Statements and tense shift
- Present → past: “I am busy” → He said he was busy.
Questions and commands
- Questions: use 'if/whether' or question word, normal word order – She asked where I lived.
- Commands: use 'to' + base verb – He told me to wait.
Key idea
Reported speech shifts tense back and changes word order; questions use if/whether and commands use 'to' + base verb.
Remember
Reported questions do not keep question word order or a question mark.