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Question

Change the following statement into indirect speech.
He said to me, "Why do you want to go home?"

He told me that why did you wanted to go home.

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He asked me that why I wanted to go home.

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He asked if why I wanted to go home..

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He asked why I wanted to go home

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Solution

The correct option is D He asked why I wanted to go home
The two ways of relating what a person has said are 1)direct and 2)indirect (reported).
In the direct speech, the exact words of the original speaker are repeated.
In the indirect speech (reported speech), the exact meaning of what the speaker told is expressed but not necessarily in the speaker’s exact words.
Option D is correct as the appropriate introductory verb 'asked' is used and 'wanted' is used because the given question is in the simple present tense.
Options A, B, and C are wrong as 'told','that', and 'if' cannot be used respectively.
The correct answer is D) He asked why I wanted to go home.

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Similar questions

"Why are you crying?" said the woman to a little boy. "I want a balloon," he said.

Change it into Indirect Speech:

Q. Fill in the blank with the appropriate verb form:
I wanted to go home because I _______ my parents.

Convert the following conversation to indirect speech:

Ann: Why did you go to the hairdresser?

Benny: I want to have my hair cut.

Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.

(i) Penny said, “Do you really want it son?”

(ii) Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me?”

(iii) He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there?”

(iv) He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him?”

(v) He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?”

Reported questions

Study these sentences:

• His friend asked, “Did you see the snake the next day, doctor?”

His friend asked the doctor whether/if he had seen the snake the next day.

• The little girl wondered, “Will I be home before the TV show begins?”

The little girl wondered if/whether she would be home before the TV show began.

• Someone asked, “Why has the thief left the vest behind?”

Someone asked why the thief had left the vest behind.

The words if/whether are used to report questions which begin with: do, will, can, have, are etc. These questions can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Questions beginning with why/when/where/how/which/what are reported using these same words.

The reporting verbs we use in questions with if/whether/why/when etc. are: ask, inquire and wonder.

Remember that in reported speech,

• the present tense changes to past tense

• here, today, tomorrow, yesterday etc. change to there, that day, the next day, the day before, etc.

• I/you change to me/him/he, etc., as necessary.

Example: • He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”

He said he did not believe me.

• She said to him, ‘I don’t believe you.’

She told him that she did not believe him.

Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.

Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.

1. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”

2. David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”

3. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”

4. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”

5. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”

6. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”

7. Sheila asked the children “Are you ready to do the work?”

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Change the following statement into indirect speech.He said to me, "Why do you want to go home?"

Change the following statement into indirect speech.
He said to me, "Why do you want to go home?"