Grammar: 🚀 Advanced Grammar: 💬➡️🗣️ Reported Speech (B2) - Lesson 2: Reported Questions (Wh- questions, Yes/No questions)

The Grammar Lab

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Reported Questions

របាយការណ៍សំណួរ (រាយការណ៍ពីអ្វីដែលគេសួរ)

When we tell someone what another person asked, the sentence is no longer a question. It becomes a statement!

នៅពេលយើងយកសំណួររបស់អ្នកដទៃមករាយការណ៍ប្រាប់គេបន្ត ប្រយោគនោះលែងជាសំណួរទៀតហើយ។ វាប្តូរទៅជាប្រយោគស្របវិញ!

sync_alt

sync_alt The Word Order

ការប្តូរលំដាប់ពាក្យ

Because it is not a question anymore, we must switch back to normal Subject + Verb order.

Direct Question: "Where is he?" "តើគាត់នៅឯណា?"

Reported Question: She asked where he was. នាងសួរថាគាត់នៅឯណា។ (ប្តូរ tense និងលំដាប់ពាក្យ)

help_center

help_center Wh- Questions

សំណួរដែលផ្តើមដោយ Wh-

asked + Wh- word + Subject + Verb

"What do you want?" He asked what I wanted. គាត់សួរថាខ្ញុំចង់បានអ្វី។

"Why are they crying?" I asked why they were crying. ខ្ញុំសួរថាហេតុអ្វីពួកគេយំ។

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rule Yes/No Questions

សំណួរដែលឆ្លើយ Yes ឬ No

If there is no Wh- word, we must use if or whether to connect the sentence.

"Are you hungry?" She asked if I was hungry. នាងសួរថាខ្ញុំឃ្លានដែរឬអត់។

"Did he arrive?" They asked whether he had arrived. ពួកគេសួរថាគាត់មកដល់ឬនៅ។

gpp_maybe The Question Trap!

Drop the "Do/Does/Did"

(ពេលប្តូរទៅជារបាយការណ៍សំណួរ យើងមិនត្រូវការកិរិយាសព្ទជំនួយ do/does/did ទៀតទេ ហើយក៏មិនបាច់ដាក់សញ្ញាសួរ (?) ដែរ ព្រោះវាជាប្រយោគស្រប!)

He asked where did I live? close

He asked where I lived. check

The Question Shift 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain how to "un-ask" a question. See how dropping the question mark changes the whole structure of the sentence!

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Quick Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

sync_alt Word Order

"Where are you?"
She asked where ___.

(នាងសួរថាខ្ញុំនៅឯណា។)

rule

rule Yes/No Question

"Do you like pizza?"
He asked me ___ I liked pizza.

(គាត់សួរខ្ញុំថាខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តភីហ្សាអត់។)

gpp_maybe TRICKY QUESTION!

Which reported question is correct?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាត្រឹមត្រូវ?)

help_center

help_center Wh- Question

"When does the train leave?"
They asked when the train ___.

help_center

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Wh- Conversion help_center (ប្តូរសំណួរនេះទៅជា Reported Question: "Where are you going?" ➔ He asked me...)

rule

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Yes/No Switch rule (ប្តូរសំណួរនេះទៅជា Reported Question: "Do you need help?" ➔ She asked...)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Fix the Mistake build (កែប្រយោគនេះឲ្យត្រូវតាមវេយ្យាករណ៍: "I asked him what time was it?")

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Vireak 2 hours ago

Teacher, is there any difference between using 'if' and 'whether'?

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SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Vireak! For B2 grammar, they basically mean the same thing in reported questions! "If" is more common in spoken, everyday English. "Whether" sounds a bit more formal, and we often use it when giving a choice (e.g., "He asked whether I wanted tea or coffee"). You can use either! ☕

S

Serey 4 hours ago

Do we still backshift the tenses for questions like we do for regular sentences?

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SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 3 hours ago

Yes! That is a very important rule. You change the word order AND you push the tense one step back (just like regular reported speech). "Where ARE you?" (Present) becomes "He asked where I WAS" (Past). 🕰️