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In reported questions, we "backshift" the verb and change the question word order to direct:
question word + subject + verb
| Initial tense | Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | Where do you come from? | They asked me where I came from. |
| Present simple | What colour is your car? | They asked me what colour my car was. |
| Present continuous | What are you doing? | They asked me what I was doing. |
| Present perfect | Why has it happened? | They asked me why it had happened. |
| Present perfect continuous | How long have you been waiting? | They asked me how long I had been waiting. |
| Past simple | When did you leave? | They asked me when I had left. |
| Past continuous | Why were you laughing? | They asked me why I had been laughing. |
| Future simple | What will you have for breakfast? | They asked me what I would have for breakfast. |