B2 Advanced Syntax 12 min read Medium

Reported Questions: He asked if... (si / qué / dónde)

Reported questions transform direct quotes into narrative statements using si or interrogatives with a back-shifted verb tense.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When reporting a question, remove the question marks and use 'si' for yes/no questions or the original question word for others.

  • Use 'si' for yes/no questions: '¿Vienes?' becomes 'Me preguntó si venía.'
  • Keep the original question word for others: '¿Qué haces?' becomes 'Me preguntó qué hacía.'
  • Always use statement word order (Subject + Verb) instead of inverted question order.
Reporting Verb + (si / qué / dónde / etc.) + Subject + Verb

Overview

Reporting a question, known in Spanish as estilo indirecto or discurso indirecto, is the grammatical mechanism for relaying a question asked by someone else. It's the difference between quoting directly ("She asked, 'Are you coming?'") and narrating the event ("She asked if I was coming."). This isn't just a cosmetic change; it's a fundamental shift in perspective.

You are moving the question from its original context—the "here and now" of when it was asked—into the context of your own narrative, which is typically set in the past.

The core of this process involves two primary transformations. First, for Yes/No questions, you introduce the word si ("if" or "whether"). For information questions that use interrogative words like qué ("what") or dónde ("where"), you retain that original question word.

Second, and most crucially, you must perform a tense backshift, or correlación temporal. Because you are usually reporting something that happened in the past, the verb tense of the original question must take a logical step backward in time. For example, a question asked in the present tense will be reported using the imperfect tense.

Mastering this structure is essential for fluid storytelling, professional communication, and achieving the narrative sophistication expected at the B2 level.

How This Grammar Works

Linguistically, a reported question works by embedding one clause inside another. The main clause is your reporting statement (e.g., Ella me preguntó... / "She asked me..."), and it establishes the time frame. The subordinate clause is the original question, which is now transformed to fit grammatically within the main clause.
This transformation requires three systematic shifts.
First is the perspective shift. Pronouns, possessives, and adverbs of time and place must be adjusted to reflect the new narrator's point of view. The original speaker's yo becomes él or ella, mi becomes su, and so on. Likewise, the context of place and time changes.
| Direct Adverb | -> | Indirect Adverb | English Equivalent |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| aquí | -> | allí / ahí | "here" -> "there" |
| hoy | -> | ese día | "today" -> "that day" |
| ahora | -> | entonces / en ese momento| "now" -> "then" / "at that moment" |
| mañana| -> | al día siguiente | "tomorrow" -> "the next day" |
| ayer | -> | el día anterior | "yesterday" -> "the day before" |
Second is the grammatical shift. The interrogative punctuation (¿?) is removed, as the reported question is now a declarative statement. You then insert a connector: either si for yes/no questions or the original interrogative word (qué, cómo, cuándo, etc.).
These connectors serve as the bridge linking the main reporting clause to the subordinate clause containing the old question.
Third, and most central to the rule, is the temporal shift, or tense backshift. The verb tense in the subordinate clause must move one step further into the past to align with the past-tense reporting verb (like preguntó). For instance, an action that was present (¿Qué haces?) at the moment of asking is now in the past from your narrative standpoint, so it becomes imperfect (...qué hacía).
This isn't an arbitrary rule; it's the logical representation of time passing between the original event and your retelling of it.

Formation Pattern

1
To construct a reported question correctly, you follow a consistent, multi-step pattern. The general formula is:
2
[Reporting Verb in Past] + [Connector (si or Interrogative)] + [Subject] + [Backshifted Verb]
3
1. The Reporting Verb
4
While preguntar (to ask) is the most common, other verbs can add nuance. Your choice of verb frames the nature of the inquiry. It's typically conjugated in the pretérito or imperfecto.
5
preguntar: The neutral, standard choice. Me preguntó... (He/she asked me...)
6
querer saber: Implies curiosity. Quería saber... (He/she wanted to know...)
7
cuestionar: Suggests doubt or a more formal challenge. Me cuestionó por qué... (He/she questioned me why...)
8
indagar / investigar: Used for formal investigation. El detective indagó dónde... (The detective inquired where...)
9
In casual speech, it is also very common to hear decir used. For example, Me dijo si quería un café for "He asked if I wanted a coffee."
10
2. The Connector Word
11
The choice of connector depends entirely on the type of the original question.
12
For Yes/No Questions, you must use si. This si means "if" or "whether" and never carries a written accent.
13
Direct: ¿Vives en Madrid? (Do you live in Madrid?)
14
Indirect: Me preguntó si vivía en Madrid. (He asked me if I lived in Madrid.)
15
For Information Questions, you reuse the original interrogative word. These words (qué, quién, cómo, cuándo, dónde, cuál, por qué, cuánto) must retain their written accents (tildes) to preserve their interrogative function within the clause.
16
Direct: ¿Cuándo es la reunión? (When is the meeting?)
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Indirect: Me preguntó cuándo era la reunión. (He asked me when the meeting was.)
18
3. Tense Backshifting (Correlación Temporal)
19
This is the most critical step and follows a predictable pattern. The tense of the original question determines the tense of the reported question.
20
| Direct Speech (Original Tense) | → | Indirect Speech (Backshifted Tense) |
21
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
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| Presente | → | Imperfecto |
23
| ¿Qué necesitas? | → | Me preguntó qué necesitaba. |
24
| Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto | → | Pluscuamperfecto |
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| ¿Has visto la película? | → | Me preguntó si había visto la película. |
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| Pretérito Indefinido | → | Pluscuamperfecto |
27
| ¿Por qué lo hiciste? | → | Me preguntó por qué lo había hecho. |
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| Futuro Simple | → | Condicional Simple |
29
| ¿Cuándo volverás? | → | Me preguntó cuándo volvería. |
30
| Presente de Subjuntivo | → | Imperfecto de Subjuntivo |
31
| ¿Quieres que te ayude? | → | Me preguntó si quería que le ayudara / ayudase. |
32
Exceptions to Backshifting:
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There are two key scenarios where the tense backshift is not applied:
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Universal Truths or Still-Relevant Information: If the information in the question remains true at the time of reporting, you can often keep the verb in the present tense. For instance, if someone asks you ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?), you can report it as Me preguntó de dónde soy because your origin hasn't changed. While de dónde era is also correct, using the present tense is common and natural in these cases.
35
Real-Time Reporting: If you are reporting the question almost immediately after it is asked (e.g., translating for someone in the same room), no time has passed, so no shift is needed. For example, your friend on the phone asks, ¿Qué dice tu mamá?, and you turn to your mother and say, Pregunta que qué dices.

When To Use It

Reported speech is not a niche rule; it is a cornerstone of everyday communication, woven into the fabric of how we share information.
Recounting Personal Conversations: This is the most frequent use case. It's the engine of gossip, storytelling, and daily updates. Anytime you tell someone about a conversation you had—with a friend, a partner, or a family member—you are using estilo indirecto.
For example: Mi madre me llamó y me preguntó si había comido bien. ("My mom called and asked if I had eaten well.")
Professional and Workplace Contexts: In a professional environment, clarity and precision are key. Reported questions are essential for summarizing meetings, relaying client requests, and debriefing interviews. You might report to your team, El cliente preguntó cuándo podríamos entregar el prototipo. ("The client asked when we could deliver the prototype.") It conveys information neutrally and efficiently.
Academic and Formal Writing: When citing sources or discussing research, estilo indirecto is the formal standard. You report the questions posed by other researchers or historical figures. For instance, in a history paper, you might write: Galileo cuestionó si la Tierra era realmente el centro del universo. ("Galileo questioned if the Earth was truly the center of the universe.")
Narrative in Media and Literature: Novelists, journalists, and screenwriters use reported questions constantly to avoid clunky, quote-heavy text. It allows for a smoother narrative flow, summarizing dialogue while maintaining the story's pace. A movie subtitle might read, Le preguntó qué estaba haciendo allí tan tarde ("He asked her what she was doing there so late") to convey a question without breaking the scene's momentum.

Common Mistakes

Learners at the B2 level often understand the concept but fall into a few predictable traps. Recognizing these patterns is key to avoiding them.
  1. 1Forgetting the Tense Shift: The most common error is failing to backshift the verb. A learner might say, *Ayer, Juan me preguntó si voy a la fiesta. This is grammatically jarring because the adverb ayer (yesterday) clashes with the present-tense verb voy (I go). The correct form, ...si iba a la fiesta, properly places the entire event in the past.
  1. 1Accent and Word Confusion: This is a frequent and critical error.
  • si vs. sí: Using an accent on si (*Me preguntó sí venía) is incorrect. Sí means "yes"; si means "if." They are not interchangeable.
  • Forgetting Accents on Interrogatives: Writing Me preguntó como estaba instead of ...cómo estaba changes the meaning. como (no accent) is a conjunction meaning "as" or "like." The accent on cómo preserves its function as an interrogative ("how"). This applies to all question words: que/qué, cuando/cuándo, etc.
  1. 1Redundant que si: In many spoken dialects, you'll hear Me preguntó que si venía. While common and understandable, this que is considered redundant in formal and written Spanish. For clear, standard Spanish, simply use si: Me preguntó si venía. Omitting the que results in a cleaner, more polished sentence.
  1. 1Confusing preguntar and pedir: This is a classic verb-choice error. Preguntar is for asking for information. Pedir is for asking for an object or an action (a request).
  • Correct: Le pregunté la hora. (I asked him the time.)
  • Incorrect: *Le pedí la hora. (This sounds like you're asking to be given "the time" as a physical object.)
  • Correct Request: Le pedí que me dijera la hora. (I asked him to tell me the time.)
  1. 1Unnatural Word Order: English speakers sometimes try to maintain English word order, leading to slightly awkward phrasing. For instance, He asked where was the station. In Spanish, the most natural structure is to place the verb after the subject, or omit the subject pronoun if it's clear from context: Me preguntó dónde estaba la estación, not *...dónde estaba la estación él.

Real Conversations

To see how this grammar functions in the wild, let's look at some authentic, modern examples.

On WhatsApp or Texting:

- Direct Question from a friend, Maria: ¿Puedes pasar por el supermercado de camino a casa? (Can you stop by the supermarket on the way home?)

- You, texting your partner: Oye, María me ha preguntado si podías pasar por el súper. ¿Te viene bien? (Hey, María asked me if you could stop by the supermarket. Does that work for you?)

In a Work Slack Channel:

- Direct Question from your boss: ¿Alguien sabe si el cliente aprobó el presupuesto final? (Does anyone know if the client approved the final budget?)

- You, summarizing in another channel: Para que conste, el jefe preguntó en el canal principal si el cliente ya había aprobado el presupuesto. (For the record, the boss asked in the main channel if the client had already approved the budget.)

Recounting a Social Interaction (Casual Gossip):

- Estábamos hablando y de repente me pregunta que por qué nunca le había contado lo de mi viaje a Japón. Me quedé helada. (We were talking and suddenly he asks me why I had never told him about my trip to Japan. I froze.)

- Note the colloquial use of que before the interrogative por qué, which is very common in informal storytelling.

Discussing Media or Online Content:

- El youtuber preguntó a sus seguidores cuál debería ser su próximo vídeo. (The YouTuber asked his followers what his next video should be.)

- En una entrevista le preguntaron si era difícil gestionar la fama. (In an interview, they asked him if it was difficult to manage fame.)

Quick FAQ

Q: Do I ever use question marks in a reported question?

No, never. Once a question is reported, it becomes part of a declarative sentence. The interrogative punctuation (¿?) must be removed.

Q: Is it okay to use decir instead of preguntar to report a question?

In casual, spoken Spanish, it's extremely common (e.g., Me dijo si quería algo más). However, preguntar is more precise, as decir simply means "to say" or "to tell." In any formal or written context, always prefer preguntar or querer saber.

Q: What happens if the original question was in the imperfect tense?

If the original question used the imperfect (e.g., ¿Qué hacías anoche? - "What were you doing last night?"), it typically remains in the imperfect when reported (Me preguntó qué hacía anoche). The imperfect describes an ongoing or background action in the past, and this function remains the same in the reported version.

Q: How does this work with commands?

Reported commands are different. They use que followed by the imperfect subjunctive, not the indicative. Direct command: ¡Cierra la puerta! -> Reported command: Me dijo que cerrara la puerta. Questions use si/interrogatives + indicative tenses; commands use que + subjunctive.

Q: Are there major differences between Spain and Latin American Spanish?

The grammatical structure is identical across the Spanish-speaking world. The only variations you'll encounter involve pronoun usage (vosotros in Spain vs. ustedes in Latin America) and regional vocabulary. The core rules of si/interrogatives and tense backshifting are universal. For example: El profesor os preguntó si habíais estudiado (Spain) vs. El profesor les preguntó si habían estudiado (Latin America).

3. Reported Question Structure

Reporting Verb Connector Subject Verb
Me preguntó
si
tú
venías
Quería saber
qué
ella
hacía
No sé
dónde
ellos
están
Me dijo
quién
él
era
Preguntaron
cuándo
nosotros
llegamos
Duda
por qué
tú
lloras

Meanings

This structure is used to report what someone asked without using direct quotation marks. It shifts the focus from the exact words to the content of the inquiry.

1

Yes/No Reporting

Reporting a question that originally required a yes or no answer.

“Me preguntó si estaba cansado.”

“Quería saber si habías llegado.”

2

Wh- Reporting

Reporting a question that started with a question word (qué, quién, dónde, etc.).

“Me preguntó qué hora era.”

“Dime dónde vive tu hermano.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Reported Questions: He asked if... (si / qué / dónde)
Form Structure Example
Yes/No
Verb + si + S + V
Me preguntó si venías.
Wh- Question
Verb + QW + S + V
Me preguntó qué hacías.
Negative
No + Verb + QW + S + V
No sé quién llamó.
Past
V(past) + QW + S + V(imperfect)
Dijo qué quería.
Future
V(present) + QW + S + V(future)
Pregunta qué hará.
Polite
Quisiera saber + QW + S + V
Quisiera saber dónde vive.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Me preguntó a qué hora llegaría usted.

Me preguntó a qué hora llegaría usted. (Social/Professional)

Neutral
Me preguntó a qué hora llegabas.

Me preguntó a qué hora llegabas. (Social/Professional)

Informal
Me preguntó a qué hora venías.

Me preguntó a qué hora venías. (Social/Professional)

Slang
Me preguntó cuándo caías.

Me preguntó cuándo caías. (Social/Professional)

Reported Question Anatomy

Reported Question

Connectors

  • si if
  • qué what
  • dónde where

Rules

  • No marks No ?
  • Normal order S + V
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Examples by Level

1

Me preguntó si tengo hambre.

He asked me if I am hungry.

2

No sé qué quiere.

I don't know what he wants.

3

Dime dónde está el libro.

Tell me where the book is.

4

Preguntó si es tarde.

He asked if it is late.

1

Me preguntó si quería ir al cine.

He asked me if I wanted to go to the cinema.

2

No recuerdo qué me dijo.

I don't remember what he told me.

3

Quería saber dónde vivías.

He wanted to know where you lived.

4

Dime quién llamó ayer.

Tell me who called yesterday.

1

Me preguntó por qué no había ido a la fiesta.

He asked me why I hadn't gone to the party.

2

No sabía cuántos años tenías.

I didn't know how old you were.

3

Le pregunté si estaría listo a tiempo.

I asked him if it would be ready on time.

4

Quería saber cuál era tu opinión.

I wanted to know what your opinion was.

1

Me preguntó si me importaría ayudarle con el proyecto.

He asked me if I would mind helping him with the project.

2

No me dijo qué es lo que le molestaba tanto.

He didn't tell me what it was that bothered him so much.

3

Investigaron dónde se habían escondido los sospechosos.

They investigated where the suspects had hidden.

4

Quisiera saber quién es el responsable de este error.

I would like to know who is responsible for this error.

1

Se cuestionaba si acaso habría sido mejor callar.

He wondered whether it might have been better to stay silent.

2

No lograba comprender qué le había llevado a tomar tal decisión.

He couldn't manage to understand what had led him to make such a decision.

3

Preguntó en qué medida afectaría esto a los resultados.

He asked to what extent this would affect the results.

4

Quería saber quiénes eran los que habían organizado el evento.

He wanted to know who were the ones that had organized the event.

1

Me preguntó si, por ventura, sabría yo el paradero de las llaves.

He asked me if, by chance, I knew the whereabouts of the keys.

2

Se preguntaba qué habría sido de ellos si no hubieran huido.

He wondered what would have become of them if they hadn't fled.

3

Indagó sobre quiénes habrían de ser los sucesores en el cargo.

He inquired about who were to be the successors in the position.

4

No supo explicar qué le impulsó a actuar de tal manera.

He couldn't explain what drove him to act in such a way.

Easily Confused

Reported Questions: He asked if... (si / qué / dónde) vs Direct vs. Indirect Questions

Learners often keep the question mark in indirect questions.

Reported Questions: He asked if... (si / qué / dónde) vs Si (conjunction) vs. Sí (affirmation)

Learners add an accent to the conjunction.

Reported Questions: He asked if... (si / qué / dónde) vs Question words with/without accents

Learners drop the accent in indirect questions.

Common Mistakes

✗

¿Me preguntó si vienes?

✓

Me preguntó si venías.

No question marks in reported speech.
✗

Me preguntó si vienes.

✓

Me preguntó si venías.

Tense mismatch.
✗

Me preguntó que vienes.

✓

Me preguntó si vienes.

Use 'si' for yes/no.
✗

Me preguntó si vienes tú.

✓

Me preguntó si tú venías.

Subject must come before verb.
✗

Me dijo donde vas.

✓

Me dijo dónde vas.

Missing accent on question word.
✗

Me preguntó qué tú haces.

✓

Me preguntó qué haces.

Subject pronoun is redundant.
✗

Me preguntó si es que vienes.

✓

Me preguntó si vienes.

Unnecessary filler.
✗

Me preguntó si vendrías.

✓

Me preguntó si vendrías (or venías).

Conditional usage depends on context.
✗

Preguntó por qué no tú fuiste.

✓

Preguntó por qué no fuiste.

Word order.
✗

Me preguntó si ya habías llegado.

✓

Me preguntó si ya habías llegado.

Actually correct, but often confused with simple past.
✗

Me preguntó qué es lo que tú querías.

✓

Me preguntó qué querías.

Over-complicating the structure.
✗

Se preguntó si acaso vendría él.

✓

Se preguntó si acaso vendría.

Redundant pronoun.
✗

Me preguntó quiénes eran ellos.

✓

Me preguntó quiénes eran.

Redundant pronoun.
✗

Me preguntó si es que si venías.

✓

Me preguntó si venías.

Double connector.

Sentence Patterns

Me preguntó si ___.

No sé ___.

Quisiera saber si ___.

Me preguntaron por qué ___.

Real World Usage

Job Interview very common

Me preguntaron si tenía experiencia.

Texting constant

No sé qué quieres comer.

Travel common

Quería saber si el desayuno está incluido.

Social Media common

Todos preguntan dónde es la fiesta.

Food Delivery occasional

Me preguntó si quería cubiertos.

Academic common

El profesor preguntó quién había terminado.

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💡

The Accent Rule

Always keep the accent on question words like 'qué' and 'dónde'. It's the #1 sign of a pro.
⚠️

No Question Marks

Never use '?' in a reported question. It's a statement, not a question.
🎯

Sequence of Tenses

If the reporting verb is past, shift the reported verb to the imperfect.
💬

Politeness

Use 'Quisiera saber' to sound more polite than just 'Pregunté'.

Smart Tips

Always shift the verb one step back in time.

Me preguntó si vienes. → Me preguntó si venías.

Keep the accent mark!

Me preguntó donde vive. → Me preguntó dónde vive.

Use 'Quisiera saber' instead of 'Pregunté'.

Pregunté si está abierto. → Quisiera saber si está abierto.

If it's a yes/no question, use 'si'. Otherwise, use the question word.

Me preguntó que si venía. → Me preguntó si venía.

Pronunciation

KÉ, DÓN-de

Accent marks

Question words like 'qué' and 'dónde' keep their stress even in reported speech.

Statement intonation

Me preguntó si venías ↓

Reported questions end with a falling intonation, unlike direct questions.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember: 'Si' is for Yes/No, and the question word keeps its accent!

Visual Association

Imagine a reporter holding a microphone. He takes the question mark from the air and throws it away, replacing it with a period.

Rhyme

No question mark in the reported line, use 'si' or the word with the accent sign.

Story

Juan asked Maria: '¿Vienes?'. Maria told me: 'Juan me preguntó si venía.' I then asked Juan: '¿Qué haces?'. Juan told me: 'Me preguntó qué hacía.'

Word Web

preguntarsabersiquédóndecuándoquién

Challenge

Write down 5 questions you were asked today and convert them into reported questions in Spanish.

Cultural Notes

In Spain, 'preguntar' is standard, but 'querer saber' is often used for polite indirect inquiries.

Mexicans often use 'si es que' as a filler before the reported question.

The use of 'vos' affects the verb conjugation in reported questions.

Reported speech evolved from Latin indirect interrogatives, where the subjunctive was mandatory.

Conversation Starters

“

¿Qué te preguntó tu jefe hoy?

“

¿Alguien te ha preguntado dónde vives últimamente?

“

¿Qué te preguntaron en tu última entrevista?

“

¿Qué te preguntan tus amigos cuando no vas a una fiesta?

Journal Prompts

Describe a conversation you had yesterday using reported questions.
Write about a time someone asked you a difficult question.
Reflect on a job interview you had.
Write a short story where a character is being interrogated.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct connector.

Me preguntó ___ quería comer.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: qué
It's a wh- question.
Find the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Me preguntó si vienes?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó si venías.
No question mark and correct tense.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó dónde vives.
Accent and no question mark.
Transform to reported speech. Sentence Transformation

¿Qué haces? -> Me preguntó...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: qué hacías.
Wh- question and past tense.
Is this true? True False Rule

Reported questions use inverted word order.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
They use standard S+V order.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ¿Vienes? B: Me preguntó ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: si venía.
Yes/no question.
Order the words. Sentence Building

quería / saber / qué / él / hacía

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Él quería saber qué hacía.
Correct structure.
Sort by type. Grammar Sorting

Which uses 'si'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Vienes?
Yes/no question.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct connector.

Me preguntó ___ quería comer.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: qué
It's a wh- question.
Find the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Me preguntó si vienes?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó si venías.
No question mark and correct tense.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó dónde vives.
Accent and no question mark.
Transform to reported speech. Sentence Transformation

¿Qué haces? -> Me preguntó...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: qué hacías.
Wh- question and past tense.
Is this true? True False Rule

Reported questions use inverted word order.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
They use standard S+V order.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ¿Vienes? B: Me preguntó ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: si venía.
Yes/no question.
Order the words. Sentence Building

quería / saber / qué / él / hacía

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Él quería saber qué hacía.
Correct structure.
Sort by type. Grammar Sorting

Which uses 'si'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Vienes?
Yes/no question.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Reorder the words to form a correct reported question. Sentence Reorder

si / preguntó / me / hambre / tenía

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó si tenía hambre.
Translate the sentence into Spanish. Translation

She asked me what I was doing.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó qué estaba haciendo.
Match the direct question with its reported version. Match Pairs

Match these:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Match correct pairs
Fill in the question word (with accent!). Fill in the Blank

Me preguntó ___ se llamaba mi perro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: cómo
Choose the correct reporting of: '¿Has terminado?' Multiple Choice

Reported version:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó si había terminado.
Correct the mistake: 'Me preguntó si quería un café.' Error Correction

Wait, this one is actually correct! Choose the same sentence.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó si quería un café.
Translate: 'They asked where we were going.' Translation

Translate to Spanish:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Preguntaron a dónde íbamos.
Reorder the sentence correctly. Sentence Reorder

cuándo / me / volvería / preguntó / yo

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó cuándo volvería yo.
Choose the right particle. Fill in the Blank

Querían saber ___ íbamos a cancelar la suscripción.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: si
Which one uses the correct accent? Multiple Choice

Reported: He asked who was there.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Me preguntó quién estaba allí.

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Because it's no longer a direct question; it's a statement about a question.

Only if the reporting verb is in the past. If it's present, keep the original tense.

You use 'por qué' as the connector: 'Me preguntó por qué no fui.'

No. 'Si' is 'if', 'sí' is 'yes'.

No. 'Qué' is the interrogative pronoun; 'que' is a conjunction.

Yes, it's very common in reports and journalism.

It keeps the accent: 'Me preguntó cuál era mi favorito.'

Commands are usually reported with 'que' + subjunctive, not reported questions.

Scaffolded Practice

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Mastery Progress

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In Other Languages

English high

Indirect questions

Spanish requires accent marks on question words.

French high

Interrogation indirecte

French uses 'si' for 'if' and 'whether'.

German moderate

Indirekte Fragesätze

German verb moves to the end of the clause.

Japanese low

Indirect questions with 'ka'

Japanese does not change word order.

Arabic low

Indirect interrogatives

Arabic grammar is highly inflectional.

Chinese low

Indirect questions

Chinese has no verb conjugation.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Indirect Speech Tense Shifting (Reporting the Past)
Next
Spanish Relative Clauses: To Comma or Not (Que)

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