted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using 'that' for Yes\/No Questions:<\/strong> Utilisation de <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> au lieu de <span data-no-translation>if<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span>.\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Incorrect: He asked that I was ready.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Correct: He asked if I was ready.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Tense Backshift:<\/strong> Not changing the verb tense to a past form.\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Incorrect: They asked what is my name.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Correct: They asked what my name was.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Questions fr\u00e9quemment pos\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<h3>What is the main difference between direct and reported questions?<\/h3>\n<p>The main difference is that <span data-no-translation>direct questions<\/span> use the exact words of the speaker and end with a question mark (e.g., <span data-no-translation>\"Where is the station?\"<\/span>). <span data-no-translation>Reported questions<\/span> tell you what was asked without using the exact words, changing the word order to a statement, shifting tenses, and ending with a full stop (e.g., <span data-no-translation>She asked where the station was.<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h3>Do I always change the tense in reported questions?<\/h3>\n<p>Generally, yes, you should shift the tense back (e.no-translation.g., <span data-no-translation>present simple<\/span> \u00e0 <span data-no-translation>past simple<\/span>). However, if the reported question refers to a situation that is still true or a general truth, the tense change is optional. For example, <span data-no-translation>\"What is your name?\"<\/span> could be <span data-no-translation>He asked what my name was<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>He asked what my name is<\/span> if your name hasn't changed.<\/p>\n<h3>How are reported questions tested in the B2 First exam?<\/h3>\n<p>Reported questions are often tested in the <span data-no-translation>Use of English Part 3 (Word Formation)<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>Part 4 (Key Word Transformation)<\/span>. In <span data-no-translation>Key Word Transformation<\/span>, you might be given a direct question and a key word, and you need to rewrite the sentence as a reported question, making sure to change the word order, tense, and pronouns correctly.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I use 'if' and 'whether' interchangeably?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, for most reported <span data-no-translation>yes\/no<\/span> questions, <span data-no-translation>if<\/span> et <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> are interchangeable. <span data-no-translation>Whether<\/span> is slightly more formal. You must use <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> when it's followed immediately by <span data-no-translation>or not<\/span> (par exemple, <span data-no-translation>She asked whether or not I wanted coffee.<\/span>) or after a preposition (e.g., <span data-no-translation>We discussed whether to go.<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h2>Le\u00e7ons associ\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=272801\">Reported speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273385\">Reported speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273388\">Reported speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/fr\/?p=273440\">Reported speech<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reported questions allow us to tell someone what another person asked without using their exact words. To form them correctly, you must make three key changes: first, change the word order from a question structure to a statement structure (subject + verb); second, shift the verb tense back (e.g., present simple to past simple); and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":274558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Reported speech","langcom_cefr":"B2","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What is the main difference between direct and reported questions?\", \"a\": \"The main difference is that <span data-no-translation>direct questions<\/span> use the exact words of the speaker and end with a question mark (e.g., <span data-no-translation>\\\"Where is the station?\\\"<\/span>). <span data-no-translation>Reported questions<\/span> tell you what was asked without using the exact words, changing the word order to a statement, shifting tenses, and ending with a full stop (e.g., <span data-no-translation>She asked where the station was.<\/span>).\"}, {\"q\": \"Do I always change the tense in reported questions?\", \"a\": \"Generally, yes, you should shift the tense back (e.no-translation.g., <span data-no-translation>present simple<\/span> to <span data-no-translation>past simple<\/span>). However, if the reported question refers to a situation that is still true or a general truth, the tense change is optional. For example, <span data-no-translation>\\\"What is your name?\\\"<\/span> could be <span data-no-translation>He asked what my name was<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>He asked what my name is<\/span> if your name hasn't changed.\"}, {\"q\": \"How are reported questions tested in the B2 First exam?\", \"a\": \"Reported questions are often tested in the <span data-no-translation>Use of English Part 3 (Word Formation)<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>Part 4 (Key Word Transformation)<\/span>. In <span data-no-translation>Key Word Transformation<\/span>, you might be given a direct question and a key word, and you need to rewrite the sentence as a reported question, making sure to change the word order, tense, and pronouns correctly.\"}, {\"q\": \"Can I use 'if' and 'whether' interchangeably?\", \"a\": \"Yes, for most reported <span data-no-translation>yes\/no<\/span> questions, <span data-no-translation>if<\/span> and <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> are interchangeable. <span data-no-translation>Whether<\/span> is slightly more formal. You must use <span data-no-translation>whether<\/span> when it's followed immediately by <span data-no-translation>or not<\/span> (e.g., <span data-no-translation>She asked whether or not I wanted coffee.<\/span>) or after a preposition (e.g., <span data-no-translation>We discussed whether to go.<\/span>).\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"Reported questions allow us to tell someone what another person asked without using their exact 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