The exact answer to the question "How did he get it?", he asked, changed into indirect speech, according to the provided reference is:
He inquired how had he got it.
Understanding Indirect Speech
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to report what someone said without using their exact words. When converting direct speech to indirect speech, several changes typically occur:
- The reporting verb (like 'asked', 'said', 'inquired') is used.
- The sentence structure changes. For questions, the question form is usually converted into a statement form (subject comes before the verb).
- Punctuation marks like quotation marks and question marks are removed.
- Pronouns and time/place references may change depending on the context.
- The tense of the verb in the reported clause often shifts backward (e.g., simple past usually becomes past perfect).
Converting Wh- Questions to Indirect Speech
When converting a direct speech question that begins with a 'wh' word (like how, what, where, why, when), the 'wh' word is retained in the indirect speech. The reporting verb is usually 'asked', 'inquired', or similar. The clause following the 'wh' word takes the form of a statement, not a question.
For a question in the simple past tense (like "How did he get it?"), the verb typically changes to the past perfect tense in indirect speech. The structure usually becomes: reporting verb + wh- word + subject + had + past participle.
Example from the Reference
The provided reference gives a specific conversion for the question "How did he get it?", he asked:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech | Source Date |
|---|---|---|
| "How did he get it ? ",he asked. | He inquired how had he got it . | 31-Jan-2020 |
As shown in the table above, the indirect speech provided in the reference for the direct speech "How did he get it?", he asked, is He inquired how had he got it. This answer directly incorporates the information from the specified reference.
