When reporting questions, use STATEMENT WORD ORDER (subject + verb), NOT question order. For WH-questions: asked + wh-word + subject + verb. For YES/NO questions: asked + IF/WHETHER + subject + verb. Tenses and pronouns change like in reported statements.
Keep the WH-word (what/where/when/why/who/how), then use STATEMENT word order (subject + verb). NO question mark at the end.
Direct: "Where do you live?" → Reported: He asked where I LIVED. (statement order: I lived)
Direct: "What are you doing?" → Reported: She asked what I WAS DOING. (I was doing - not 'was I')
Direct: "Why did you leave?" → Reported: He asked why I HAD LEFT. (I had left - statement order)
Direct: "How old is she?" → Reported: He asked how old SHE WAS. (she was - not 'was she')
YES/NO Questions: asked + IF/WHETHER + statement order
For yes/no questions (no WH-word), use IF or WHETHER, then statement word order. IF/WHETHER means "if it's true that...".
Direct: "Are you ready?" → Reported: She asked IF I WAS ready. (if + statement order)
Direct: "Do you like it?" → Reported: He asked WHETHER I LIKED it. (whether + I liked)
Direct: "Can you help me?" → Reported: She asked if I COULD help her. (if + I could)
Direct: "Did they arrive?" → Reported: He asked if THEY HAD ARRIVED. (if + they had arrived)
tense CHANGES in reported questions
Apply same tense changes as statements: Present → Past, Present Perfect → Past Perfect, Will → Would, Can → Could.
Direct: "Where ARE you?" → Reported: He asked where I WAS. (are → was)
Direct: "What DO you want?" → Reported: She asked what I WANTED. (do want → wanted)
Direct: "HAVE you finished?" → Reported: He asked if I HAD FINISHED. (have → had)
Direct: "WILL you come?" → Reported: She asked if I WOULD come. (will → would)
Common mistakes
Not "He asked where did I live." — say "He asked where I lived.". Use STATEMENT word order (I lived), NOT question order (did I live). No auxiliary inversion!.
Not "She asked if was I ready." — say "She asked if I was ready.". After IF/WHETHER, use statement order: subject + verb (I was), not question order (was I)..
Not "He asked do you like it." — say "He asked if I liked it.". YES/NO questions need IF/WHETHER. Also change tenses (do like → liked) and pronouns (you → I)..
Practise it
Step 1: WH-question or YES/NO? YES/NO = add IF/WHETHER. Step 2: Use STATEMENT order (subject + verb). Step 3: Change tenses back one step. Step 4: Change pronouns. No question mark!