© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ9.03 | Reported Yes/No Questions
Choose a card tutorial
A Present Simple → Past Simple
B Present Continuous → Past Continuous
C Present Perfect → Past Perfect
D Will → Would
E Can → Could
F May → Might
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
Present Simple → Past Simple | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. Remove do/does; backshift the main verb.
DIRECT SPEECH
Sarah: “Do you like coffee?”
REPORTED SPEECH
Sarah asked me if I liked coffee.
TENSE do like → liked
PRONOUN you → I
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Forward →
[P] = Person [A] = Action
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
Present Continuous → Past Continuous | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. Present Continuous often backshifts to Past Continuous.
DIRECT SPEECH
Tom: “Are you working?”
REPORTED SPEECH
Tom asked me if I was working.
TENSE are working → was working
PRONOUN you → I
⌂ Home
← Back
Forward →
[P] = Person [A] = Action
→
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
Present Perfect → Past Perfect | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. Present Perfect often backshifts to Past Perfect.
DIRECT SPEECH
Maria: “Have you finished?”
REPORTED SPEECH
Maria asked me if I had finished.
TENSE have finished → had finished
PRONOUN you → I
⌂ Home
← Back
Forward →
[P] = Person [P.P] = Past Participle
→
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
Will → Would | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. Will often backshifts to would.
DIRECT SPEECH
John: “Will you help me?”
REPORTED SPEECH
John asked me if I would help him.
TENSE will → would
PRONOUN you → I; me → him
⌂ Home
← Back
Forward →
[P] = Person [A] = Action
→
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
Can → Could | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. Can often backshifts to could.
DIRECT SPEECH
Anna: “Can you swim?”
REPORTED SPEECH
Anna asked me if I could swim.
TENSE can → could
PRONOUN you → I
⌂ Home
← Back
Forward →
[P] = Person [A] = Action
→
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
May → Might | Yes/No Questions
HOW IT WORKS
Use if/whether + statement word order. May can backshift to might.
DIRECT SPEECH
Sarah: “May I leave early?”
REPORTED SPEECH
Sarah asked me if she might leave early.
TENSE may → might
PRONOUN I → she
⌂ Home
← Back
Forward →
[P] = Person [A] = Action
→