Questions indirectes avec mots interrogatifs (Qui, Quoi, Pourquoi)
wh- transforment les demandes en affirmations, changeant l'ordre des mots et décalant les temps.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Switch from question order to statement order and drop 'do/does/did' when reporting Wh-questions.
- Use statement word order: Subject + Verb, not Verb + Subject. Example: 'where he was' not 'where was he'.
- Remove auxiliary 'do', 'does', or 'did'. Example: 'why she left' not 'why did she leave'.
- Shift tenses backward (Backshift) if the reporting verb is in the past. Example: 'is' becomes 'was'.
Overview
reported questions, avec des mots interrogatifs (who, what, why, where, when, how, which, whose) est une étape cruciale pour atteindre un niveau C1. En français, nous utilisons le style indirect pour rapporter une interrogation, comme dans « Il m'a demandé où j'allais ». En anglais, cette structure est omniprésente et exige une rigueur syntaxique que beaucoup d'apprenants francophones négligent, souvent par habitude de calquer la structure directe.do, does, did) disparaît totalement. C'est une erreur classique : l'apprenant francophone veut garder le « do » parce qu'il pense que c'est nécessaire pour marquer la question. Or, dès qu'il y a un mot interrogatif qui introduit une subordonnée, la fonction interrogative disparaît au profit d'une fonction de complément d'objet.do est supprimé.I précède le verbe wanted. 3) Le temps a reculé (backshift). Ce dernier point est fascinant : le *tense backshift* (décalage temporel) est une règle de concordance des temps quasi systématique en anglais formel, alors qu'en français, nous sommes parfois plus souples.that après le mot interrogatif.- Direct : « Why are you crying? » -> Reported : I asked him why he was crying.
- Direct : « How much does it cost? » -> Reported : She inquired how much it cost.
- Direct : « Who has finished the project? » -> Reported : The boss asked who had finished the project.
- 1Le récit professionnel : Lors d'un compte-rendu de réunion, tu ne vas pas citer tout le monde mot à mot. Tu diras : « The client asked when the deadline would be met ». C'est plus fluide et cela montre une maîtrise de la synthèse.
- 2La diplomatie et la politesse : Utiliser « I was wondering where you were » est beaucoup plus élégant et moins direct que « Where are you? ». Cela adoucit la demande et montre une intelligence sociale supérieure.
- 3L'analyse critique : Dans un essai académique ou une discussion philosophique, on rapporte souvent les questions posées par des auteurs ou des théoriciens : « The author questions why society prioritizes wealth over well-being ». Ici, le verbe
questionssert de verbe introducteur au présent, donc il n'y a pas forcément debackshift, ce qui est une nuance importante pour le niveau C1.
- 1L'inversion sujet-verbe persistante : L'erreur la plus commune est de dire « He asked me where was the station ». L'apprenant francophone, habitué à l'inversion « Où est la gare ? », oublie que dans une subordonnée anglaise, l'ordre doit être sujet-verbe. Pourquoi ? Parce que le français permet l'inversion dans l'interrogation indirecte familière, alors que l'anglais l'interdit strictement.
- 2Le maintien de l'auxiliaire
do/did: « She asked me what did I want ». L'apprenant pense que ledidest nécessaire pour « faire » la question. C'est une interférence directe du français où l'on utilise « est-ce que » ou l'inversion. En anglais, ledo/didest un marqueur d'interrogation directe, il n'a aucune place dans une proposition subordonnée. - 3L'oubli du backshift : Dire « He asked me where I am » au lieu de « where I was ». Le français est moins rigide sur la concordance des temps dans le discours rapporté. L'apprenant francophone, par réflexe, garde le temps du moment de l'énonciation originale, là où l'anglais exige une mise à jour chronologique par rapport au moment du récit.
Reported Question et Relative Clause est fréquente. Dans « The place where he lives », where introduit une description du lieu. Dans « I asked where he lived », where introduit l'objet de la question.where est un pronom relatif, dans le second, c'est une conjonction interrogative.- 1Le backshift est-il toujours obligatoire ?
- 1Puis-je utiliser
thataprès le mot interrogatif ?
- 1Quels sont les verbes les plus élégants pour varier mon vocabulaire ?
3. Tense Backshift in Reported Wh-Questions
| Direct Question Tense | Direct Example | Reported Tense | Reported Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
Where is he?
|
Past Simple
|
She asked where he was.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
What are you doing?
|
Past Continuous
|
He asked what I was doing.
|
|
Past Simple
|
Why did they leave?
|
Past Perfect
|
I asked why they had left.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
Who has seen it?
|
Past Perfect
|
She asked who had seen it.
|
|
Future (will)
|
When will it end?
|
Conditional (would)
|
They asked when it would end.
|
|
Can
|
How can I help?
|
Could
|
He asked how he could help.
|
Meanings
The process of conveying a question asked by someone else without quoting them directly, requiring changes in word order, pronouns, and tenses.
Standard Reporting
Relaying a past inquiry to a third party.
“He inquired what the total cost would be.”
“They asked who was responsible for the oversight.”
Polite Indirect Inquiries
Using reported structures to ask a question more tentatively or formally in the present.
“I was wondering why you decided to resign.”
“Could you tell me what time the train leaves?”
Academic/Legal Reporting
Reporting questions in a highly formal, detached manner using specific reporting verbs.
“The plaintiff questioned why the safety protocols were ignored.”
“The committee queried how the funds were allocated.”
Reference Table
| Question Directe | Question Rapportée | Changement de Temps | Changement Clé |
|---|---|---|---|
|
What do you want?
|
He asked what I wanted.
|
Présent Simple → Passé Simple
|
Pas d'inversion, pas de 'do'
|
|
Where are they going?
|
She wondered where they were going.
|
Présent Continu → Passé Continu
|
Pas d'inversion
|
|
Why has he left?
|
I wanted to know why he had left.
|
Présent Perfect → Passé Perfect
|
Pas d'inversion
|
|
When did she arrive?
|
They asked when she had arrived.
|
Passé Simple → Passé Perfect
|
Pas d'inversion, pas de 'did'
|
|
How will you finish?
|
He inquired how I would finish.
|
Futur Simple → Conditionnel
|
Pas d'inversion
|
|
Which book do you prefer?
|
She asked which book I preferred.
|
Présent Simple → Passé Simple
|
Mot interrogatif + objet comme connecteur
|
Spectre de formalité
I should like to inquire as to why the proceedings have been delayed. (Business/Social)
He asked why the meeting was late starting. (Business/Social)
He asked why we were so slow. (Business/Social)
He was like, 'Why the holdup?' (Business/Social)
Questions Rapportées avec Mots Interrogatifs
Changements Clés
- No Question Mark Deviennent des déclarations
- Subject-Verb Order Comme une phrase normale
- Tense Backshift Souvent un pas en arrière
Mots Interrogatifs
- Who Sujet ou Objet
- What Sujet ou Objet
- Why Raison
- Where Lieu
Verbes Introducteurs
- Ask Général
- Wonder Curiosité
- Inquire Formel
- Want to know Désir d'information
Questions Directes vs. Rapportées (Wh-)
Organigramme pour former les Questions Rapportées (Wh-)
Commencer par un Verbe Introducteur ?
Le mot en 'Wh-' est le SUJET (par ex., 'Who broke...') ?
Le contexte exige-t-il un décalage des temps (verbe introducteur au passé) ?
Y a-t-il un point d'interrogation ?
Verbes Introducteurs Courants
Général
- • ask
- • tell (someone)
Curiosité
- • wonder
- • be curious
- • want to know
Formel
- • inquire
- • question
- • demanded to know
Indirect
- • be interested in
- • find out
- • check
Exemples par niveau
He asked where the shop is.
She asked what my name is.
I asked who that man is.
They asked why you are sad.
He asked where I lived.
She wanted to know what I liked.
I asked why she was late.
They asked who cooked the dinner.
She asked me why I had chosen that book.
He wondered what time the film started.
They inquired where they could park their car.
I asked him who he was waiting for.
The interviewer asked why I had decided to change careers.
She inquired what the company's policy was regarding remote work.
He asked me how I would handle a difficult client.
They wondered why the project hadn't been completed on time.
The board questioned why the CEO had withheld such vital information.
She demanded to know who had authorized the expenditure without her consent.
The researchers investigated why the participants had reacted so inconsistently.
He queried what the implications would be if the merger failed.
The defense attorney cross-examined the witness, asking why they had hitherto remained silent.
The philosopher pondered what it truly meant to live a life of virtue in the modern age.
The diplomat inquired as to why the treaty had been summarily rejected by the council.
She questioned why the protagonist’s motivations remained so opaque throughout the novel.
Facile à confondre
Learners often think they are the same. While they use the same word order, reported questions refer to the past, while indirect questions are often used for present politeness.
When 'who' is the subject of the question, the word order doesn't seem to change much, which confuses learners.
Learners sometimes try to use 'whether' with a Wh-word.
Erreurs courantes
He asked where is the bus?
He asked where the bus is.
She asked what do you want.
She asked what you want.
I asked who is he.
I asked who he is.
They asked why you are here?
They asked why you are here.
He asked why did she leave.
He asked why she left.
She asked where was I going.
She asked where I was going.
I asked what time does it start.
I asked what time it started.
He asked me why I am late.
He asked me why I was late.
She wondered what had he done.
She wondered what he had done.
I asked him who was he waiting for.
I asked him who he was waiting for.
The board inquired why was the budget exceeded.
The board inquired why the budget had been exceeded.
She demanded to know what were the reasons.
She demanded to know what the reasons were.
He queried as to why did the results vary.
He queried as to why the results varied.
Structures de phrases
I was wondering why ___.
She asked me what ___.
The investigator inquired as to how ___.
They demanded to know who ___.
Real World Usage
The recruiter asked why I was interested in the role.
She asked what time we were meeting.
I inquired why my refund hadn't been processed.
The study explored why the results were inconsistent.
The officer asked where the suspect had gone.
So I asked him why he was being so rude!
Règle d'or : Pas d'inversion !
She asked what I was doinget non
She asked what was I doing.
Attention au décalage des temps (Backshift)
He asked where Paris issi Paris est toujours en France ! Le contexte est super important. Tu dirais
He asked what is the capital of Francesi tu veux dire qu'il a demandé la capitale et que c'est toujours la même.
Maîtrise les verbes introducteurs !
He wondered why she leftest plus nuancé que
He asked why she left.
La politesse dans l'indirect
I was wondering if you could help meau lieu de
Can you help me?. C'est plus doux !
Smart Tips
Stop! Delete 'did' and move the main verb into the Past Perfect.
Don't overthink the word order; it stays the same, just change the tense.
Use 'I was wondering if you could clarify why...' instead of 'Why did...'.
Say the reported part as a normal sentence first, then add 'He asked' at the front.
Prononciation
Falling Intonation
Unlike direct questions which may have rising intonation, reported questions end with falling intonation because they are grammatically statements.
Stress on Wh-word
The Wh-word (why, what, where) often receives slightly more stress as it is the key information link.
Declarative Fall
I asked what he wanted. ↘
Conveys that the speaker is making a statement of fact about a past inquiry.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'SV' (Subject-Verb) for Reported Speech, not 'VS' (Verb-Subject) for Questions.
Association visuelle
Imagine a question mark (?) being flattened into a period (.) as it moves from a direct quote into a reported sentence. The 'do' auxiliary falls off the sentence like a loose leaf.
Rhyme
When reporting what they say, throw the 'do' and 'does' away. Put the subject in the lead, that is all the help you need!
Story
A detective is reporting to his boss. He doesn't ask 'Who did it?'; he tells his boss 'I asked the witness who had done it.' He changes the tense to show the mystery is being solved.
Word Web
Défi
Write down three questions you were asked today. Now, rewrite them as reported questions starting with 'Someone asked me...'.
Notes culturelles
In formal British English, 'inquire' is often spelled with an 'e' (enquire) for general questions and an 'i' (inquire) for formal investigations, though this distinction is fading.
Americans are more likely to use 'asked' even in semi-formal contexts, reserving 'inquired' for very formal or legal situations.
Using reported questions is a key 'softening' technique in global business culture to avoid sounding too demanding or aggressive.
The structure of reported speech in English evolved from Old English, where 'thaet' (that) was often used to introduce reported clauses, including questions.
Amorces de conversation
Tell me about a time someone asked you why you chose your career.
If you could ask a famous person one thing, what would it be? Now, tell me what you would ask them using reported speech.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to inquire why a service was poor?
What did your parents always ask you when you were a child?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
She wanted to know what I ___ (do) that evening.
Find and fix the mistake:
He asked me why did I leave early.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesHe asked me ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
She asked why did I leave the party early.
The auditor ___ why the receipts were missing.
asked / where / she / I / been / had
He wanted to know what time the train ___ (leave) the next day.
In reported Wh-questions, we use the same word order as in direct questions.
A: 'Why are you crying?' B: 'What did he say?' C: 'He asked ___.'
Select the correct sentence.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesI wondered `when he ___ (finish) the report`.
They inquired how much it will cost?
Which sentence correctly reports: 'What are you reading?'
Translate into English: 'Ella quería saber por qué él se fue tan temprano.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the direct question with its reported form:
The client inquired `what their options ___ (be)`.
My mom always wants to know where are my keys.
Select the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Me preguntaba qué estaba pasando.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
FAQ (8)
Not always. If the reporting verb is in the present (e.g., 'He asks') or if the situation is still true (e.g., 'He asked where the station is'), you can keep the present tense.
No. In standard English, we do not use `that` before a Wh-word. For example, say 'He asked why I left,' not 'He asked that why I left.'
`Ask` is neutral and common. `Inquire` is formal and often used in business or official contexts. `Inquire` often takes the preposition `about` or the phrase `as to`.
For Yes/No questions, use `if` or `whether` instead of a Wh-word. For example, 'Are you coming?' becomes 'He asked if I was coming.'
These are 'dummy' auxiliaries used only to facilitate inversion in questions. Since reported questions don't have inversion, these auxiliaries are no longer needed.
No. 'I wonder why he is late' is a statement, so it ends with a period. However, 'Do you wonder why he is late?' is a question and needs a question mark.
If `shall` is used for a future fact, it becomes `would`. If it's used for a suggestion (e.g., 'Shall we go?'), it often becomes `should` (e.g., 'He asked if we should go').
In some dialects (like Hiberno-English) or in very informal speech, you might hear it, but in standard English and all exams, it is considered incorrect.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Preguntas indirectas (e.g., Me preguntó qué quería)
Spanish doesn't have an equivalent to the 'do/does' auxiliary, so the 'removal' rule isn't a problem for them.
L'interrogation indirecte (e.g., Il a demandé ce que je faisais)
French uses 'ce que' or 'ce qui' for 'what', whereas English just uses 'what'.
Indirekte Fragesätze (e.g., Er fragte, was ich mache)
In German, the verb moves to the end; in English, it just moves after the subject.
Kikimashita (e.g., Nani o shite iru ka kikimashita)
Japanese keeps the question marker 'ka', while English removes all question markers (like 'do' or the question mark).
Al-as'ila al-ghayr mubashira
Arabic does not have a mandatory backshift of tenses like English does.
Jiànjiē wèntí
Chinese has no structural change at all, making the English 'transformation' very difficult for learners.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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