oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

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269 Reporting questions
d
Must expressing necessity can change to had to.
'I must go now.' Sarah said she must go/had to go.
But when must expresses certainty, it does not usually change.
I thought there must be some mistake.
Compare mustn't and needn't.
'You mustn't lose the key.' I told Kevin he mustn't lose/he wasn't to lose the key.
'You needn't wait.' I told Kevin he needn't wait/he didn't have to wait.
NOTE
When must refers to the future, it can change to would have to.
'I must go soon.' Sarah said she would have to go soon.
269 Reporting questions
1 We can report a question by using verbs like ask, inquire/enquire, wonder or
to know.
a
b
Look at these wh-questions.
Where did you have lunch? I asked Elaine where she had lunch.
~ In the canteen.
What time does the flight get in? I'll inquire what time the flight gets in.
~ Half past twelve.
Who have you invited?
Peter is wondering who we've invited.
~ Oh, lots of people.
When is the lesson?
Someone wants to know when the lesson is.
~ I don't know.
For the pattern We were wondering where to go for lunch, • 125.
To report yes/no questions we use if or whether.
Is there a waiting-room? Dan was asking if/whether there's a waiting-
~ Yes, over here. room.
Have you bought your ticket? Mandy wants to know if Steve has bought his
~ No, not yet. ticket.
We can use or not to emphasize the need for a yes/no reply.
They want to know if/whether it's safe or not.
They want to know whether or not it's safe.
But NOT ... if or not it's safe
In a reported question the word order is usually like a statement.
I asked Elaine when she had lunch.
NOT I asked Elaine when she did have lunch.
We do not use a question mark.
NOTE
a When the question word is the subject, the word order does not change.
Who left this bag here? Sophie wanted to know who left the bag there.
b In informal English we can sometimes invert the subject and be.
I asked where was the best place to have lunch.
And we use inversion in the indirect speech when the main clause goes at the end, as a
kind of afterthought.
Where did Elaine have lunch, I was wondering.