Perguntas Reportadas: Usando Palavras Wh- (o quê, onde, por que)
Wh- words! Pense em Wh-words, Statement Structure, Tense Backshift.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement by removing 'do/does/did' and using normal subject-verb word order.
- Keep the Wh- word (what, where, why) as the connector. Example: 'Where is he?' -> 'She asked where he was.'
- Change the word order to Subject + Verb. Example: 'Why are you late?' -> 'He asked why I was late.'
- Remove auxiliary 'do', 'does', or 'did'. Example: 'What do you want?' -> 'She asked what I wanted.'
Overview
what, where, why, how), é uma habilidade fundamental para qualquer estudante de inglês no nível B1. Em português, quando queremos contar a alguém o que outra pessoa nos perguntou, usamos o discurso indireto. A estrutura em inglês segue uma lógica muito parecida, mas com detalhes técnicos que, se ignorados, fazem com que o falante nativo perceba imediatamente que você ainda está traduzindo mentalmente do português.reported questions, precisamos olhar para a estrutura da oração. Quando você transforma uma pergunta direta em uma pergunta relatada, você está, essencialmente, transformando uma frase interrogativa em uma oração subordinada substantiva. Em português, chamamos isso de oração subordinada substantiva objetiva direta, pois a pergunta inteira funciona como o objeto do verbo 'perguntar' (ask, wonder, inquire).reported question, essa inversão desaparece.tense backshift (o recuo do tempo verbal). Como o verbo introdutório (reporting verb) geralmente está no passado (asked, wondered), os verbos da oração subordinada também precisam 'voltar' um passo no passado. O Present Simple vira Past Simple, o Present Continuous vira Past Continuous, e assim por diante.- 1Direct: 'What time is the meeting?' -> Reported: 'He asked what time the meeting was.'
- 2Direct: 'Why did you call me?' -> Reported: 'She wondered why I had called her.'
- 3Direct: 'How can I help you?' -> Reported: 'He asked how he could help me.'
what, why, how) atua como um 'conector' entre a primeira parte da frase e a informação relatada. Não há vírgula entre o verbo de relato e a palavra interrogativa.- 1Manter a inversão do auxiliar: O erro mais clássico é dizer 'He asked where did I live'. Isso acontece porque o cérebro do falante de português ainda tenta manter o 'did' como marcador de pergunta. Em inglês, como a frase não é mais uma pergunta direta, o 'did' desaparece e o verbo principal vai para o passado: 'He asked where I lived'.
- 1Esquecer o backshift: Muitos alunos dizem 'He asked where I live' quando a conversa aconteceu no passado. Em português, a gente às vezes é meio relaxado com isso, mas em inglês, se o verbo de relato está no passado, o tempo da oração subordinada deve seguir o recuo. A L1 (português) nos permite ser mais flexíveis, mas o inglês exige essa harmonia temporal.
- 1Uso de 'if' em perguntas com Wh-: Alguns alunos tentam usar 'He asked if where I lived'. O 'if' é usado para perguntas de 'Sim/Não' (Yes/No questions), não para perguntas com Wh-. O Wh- já faz o papel de conectivo. Isso ocorre por uma confusão mental entre os dois tipos de perguntas relatadas.
- 1Preciso sempre mudar o tempo verbal? Se o fato ainda for verdade no presente, você pode manter o tempo original. Por exemplo: 'He asked where the station is'. Se você sabe que a estação continua lá, é aceitável, embora o backshift seja a regra padrão mais comum.
- 1Posso usar 'wonder' em vez de 'ask'? Sim, 'wonder' é muito comum quando você quer expressar curiosidade ou um pensamento interno. 'I wondered where she had gone' soa muito mais natural do que 'I asked myself where she had gone'.
- 1Qual a diferença entre 'ask' e 'inquire'? 'Ask' é neutro e usado em qualquer situação. 'Inquire' é bem mais formal, usado em e-mails corporativos ou contextos jurídicos. No dia a dia, fique com 'ask' ou 'wonder'.
3. Direct vs. Reported Question Structure
| Tense | Direct Question | Reported Question | Key Change |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
Where is he?
|
She asked where he was.
|
is -> was
|
|
Present Continuous
|
What are you doing?
|
He asked what I was doing.
|
are doing -> was doing
|
|
Past Simple
|
Why did she leave?
|
I asked why she had left.
|
did leave -> had left
|
|
Present Perfect
|
Where have you been?
|
They asked where I had been.
|
have been -> had been
|
|
Future (Will)
|
When will it end?
|
We asked when it would end.
|
will -> would
|
|
Can
|
How can I help?
|
He asked how he could help.
|
can -> could
|
Meanings
Reported Wh- questions are used to tell someone else what a person asked using words like what, where, when, why, who, and how. Unlike direct questions, they do not use question marks or question word order.
Reporting Past Inquiries
Describing a question that was asked in the past, requiring a tense shift.
“She asked why the train was late.”
“They wondered where the keys were.”
Polite Indirect Questions
Using reported structure in the present tense to be more polite or formal.
“Could you tell me where the station is?”
“I was wondering why the office is closed.”
Summarizing Conversations
Reporting the general topic of a question without quoting it exactly.
“The boss asked why the project failed.”
“The police asked where I had been.”
Reference Table
| Pergunta Direta | Pergunta Reportada | Por que Muda? |
|---|---|---|
|
"What is your name?"
|
She asked what my name was.
|
Ordem de afirmação, passado.
|
|
"Where do you live?"
|
He inquired where I lived.
|
Sem 'do', ordem de afirmação.
|
|
"Why are you late?"
|
They wondered why I was late.
|
Ordem de afirmação, 'tense backshift'.
|
|
"When will it start?"
|
I wanted to know when it would start.
|
Muda 'will' para 'would'.
|
|
"Who took my book?"
|
He asked who had taken his book.
|
'Who' é o sujeito, 'tense backshift'.
|
|
"How can I help you?"
|
She asked how she could help me.
|
Muda 'can' para 'could'.
|
Espectro de formalidade
The supervisor inquired as to where the employee was located. (Workplace vs. Friends)
He asked where I was. (Workplace vs. Friends)
He asked where I was at. (Workplace vs. Friends)
He was like, 'Where you at?' (Workplace vs. Friends)
Perguntas Reportadas com Wh-
Principais Mudanças
- No Inversion Ordem Sujeito + Verbo
- No Question Mark Termina com um ponto final
- Wh- word as Connector What, where, why, etc.
- Tense Backshift Verbos mudam para o passado
Verbos para Reportar
- Ask Mais comum
- Wonder Expressando curiosidade
- Inquire Mais formal
- Want to know Frase comum
Palavras Wh- Comuns
- What Informações sobre coisas
- Where Informações sobre lugar
- Why Informações sobre razão
- When Informações sobre tempo
- How Informações sobre modo
Perguntas Diretas vs. Reportadas com Wh-
Como Formar Perguntas Reportadas com Wh-
É uma pergunta Wh-?
Qual é o tempo verbal do verbo que reporta?
A ordem das palavras é Sujeito + Verbo?
Termina com ponto de interrogação?
Quando Usar Perguntas Reportadas com Wh-
Conversas Casuais
- • Conversas por texto com amigos
- • Conversas na cafeteria
- • Contar histórias
Ambientes Profissionais
- • Entrevistas de emprego
- • E-mails formais
- • Projetos em grupo da universidade
Mídia e Aprendizagem
- • Legendas da Netflix
- • Resumir palestras
- • Reportagens de notícias
Situações Cotidianas
- • Pedir comida em apps
- • Explicar decisões
- • Planejar eventos
Exemplos por nível
He asked where I live.
He asked where I live.
She asked what I want.
She asked what I want.
They asked who he is.
They asked who he is.
I asked how you are.
I asked how you are.
He asked where the bus stop was.
He asked where the bus stop was.
She asked why I was late.
She asked why I was late.
They asked what I did yesterday.
They asked what I did yesterday.
I asked when the movie started.
I asked when the movie started.
The manager asked why I had left my previous job.
The manager asked why I had left my previous job.
She wondered how much the repairs would cost.
She wondered how much the repairs would cost.
He wanted to know where I had been all night.
He wanted to know where I had been all night.
They inquired why the flight had been cancelled.
They inquired why the flight had been cancelled.
The professor asked to what extent the results were accurate.
The professor asked to what extent the results were accurate.
I was wondering why you hadn't mentioned the problem earlier.
I was wondering why you hadn't mentioned the problem earlier.
She asked where the documents were being kept.
She asked where the documents were being kept.
They asked how the new policy would affect their salaries.
They asked how the new policy would affect their salaries.
The board inquired as to why the merger had not been finalized.
The board inquired as to why the merger had not been finalized.
He questioned how such a fundamental error could have occurred.
He questioned how such a fundamental error could have occurred.
She asked why the witnesses were being so uncooperative.
She asked why the witnesses were being so uncooperative.
The journalist asked what the implications of the new law might be.
The journalist asked what the implications of the new law might be.
The historian interrogated why the dynasty had collapsed so precipitously.
The historian interrogated why the dynasty had collapsed so precipitously.
The critic pondered how the artist's upbringing had informed her aesthetic choices.
The critic pondered how the artist's upbringing had informed her aesthetic choices.
They queried why the philosophical underpinnings of the argument were so flawed.
They queried why the philosophical underpinnings of the argument were so flawed.
The diplomat asked in what manner the treaty would be enforced across borders.
The diplomat asked in what manner the treaty would be enforced across borders.
Fácil de confundir
Learners often use question word order in indirect questions because they feel like they are still 'asking'.
Using 'that' before a Wh- word.
Using 'if' with a Wh- word.
Erros comuns
He asked where is the toilet?
He asked where the toilet is.
She asked what do you want.
She asked what I wanted.
I asked who are you.
I asked who you were.
He asked that where I live.
He asked where I lived.
He asked why did you go.
He asked why I went.
She asked how is your mother.
She asked how my mother was.
They asked where was the party.
They asked where the party was.
The boss asked why I haven't finished.
The boss asked why I hadn't finished.
She asked when will I arrive.
She asked when I would arrive.
He wondered where had I been.
He wondered where I had been.
The lawyer asked why was the contract signed so late.
The lawyer asked why the contract was signed so late.
Padrões de frases
He asked me where ___ ___.
I wondered why ___ had ___.
They inquired how ___ would ___.
Could you tell me what ___ ___?
Real World Usage
He asked why I wanted to work for the company.
She asked what time we're going.
The officer asked where I had seen the suspect.
The agent asked what my order number was.
The study investigated how participants reacted to the stimulus.
Did he tell you why they broke up?
Pratique o 'Des-Inverter'
what I wanted,' e não 'what wanted I.' Essa prática ajuda a fixar a ordem correta.Atenção: Nada de 'if' ou 'whether'!
Yes/No.Pense em 'Estrutura de Afirmação'
Polidez ao Reportar
Could you tell me what time the store closes? é mais suave do que uma pergunta direta.Smart Tips
Stop! Change the main verb to the past tense instead. 'Did' is for questions; your sentence is now a statement.
Move the 'is' (or 'was') to the very end of the clause.
Use 'I was wondering...' It uses the reported question structure to soften a request.
Check if you need 'had'. If the 'why' happened before the 'asking', use past perfect.
Treat 'what time' as a single Wh- unit that stays together.
Pronúncia
Falling Intonation
Unlike direct questions which often have rising intonation, reported questions end with falling intonation because they are statements.
Stress on Wh- word
The Wh- word is usually stressed to highlight the topic of the inquiry.
Statement Fall
I asked where he went. ↘️
Conveys that the speaker is providing information, not asking a question.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Remember: 'Wh- word, then the person, then the action.' No 'do' allowed!
Associação visual
Imagine a question mark (?) being flattened into a period (.) by a heavy weight labeled 'Subject + Verb'. The question mark loses its 'do/does/did' tail in the process.
Rhyme
When reporting what they say, throw the 'do' and 'did' away. Put the subject in the lead, that is all the help you need!
Story
A detective is writing a report. He hears a witness ask 'Where is the money?'. In his notebook, he writes: 'The witness asked where the money was.' He knows he can't use question marks in a formal report, so he straightens the sentence out.
Word Web
Desafio
Look at your last 3 sent text messages. If they were questions, try to report them to an imaginary friend using 'I asked...'.
Notas culturais
In formal British English, 'inquired' is very common in written reports, whereas 'asked' is preferred in speech.
Americans often use 'wanted to know' as a more casual alternative to 'asked' in storytelling.
Using indirect questions (reported structure) is considered more polite when asking for favors or information from strangers.
The 'Wh-' words in English come from the Proto-Indo-European root '*kwo-', which also produced 'quis' in Latin and 'wer' in German.
Iniciadores de conversa
Tell me about a time someone asked you a strange question. What did they ask?
In your last job interview, what did the interviewer ask you?
If you could ask a famous person one thing, what would it be? Now, tell me what you would ask them using reported speech.
Think about a recent news story. What are people asking about it?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
The teacher asked `what the answer ___` .
asked está no passado, o verbo na pergunta reportada também muda para o passado (was).Find and fix the mistake:
He wondered why was she late?
Wh- deve ser sujeito + verbo (ordem de afirmação), não invertida como em uma pergunta direta.Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesHe asked...
She asked what I ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
He asked why was I crying.
He wanted to know...
I asked him what time it was.
A: 'Where are you going?' B: 'What did he say?' C: 'He asked...'
Select the correct one:
1. 'Why are you sad?' 2. 'Where do you live?'
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesHe wanted to know `what her favorite color ___` .
The tourist asked if where was the museum.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella preguntó por qué estaba él tan enojado.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the direct question opening with its reported form:
They wanted to know `how many people ___ to the party` the previous night.
She asked what you wanted for your birthday?
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'El reportero quiso saber cómo la empresa planeaba abordar el problema.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
She wanted to find out `where the ancient manuscript ___ discovered` .
Score: /12
Perguntas frequentes (8)
Because a reported question is actually a statement *about* a question. It's a noun clause, not an interrogative sentence.
No. In English, we never use `that` and a Wh- word together in reported speech. The Wh- word is the only connector you need.
If the reporting verb is in the present (e.g., 'He asks'), you don't change the tense. If it's in the past (e.g., 'He asked'), you usually backshift, unless the fact is still true.
They disappear! They are only used to help form questions. Since reported questions use statement order, they are no longer needed.
No. 'He asked where was I' is grammatically incorrect in standard English. You must put the subject first.
Yes! `Wonder` is great for reporting questions you ask yourself or when you don't have a specific person you are asking.
Yes, for the purposes of this rule, `how` behaves exactly like `what`, `where`, and `why`.
Change `will` to `would`. For example, 'When will you call?' becomes 'He asked when I would call.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Preguntó dónde estaba.
English requires strict Subject-Verb order, while Spanish is more flexible.
Il a demandé où j'habitais.
French uses 'ce que' for 'what' in reported questions, whereas English just uses 'what'.
Er fragte, wo ich wohne.
In German, the verb goes to the end; in English, it stays after the subject.
どこに住んでいるか聞きました (Doko ni sunde iru ka kikimashita)
Japanese uses a question particle; English uses word order and removes question markers.
سأل أين كنت (Sa'ala ayna kunta)
Arabic V-S order vs. English S-V order.
他问我住在哪里 (Tā wèn wǒ zhù zài nǎlǐ)
Chinese has no tense changes; English requires backshifting.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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