mpt · CSS study notes
Part 2 — Statements & Questions
Statements
Use that to introduce a reported statement. In informal English, that may be omitted, but MPT options often retain it for clarity.
Said without a listener
He said, “I am tired.”
He said that he was tired.
Said to + listener
He said to me, “I am tired.”
He told me that he was tired.
Correct patterns
said that
said to me that
told me that
Incorrect patterns
said me that ❌
told that ❌
Negative statements
Keep the negative meaning.
She said, “I do not like coffee.”
She said that she did not like coffee.
He said, “I have not finished.”
He said that he had not finished.
Yes/no questions
Use asked + if/whether.
Change question word order into statement word order.
Remove do, does, did when they only form the question, and change the main verb according to tense.
Present be-question
She asked, “Are you ready?”
She asked if I was ready.
Not:
She asked if was I ready. ❌
Do-question
He asked me, “Do you like tea?”
He asked me if I liked tea.
Did-question
She asked, “Did Ali call you?”
She asked whether Ali had called me.
Negative yes/no question
He asked, “Did you not receive the message?”
He asked whether I had not received the message.
If versus whether
Both can introduce many yes/no questions.
She asked if I was ready.
She asked whether I was ready.
Whether is preferred:
- before or not;
- before a to-infinitive;
- after a preposition;
- in more formal alternatives.
He asked whether or not I agreed.
WH-questions
Keep the WH-word:
what, where, when, why, who, whom, whose, which, how
Do not add if/whether.
Use statement word order.
Where
He asked, “Where do you live?”
He asked where I lived.
Not:
He asked where did I live. ❌
What
She asked me, “What is your name?”
She asked me what my name was.
Why
They asked, “Why did you leave early?”
They asked why I had left early.
When
He asked, “When will the train arrive?”
He asked when the train would arrive.
How
She asked, “How can I solve this?”
She asked how she could solve that.
When the WH-word itself is the subject
Do not unnecessarily rearrange it.
She asked, “Who broke the window?”
She asked who had broken the window.
Who is already the subject of broke.
Compare:
She asked, “Whom did you invite?”
She asked whom I had invited.
Here, whom is the object.
Question master table
| Type | Direct | Indirect | Key rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes/no | “Are you ready?” | She asked if I was ready. | If/whether + statement order. |
| Do-question | “Do you work here?” | She asked if I worked there. | Remove do; backshift the main verb. |
| Did-question | “Did he leave?” | She asked whether he had left. | Simple past normally becomes past perfect. |
| WH-question | “Where do you live?” | He asked where I lived. | Keep WH-word; statement order. |
| WH-subject | “Who called?” | He asked who had called. | Who remains the subject. |
| Negative question | “Why did you not call?” | He asked why I had not called. | Preserve the negative. |
Reporting verbs for questions
Asked
She asked me where I lived.
Enquired/inquired
He enquired whether the office was open.
Wanted to know
She wanted to know why I was late.
Do not use said as the reporting verb for a reported question when a better question verb is required.
MPT error traps
He asked me where was I going. ❌
He asked me where I was going. ✅
She asked that I was ready. ❌
She asked if I was ready. ✅
He asked me that where I lived. ❌
He asked me where I lived. ✅