الأسئلة المنقولة بنعم/لا (إذا/سواء)
if أو whether لرفع مستوى تواصلك في المواقف الرسمية.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Transform direct yes/no questions into statements using 'if' or 'whether' while removing question-word order and auxiliary 'do'.
- Use 'if' or 'whether' to connect the reporting clause to the question. Example: 'He asked if I was ready.'
- Change question word order back to statement order (Subject + Verb). Example: 'Are you...?' becomes '...if I was.'
- Backshift the tense if the reporting verb is in the past. Example: 'Do you like...?' becomes '...if I liked.'
نظرة عامة
He asked me, Do you like coffee?
فهذا يبدو بدائياً.He asked if I liked coffee. هذا التحول يظهر تحكماً في الزمن، وفي ترتيب الكلمات، وفي التوافق النحوي. الفرق الجوهري هنا هو أن اللغة العربية لا تغير ترتيب الجملة عند النقل (نحافظ على الفعل والفاعل)، بينما الإنجليزية تفرض عليك 'تفكيك' السؤال وإعادة بنائه كجملة خبرية. هذا التحدي هو ما يميز المتعلم المتقدم عن المبتدئ، حيث إن التلاعب بالزمن (Backshift) هو جوهر الإتقان في هذا المستوى.do أو does أو did تماماً، لأنها أدوات مخصصة لصيغة السؤال فقط.asked)، فكل ما داخل السؤال يجب أن يرحل خطوة واحدة للوراء في الزمن. هذا يشبه إلى حد ما 'أدوات الجزم' في العربية التي قد تغير حركة الفعل، لكن هنا التغيير يشمل الزمن كاملاً.Do you want?، فإنه في النقل يصبح ماضياً بسيطاً if I wanted.if أو whether. في العربية، نستخدم 'هل' أو 'ما إذا'. الاختلاف هو أن whether في الإنجليزية أكثر رسمية وتستخدم غالباً عند وجود خيارين (سواء كان كذا أو كذا)، بينما if هي الأكثر شيوعاً.will أو قدمت الفعل على الفاعل، فقد ارتكبت خطأً فادحاً، لأن الجملة بعد if يجب أن تكون جملة عادية بتركيب (فاعل + فعل).asked / wondered | He asked |if / whether | if |I / he / she / they | I |Backshifted Verb | was ready |- 1Direct:
Are you busy?He asked if I was busy. - 2Direct:
Can you help?She wondered if I could help. - 3Direct:
Did you call?He asked if I had called.
did حُذفت تماماً وتحول الفعل إلى الماضي التام had called ليعكس الترحيل الزمني.wondered if يجعل السؤال يبدو كأنه 'تفكير بصوت عالٍ' وليس استجواباً.The committee enquired whether the budget had been approved. هذا الأسلوب يعطي انطباعاً بالرقي والتمكن اللغوي. أيضاً، تستخدم عند نقل الأخبار أو النميمة (بين الأصدقاء في المقهى)، حيث تنقل استفسارات الآخرين بأسلوب غير مباشر لتجنب المواجهة المباشرة.- 1خطأ 'الاستفهام الباقي': يميل العرب لقول
He asked me if did I go. هذا خطأ ناتج عن تدخل اللغة الأم (L1 Interference) حيث لا تزال عقولنا تبحث عن أداة استفهام. الصحيح هوHe asked if I went. - 2خطأ 'عدم الترحيل الزمني': نسيان تحويل المضارع إلى ماضٍ. قول
He asked if I am happyبدلاً منHe asked if I was happy. السبب أننا في العربية لا نغير الزمن عند نقل الكلام، بل نعتمد على السياق. في الإنجليزية، الزمن 'مقدس' ويجب أن يتوافق مع فعل القول. - 3خطأ 'حذف الرابط': قول
He asked I was readyمباشرة. في العربية، قد نحذف 'هل' ونعتمد على نبرة الصوت، لكن في الإنجليزية،ifأوwhetherضرورية جداً لربط الجملتين.
- 1هل يمكنني دائماً استخدام
whetherبدلاً منif؟
whether أكثر رسمية، ولكن if هي الأكثر شيوعاً في المحادثات اليومية. إذا كان هناك خيار or not في الجملة، يفضل استخدام whether.- 1ماذا لو كان السؤال عن حقيقة علمية ثابتة؟
He asked if the earth revolves around the sun.- 1هل يجب دائماً استخدام
asked؟
wondered, wanted to know, enquired لإضافة تنوع أسلوبي في كتابتك.3. Tense Backshift in Reported Questions
| Direct Tense | Direct Example | Reported Tense | Reported Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
Do you stay?
|
Past Simple
|
He asked if I stayed.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
Are you staying?
|
Past Continuous
|
He asked if I was staying.
|
|
Past Simple
|
Did you stay?
|
Past Perfect
|
He asked if I had stayed.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
Have you stayed?
|
Past Perfect
|
He asked if I had stayed.
|
|
Will
|
Will you stay?
|
Would
|
He asked if I would stay.
|
|
Can
|
Can you stay?
|
Could
|
He asked if I could stay.
|
Meanings
The method of reporting a question that has a 'yes' or 'no' answer without using the exact words of the speaker, typically requiring a change in tense and word order.
Standard Reporting
Relaying a simple inquiry from one person to another.
“He asked if I had seen his keys.”
“They wondered whether it would rain during the ceremony.”
Formal Alternatives
Using 'whether' to present two or more distinct possibilities or to maintain a professional tone.
“The board inquired whether the budget was sufficient or if more funds were required.”
“It remains to be seen whether the policy will be effective.”
Infinitive Choice
Using 'whether' (but not 'if') followed by a 'to-infinitive' to express a decision between options.
“I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.”
“She was debating whether to accept the offer.”
Reference Table
| سؤال مباشر (Yes/No) | سؤال منقول (Reported) | التغيير الأساسي |
|---|---|---|
|
"Are you ready?"
|
She asked if I was ready.
|
تغيير الزمن، ترتيب الجملة، وإضافة 'if'.
|
|
"Did you enjoy the movie?"
|
He wondered whether I had enjoyed the movie.
|
الماضي البسيط صار ماضي تام، واستخدام 'whether' للخيارات.
|
|
"Can she swim?"
|
They enquired if she could swim.
|
تحويل 'can' إلى 'could' وترتيب جملة خبرية.
|
|
"Have you finished?"
|
I asked if he had finished.
|
المضارع التام صار ماضي تام.
|
|
"Will you help me?"
|
She asked whether I would help her.
|
المستقبل 'will' صار 'would'.
|
|
"Do you live here?"
|
He asked if I lived there.
|
حذف 'do' وتحويل المضارع لماضي.
|
|
"Is the cafe open?"
|
We wanted to know if the cafe was open.
|
المضارع البسيط صار ماضي بسيط.
|
طيف الرسمية
The coordinator inquired whether the delegate would be attending the summit. (Professional vs Casual)
He asked if the delegate was coming to the meeting. (Professional vs Casual)
He asked if they were coming. (Professional vs Casual)
He was like, 'You coming or what?' (Professional vs Casual)
نقل أسئلة نعم/لا
الكلمات المفتاحية
- if Introduces the reported question
- whether Alternative to 'if', often for choices or formality
تغيير الأفعال
- تغيير الزمن Change present to past, past to past perfect, etc.
- حذف الأفعال المساعدة Do, Does, Did are dropped
البناء الهيكلي
- ترتيب الجملة الخبرية Subject + Verb (not verb + subject)
- أفعال القول Asked, wondered, enquired, wanted to know
المباشر مقابل المنقول
خطوات تكوين السؤال المنقول
هل هو سؤال نعم/لا؟
هل فعل القول في الماضي؟
كيف ترتيب الكلمات الآن؟
مواقف لاستخدام الأسئلة المنقولة
بيئة العمل
- • مقابلات العمل
- • التقارير الأكاديمية
- • الإيميلات الرسمية
- • اجتماعات الشركات
محادثات يومية
- • مراسلة الأصدقاء
- • دردشات المقاهي
- • ألعاب الفيديو
- • تعليقات السوشيال ميديا
نقل المعلومات
- • تلخيص النقاشات
- • نقل الرسائل
- • شرح الاستفسارات
- • مشاركة الأخبار
اللباقة
- • أن تكون مهذباً
- • تلطيف الطلبات
- • التعبير عن عدم اليقين
- • الحفاظ على المسافة
أمثلة حسب المستوى
He asked if I was cold.
She asked if you like pizza.
I asked if he is here.
They asked if we have a car.
He asked if I wanted some water.
She wondered if it was raining.
They asked if I could swim.
I asked if she had a brother.
The teacher asked if we had finished the homework.
I asked whether the train was on time.
She wanted to know if I would be at the party.
He asked if I had ever been to France.
The manager inquired whether I was available for an interview.
I asked if they had been waiting long before I arrived.
She asked whether I preferred the red one or the blue one.
They wondered if the project would be completed by Friday.
The committee questioned whether the findings were statistically significant.
I was unsure whether to confront him about the discrepancy.
There was some debate as to whether the new law would actually reduce crime.
She asked if I might have overlooked the most obvious solution.
The philosopher pondered whether existence precedes essence in all cases.
It is highly debatable whether such a radical shift in policy is even feasible.
The witness was asked whether he could definitively swear to the defendant's presence.
One might ask whether the ends truly justify the means in this instance.
سهل الخلط
Learners confuse 'if' as a question linker with 'if' as a conditional marker.
Learners often use 'that' to report questions.
أخطاء شائعة
He asked me if am I okay.
He asked me if I was okay.
She asked if you like pizza?
She asked if you liked pizza.
I asked if did he go.
I asked if he went.
They asked if I have seen it.
They asked if I had seen it.
We discussed if we should go.
We discussed whether we should go.
أنماط الجُمل
I was wondering if ___.
It depends on whether ___ or not.
Real World Usage
They asked whether I had experience with Python.
She asked if I'm coming tonight.
I inquired whether the item was still in stock.
We examined whether the results were consistent.
The judge asked if the witness was telling the truth.
I asked if breakfast was included.
إتقان العودة بالزمن (Backshifting)
He asked if I liked pizza.
انتبه لترتيب الكلمات!
She asked if he was coming.
الفرق الدقيق بين If و Whether
He asked whether I wanted coffee or tea.
اللباقة في الإنجليزية
I wondered if you could help me.
وداعاً لـ Do و Does و Did
Do you live here?بتصير
He asked if I lived there.
Smart Tips
Try adding 'or not' at the end. If it sounds natural, 'whether' is usually the better choice.
Always check your pronouns. 'Are you coming?' asked by John to me becomes 'if I was coming'.
النطق
Falling Intonation
Unlike direct questions which often rise at the end, reported questions have falling intonation because they are grammatically statements.
Statement Fall
She asked if I liked it. ↘
Conveys that this is a piece of reported information, not a direct question.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Remember 'I.F.' — Indirect Form. If it's indirect, the 'If' comes first, and the 'Form' is a statement.
ربط بصري
Imagine a bridge made of the words 'IF' and 'WHETHER' connecting two islands. On the first island, people are shouting questions with 'Do' and 'Are'. As they cross the bridge, they drop their 'Do' signs and stand in a straight line (statement order) on the second island.
Rhyme
When 'do' and 'does' are in the way, throw them out and 'if' will stay!
Story
A detective is interviewing a witness. The witness says 'Did you see him?' The detective writes in his notebook: 'He asked if I had seen him.' The detective always turns questions into facts for his report.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Think of three questions you were asked today. Write them down as reported questions using 'if' or 'whether'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
British speakers are slightly more likely to use 'whether' in semi-formal situations compared to American speakers, who favor 'if' more broadly.
In global academic English, 'whether' is used to maintain an objective, detached tone, avoiding the conditional 'if' which can sometimes imply a 'supposition' rather than a 'question'.
The word 'whether' comes from the Old English 'hwæther', which specifically meant 'which of two'.
بدايات محادثة
Has anyone ever asked you if you wanted to move to another country?
Can you tell me whether you prefer working in the morning or at night?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
My friend wanted to know ___ I had finished the report.
Find and fix the mistake:
She asked if was he coming to the meeting.
Translate into English: 'Ella me preguntó si yo había visto su teléfono.'
Answer starts with: ["S...
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /4
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesHe asked me...
Find and fix the mistake:
She asked if did I see the keys.
We discussed ___ to buy a new car.
He wondered...
1. 'Is he here?' 2. 'Does he stay?' 3. 'Can he go?'
I asked him if or not he was coming.
A: 'Did you finish?' B: 'What did he ask?' C: 'He asked...'
asked, wondered, said, inquired
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesThe interviewer ___ whether I had previous experience.
My colleague wondered if he could to help me.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'سأل المدير إذا كان التقرير جاهزاً.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the direct questions with their reported forms:
I wasn't sure if she ___ (know) the answer.
He asked whether do you need any help.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'كانت تتساءل عما إذا كان الطرد سيصل في الوقت المحدد.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
In most cases, they are interchangeable. However, `whether` is more formal and is required after prepositions and before infinitives.
If the reporting verb is in the past, backshifting is standard. However, if the situation is still true (e.g., 'He asked if I live in London'), you can sometimes keep the present tense.
No, 'if or not' is generally considered incorrect. Use `whether or not` or just `if` by itself.
Because those are question auxiliaries used for inversion. Since reported questions are statements, they don't need question auxiliaries.
No. 'Asked that' is used for requests (subjunctive), not for reporting questions. Use `asked if`.
Only if the main clause is a question, e.g., 'Can you tell me if he's coming?' If the main clause is a statement, use a period.
You can use `wonder`, `inquire`, `want to know`, `query`, or `question`.
Historically yes, but now it's used for any yes/no question, even if only one option is mentioned.
Scaffolded Practice
1
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
si
English requires a shift to statement word order; Spanish is more flexible.
ob
German verb placement rules are even stricter than English.
si
French 'si' elides to 's' before 'il' (s'il), whereas English 'if' never changes.
〜かどうか (~ka dou ka)
The marker comes at the end of the clause in Japanese, but at the beginning in English.
ما إذا (ma idha)
Arabic often maintains the question particle within the indirect structure.
是否 (shìfǒu)
Chinese has no tense backshifting, which is a major hurdle for learners.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
فيديوهات ذات صلة
06:05 Can you survive a Komodo dragon bite? - Achmad Ariefiandy
05:49 The myth of Dionysus’ drunken revenge - Iseult Gillespie
08:07 What’s the best way to give a presentation?
Reported Speech: Questions (If/Whether) شرح بالعربي
English with Omnia
الكلام المنقول في الأسئلة - Reported Questions
Omar Al-Hourani
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