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
Are you going?）。間接疑問文では、主語が常に動詞の前に来ます（例：she asked if I was going）。この語順の変更は、その節がもはや直接的な問いではなく、名詞としての機能を持つ従属節であることを示します。直接疑問文において、疑問の構造のためにのみ存在する助動詞 do, does, did は、もはや疑問の機能を果たさないため、報告された形式では通常省略されます。What do you want?」は「She asked what I wanted」となり、do が消え、I wanted は平叙文の語順に従います。said, asked）と比較して、動詞の時制を過去の方向へ一つずらすことを意味します。この調整は、元の質問がそれを報告する行為よりも前に起こったことを示す、時間的な整合性を保証します。例えば、直接疑問文の現在形動詞は、間接疑問文では過去形になることが多く、過去形動詞は過去完了形にずれることがよくあります。- 直接疑問文：
“Where are they going?” - 間接疑問文：
He asked where they were going. - 直接疑問文：
“When did you arrive?” - 間接疑問文：
She inquired when I had arrived.
who, what, why など）は、報告節を導入する重要な接続詞（subordinating conjunction）として機能します。疑問詞なしのYes/No疑問文で使われる if や whether とは異なり、疑問詞はそれ自体でこの連結機能Performし、求められた情報の性質を特定しながら、元の形式を維持します。疑問詞が省略されることはなく、また that が後に続くこともありません。報告主語 + 報告動詞（しばしば過去形） + 疑問詞 + 報告される主語 + 報告される動詞（時制がずれたもの） + （報告される節の残り）ask | Neutral | 最も一般的、直接的な問いかけの報告 | “What is your name?” | He asked what my name was. |wonder | Neutral | 好奇心、しばしば丁寧または思索的なニュアンスを表現 | “Why did she leave early?” | I wondered why she had left early. |inquire | Formal | 公式な、あるいは調査的な問い合わせを示唆 | “How were the funds allocated?” | The committee inquired how the funds had been allocated. |want to know | Neutral/Emp | 情報への欲求を強調 | “Where are the documents stored?” | They wanted to know where the documents were stored. |demand to know | Strong | 強制や緊急性を示唆、しばしば対立的 | “Who is responsible for this?” | He demanded to know who was responsible for the error. |request to know | Formal | 情報提供を求める丁寧で公式な方法 | “When will the results be published?” | We requested to know when the results would be published. |check | Neutral | 既に疑われている情報の確認を意味する（疑問詞と共に使用可）| “Is she coming?” | I checked when she was arriving. |who, what, why, where, when, how, which, whose）は、報告される節の中で、その形式を変えずにそのまま使用されます。これらは従属接続詞として機能し、埋め込まれた疑問文を直接導入し、求められた情報の内容を特定します。これらの後に that が続くことはありません。- 直接疑問文：
“What do you need from the store?” - 間接疑問文：
She asked what I needed from the store. - 直接疑問文：
“When is the next train departing?” - 間接疑問文：
He wanted to know when the next train was departing.
- 直接疑問文：
“Where are you going?”(助動詞 + 主語) - 間接疑問文：
He asked where you were going.(主語 + 動詞)
do, does, did）は、間接疑問文の形式では常に省略されます。それらが持つ時制の情報は、主動詞に吸収されます。例えば、did は過去単純形を示し、それはしばしば過去完了形に時制がずれます。do/does は現在単純形を示し、過去単純形に時制がずれます。- 直接疑問文：
“What do you think about the proposal?” - 間接疑問文：
She asked what I thought about the proposal.(doは省略され、thinkはthoughtになる)
“Where do you live?” | He asked where I lived. |“What are you doing?” | She wondered what I was doing. |“Why have you changed your mind?” | They asked why I had changed my mind. |“When did he arrive?” | She asked when he had arrived. |“Who was talking to you?” | He inquired who had been talking to me. |“How will you manage that?” | They asked how I would manage that. |“Where can I find the report?” | She wanted to know where she could find the report. |“When may I call you?” | He asked when he might call me. |- 普遍的な真理・事実： 報告される疑問が一般的な真理に関するものである場合、時制の一致はしばしば省略されます。
Direct: “Where is the sun?” Reported: He asked where the sun is (or was).どちらも許容されますが、isはその不変性を強調します。選択は、報告者がその情報の現在性について信じていることを微妙に示唆します。 - 即時の報告： ごく最近言われたことを報告する場合、特にインフォーマルな会話では、時制の一致はしばしば任意です。
Direct: “What are you working on?” Reported: She just asked what I am working on.これは、その行為がまだ進行中であることを示唆します。 - 特定の時間参照： 直接疑問文に正確な過去の時間参照（例：
yesterday,last week）が含まれている場合、過去単純形は変更されないことがありますが、過去完了形も文法的には正しいです。Direct: “When did you finish yesterday?” Reported: He asked when I finished yesterday.(一般的ではないが、可能)
- 代名詞： 話者と聞き手が変わるため、代名詞も変更されます。
- 直接疑問文：
“You should call me.” - 間接疑問文：
She asked if I should call her. - 時間・場所の副詞： 時間や場所を示す副詞も、報告時点での状況に合わせて変更されます。
- 直接疑問文：
“Where are you going now?” - 間接疑問文：
He asked where I was going then.(またはat that moment) - 直接疑問文：
“When did you arrive today?” - 間接疑問文：
She asked when I had arrived that day.
- 面接官：「
What are your strengths and weaknesses?」
The interviewer asked what my strengths and weaknesses were.- 同僚：「
Did you finish the report on the Q3 sales figures?」
My colleague asked whether I had finished the report on the Q3 sales figures.- 「
I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat what you said?」
I asked him to repeat what he had said because I hadn't heard it clearly.- 「
So, you're saying the deadline has been extended?」
I asked if the deadline had been extended, just to confirm.- 顧客：「
When can we expect the delivery?」
The customer asked when they could expect the delivery.- 後輩：「
Senpai, can I ask you a quick question about the project?」
My kouhai asked if he could ask me a quick question about the project.- 「
I remember my grandmother asking me, 'Why do you always look so serious?'」
I remember my grandmother asking me why I always looked so serious.- 「
The detective asked the witness, 'What did you see that night?'」
The detective asked the witness what they had seen that night.- 記事：「
The report questions whether the new policy will be effective.」
The article questions whether the new policy will be effective.- 会議の議事録：「
The meeting addressed why employee morale has been declining.」
The meeting addressed why employee morale had been declining.Do you know...?) がありますが、間接疑問文では主語＋動詞の平叙文の語順 (... you knew...) になる必要があります。この変換を忘れて、直接疑問文のような倒置（助動詞＋主語）をそのまま使ってしまうケースが非常に多いです。- 誤り：
She asked where did I go yesterday. - 正解：
She asked where I went yesterday. - 誤り：
He wondered why was she late. - 正解：
He wondered why she was late.
She asked, He wondered）の後には、名詞節が続きます。名詞節は基本的に平叙文の語順をとるため、主語が動詞の前に来る必要があります。疑問詞（where, why）は接続詞の役割を果たし、その後に続く節の語順を決定します。do, does, did) Incorrectly or Keeping Them Unnecessarilydo, does, did が疑問を作るために不可欠ですが、間接疑問文ではこれらの助動詞は不要になります。時制の情報は主動詞に吸収されるため、これらの助動詞を残しておくと、不自然で文法的に誤った表現になります。逆に、必要な場合に（例えば、時制の一致を考慮する際に）これらを残してしまうことも間違いです。- 誤り：
He asked what did she mean. - 正解：
He asked what she meant.
did は過去の事実を示唆しています。間接疑問文では、この did を省略し、主動詞 mean を過去形 meant にすることで、過去の時制を表現します。- 誤り：
She asked where I live.(もし話している時点ではもう住んでいない場合) - 正解：
She asked where I lived.
asked) で、かつ報告される内容が過去の状況や、もはや現在では真実でない事柄を指す場合、時制を過去にずらす（backshift）のが一般的です。ただし、報告される内容が普遍的な真理であったり、報告の時点でまだ真実であったりする場合は、時制の一致を省略することも可能です。この「いつ一致させるべきか」の判断が難しい点です。if / whether with Question Wordsif または whether を使いますが、疑問詞を使った疑問文では、疑問詞自体が接続詞の役割を果たすため、if や whether は不要です。しかし、これらの単語を誤って挿入してしまう学習者もいます。- 誤り：
He asked if what I wanted. - 正解：
He asked what I wanted.
what が既に「～ということ」という意味で接続詞の役割を果たしているので、if は不要です。同様に、who, where, when, why, how の後にも if や whether は来ません。I → he/she, you → me/him/her）や、時間・場所を表す副詞（now → then, here → there, today → that day）を、報告する時点での視点に合わせて適切に調整する必要があります。これを怠ると、意味が通じなくなったり、不自然になったりします。- 誤り：
She asked me what I want.(もし彼女が「あなたは何が欲しい？」と尋ねた場合) - 正解：
She asked me what I wanted.(時制の一致も考慮)
- 誤り：
He asked where I am.(もし彼が「君はどこにいるの？」と尋ねた場合) - 正解：
He asked where I was.(時制の一致も考慮)
you は me に、I は he/she になるなど、文脈に応じた代名詞の変換が必要です。同様に、now は then に、today は that day になるなど、時間的・空間的な指示語の調整も重要です。?) | Ends with a period (.) |do, does, did may be used for structure | do, does, did are omitted |ask, wonder, inquire) |“Where are you going?” | He asked where I was going. |who, what, why など）で始まる間接疑問文と、Yes/No疑問文を報告する間接疑問文は、導入部分と構造が異なります。who, what, where...) | if or whether |She asked what I wanted. | She asked if I was happy. |He asked whether they had arrived. |ask, wonder, inquire etc. | say, tell, state etc. |if/whether | Often introduced by that (optional) |He asked when the meeting would start. | He said that the meeting would start at 3 PM. |She told me that she was leaving. |He asks..., She says...）の場合、報告される内容は現在の事実や一般的な真理であることが多く、時制の一致は行いません。ただし、報告される内容が過去の特定の出来事について言及している場合は、例外的に時制の一致が起こることもありますが、一般的ではありません。He asks what I want. (現在形。彼は今、私が何を欲しがっているか尋ねている)He asked what I wanted. (過去形。彼は以前、私が何を欲しがっていたか尋ねた)She asked where she could find the book. (疑問詞 where → 主語 she → 助動詞 could → 動詞 find)do, does, did は間接疑問文でどのように扱われますか？do, does, did は、間接疑問文では完全に省略されます。これらの助動詞が持つ時制の情報は、主動詞に吸収されます。例えば、did がある場合、主動詞は過去形または過去完了形になります。do/does がある場合、主動詞は過去形になります。“What did you eat?” → He asked what I ate.“What do you like?” → She asked what I liked.He asked where the Earth was located. (過去形。地球の位置について尋ねた)He asked where the Earth is located. (現在形。地球の位置という普遍的な事実について尋ねた。こちらの方が自然な場合も多い)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
| 直接疑問文 | 間接疑問文 | 時制の変化 | 主な変更点 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
What do you want?
|
He asked what I wanted.
|
Present Simple → Past Simple
|
倒置なし、'do'なし
|
|
Where are they going?
|
She wondered where they were going.
|
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
|
倒置なし
|
|
Why has he left?
|
I wanted to know why he had left.
|
Present Perfect → Past Perfect
|
倒置なし
|
|
When did she arrive?
|
They asked when she had arrived.
|
Past Simple → Past Perfect
|
倒置なし、'did'なし
|
|
How will you finish?
|
He inquired how I would finish.
|
Future Simple → Conditional
|
倒置なし
|
|
Which book do you prefer?
|
She asked which book I preferred.
|
Present Simple → Past Simple
|
疑問詞 + 目的語が接続詞として機能
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
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)
疑問詞を使った間接疑問文
主な変更点
- No Question Mark 発言になる
- Subject-Verb Order 通常の文のように
- Tense Backshift しばしば一つ過去にずれる
疑問詞
- Who 主語または目的語
- What 主語または目的語
- Why 理由
- Where 場所
報告動詞
- Ask 一般的
- Wonder 好奇心
- Inquire フォーマル
- Want to know 情報への欲求
直接Wh-疑問文 vs. 間接Wh-疑問文
疑問詞を使った間接Wh-疑問文作成フローチャート
報告動詞から始める？
疑問詞が主語（例：「Who broke...」）？
文脈上、時制のバックシフトが必要（過去の報告動詞）？
疑問符がある？
よく使われる報告動詞
一般的
- • ask
- • tell (someone)
好奇心
- • wonder
- • be curious
- • want to know
フォーマル
- • inquire
- • question
- • demand to know
間接的
- • be interested in
- • find out
- • check
レベル別の例文
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.
間違えやすい
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.
よくある間違い
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.
文型パターン
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!
「倒置なし」のルールを徹底しよう
He asked what I was doing.(正) vs.
He asked what was I doing.(誤)
時制のバックシフトに注意
He asked where Paris is.
報告動詞を使いこなそう
She wondered what he meant.
間接表現で丁寧さを
I was wondering if you could help me.
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.
発音
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.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Remember 'SV' (Subject-Verb) for Reported Speech, not 'VS' (Verb-Subject) for Questions.
視覚的連想
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
チャレンジ
Write down three questions you were asked today. Now, rewrite them as reported questions starting with 'Someone asked me...'.
文化メモ
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.
会話のきっかけ
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?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
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
練習問題
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
よくある質問 (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
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REPORTED SPEECH | INDIRECT SPEECH | DIRECT SPEECH - statements, questions, commands
Arnel's Everyday English
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