Reporting Questions
One of the peculiarities of reported questions is that the usual pattern of questions is not maintained. The auxiliary verb which usually precedes the subject in the sentence is sometimes omitted. Also, as Fakoya (2003) observes, “question marks are not used […] as a question becomes a statement with a verb after the subject.” Study the example below:
- (a) ‘Did you go there?’ mummy asked.
- (b) Mummy asked if I went there.
A careful look at sentences (a) and (b) above shows that the reported speech is ordered differently from the direct speech. While in (a), the subject is preceded by ‘did’, there is no such word in its reported form. Also, there is an addition of the element ‘if’ in the reported form. This addition is usually necessary in questions that start with auxiliary verbs such as ‘do’, ‘did’, ‘can’, etc., as opposed to questions initiated with question-words such as ‘who’, ‘where’, ‘which’, etc.
However, in direct reporting of a question, the order of the question with its question mark is maintained. But it is important for a verb of asking to be provided. Examples are:
- Sola asked, ‘Did you go there, Tunde?’
- ‘Have you given her the money?’ I enquired.
Reporting Imperatives
As is generally known, there are two types of imperative sentences, viz. commands and requests. The two are reported quite differently. In reporting commands, according to Fakoya (2003: 181), the imperative becomes a ‘to-infinitive’. Below are examples of direct commands and their reported forms:
- (a) ‘Go there tomorrow.’
(b) He directed me to go there the following day. - (a) ‘Let them go,’ said the Vice-Chancellor.
(b) The Vice-Chancellor ordered us to let them go.
From the above examples, it can be seen that the addressees of commands are usually identified in their reported forms just as initial finite verbs are changed to non-finite verbs. However, imperative sentences involving the use of ‘order’, ‘command’, ‘declaration’, etc., may not require to-infinitive, as in the examples below:
- (a) ‘Go on a national strike,’ ordered the Chairman.
(b) The Chairman ordered that his men go on a national strike.
It is also important to state that in reporting, it is optional to include the reported form of direct speech. By this, we mean that it is not compulsory to say, ‘He said that he would go there’ as opposed to ‘He said he would go there.’
Exercises
Below is a text of an assumed speech of President Obama of the U.S.:
Ever since I assumed duty as President of this great country, I have ensured that the law of the land held supreme. Not for one day has justice been perverted in the country. Indeed, my resolve before now and today is that the United States of America will always offer the best conditions for citizens and non-citizens alike to operate effectively.
Imagine you were a newscaster saddled with the responsibility of reporting the speech to viewers, how would you report it?
Report the following questions:
- (a) ‘Why did you go there?’
- (b) ‘Did you see her?’
- (c) ‘Can you drive well?’ she asked.
- (d) ‘Where is she going to?’ Olu asked.
For Further Reading
- Aremo, B. (2000). An Introduction to English Sentences I & II. Ibadan: Scribo Publications.
- Fakoya, A. A. (2003). English for Effective Communication. Lagos: Mularpek Corporate Services.
- Fakoya, A. A. & Ayoola, K. A. (2009). English for the Uplift of Education in Lagos State. Lagos: Lagos State Government & Open Arms Limited.
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