English grammar · Class 10
Reported speech: questions, commands and requests
Reported questions and commands follow the same tense and pronoun changes as statements, with two extra rules: a reported question uses normal statement word order (no question mark), and a command or request becomes 'to + verb'.
In the CBSE Class 9 and 10 English Language and Literature grammar list for 2026-27.
The rules
1. Yes / no questions: asked + if / whether + statement order.
- "Are you ready?" she asked me. → She asked me if I was ready.
- "Did you see the film?" he asked. → He asked whether I had seen the film.
2. Wh- questions: keep the question word; then subject + verb (no do / does / did).
- "Where do you live?" he asked. → He asked where I lived.
- "Why are you late?" the teacher asked Ravi. → The teacher asked Ravi why he was late.
3. Commands: told / ordered + person + to + verb; negative: not to + verb.
- "Close the door," Mother said to me. → Mother told me to close the door.
- "Don't run," the guard said. → The guard told us not to run.
4. Requests: asked / requested + person + to + verb.
- "Please help me," she said to him. → She requested him to help her.
Common mistakes
He asked me where did I live.
He asked me where I lived.
Reported questions use statement order and drop did.
She asked me that if I was free.
She asked me if I was free.
No 'that' before if / whether.
He told me don't go.
He told me not to go.
A negative command becomes not to + verb.
Practice
1. "Do you like coffee?" Aman asked me. → Aman asked me ___.
2. "What is your name?" the officer asked the boy. → The officer asked the boy ___.
3. "Sit down," the teacher said to the students. → The teacher told the students ___.
4. "Please lend me your notes," Priya said to Sana. → Priya requested Sana ___ her notes.
5. "Don't touch the wire," the electrician said to us. → The electrician warned us ___ the wire.
Made by Shishya (AI-assisted); every answer checked by hand when written. Topic list for Class 9 and 10 from the CBSE 2026-27 English syllabus.