Reporting a question — identify and understand

Reporting a question: progressive explanation, topic-specific examples, guided exercises and a corrected assessment.

Duration: 25 minPrerequisites: discours-indirect-temps-produirePass mark: 80%

1. Objective

By the end, you will identify and explain “Reporting a question” in new examples.

2. Discover

Read the examples for “Reporting a question — identify and understand” as language you might use today. What clue helps you choose the right structure?

3. Understand

To report a question, remove inversion and the question mark. A yes/no question becomes “si + subject + verb”; a question with où, quand, pourquoi or combien keeps the question word.

Elle demande : « Où habitez-vous ? » → Elle demande où vous habitez.Il demande : « Quand partez-vous ? » → Il demande quand vous partez.Le médecin demande : « Avez-vous mal ici ? » → Le médecin demande si j’ai mal ici.Tu demandes : « Pourquoi est-il absent ? » → Tu demandes pourquoi il est absent.Ils demandent : « Est-ce que le train est direct ? » → Ils demandent si le train est direct.Je demande : « Combien ça coûte ? » → Je demande combien ça coûte.

Watch out

First identify the relation between the ideas: cause, consequence, contrast, condition, time… Choose the connector from the meaning, not the other way around.

4. Guided practice

5. Independent practice

6. Write / speak

Write three sentences you could genuinely say or send. Change the subject, context and at least one lexical element.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

To report a question, remove inversion and the question mark.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can recognise “Reporting a question” in a new example.
I can justify my choice and create an example.