Reporting Spanish Questions, Requests, and Commands Indirectly

In this lesson, you will report an earlier question, request, or command. Use si for yes-no questions, keep the interrogative word for information questions, and use an appropriate reporting verb plus a subordinate clause for requests and commands. Adjust person, pronoun, time, and reference according to who is reporting the original message.

Report a yes-no question with si

Direct:

Marta: — Marta: Do you have time tomorrow?

Reported later:

— Marta asked me whether I had time the following day.

Si introduces the reported yes-no question.

Do not preserve direct question order mechanically

Direct:

— Is Carlos in the office?

Reported:

— He / she asked whether Carlos was in the office.

The reported clause follows normal statement order.

Report an information question with the question word

Direct:

Ana: — Ana: Where is the report?

Reported:

— Ana asked where the report was.

Another information question

Direct:

Carlos: — Carlos: When does the meeting start?

Reported:

— Carlos asked when the meeting started.

Report a request with pedir que + subjunctive

Direct request:

Marta: — Marta: Please send me the document today.

Reported:

— Marta asked me to send her the document that day.

The person requested to act is the subject of enviara.

Report a command with decir que or ordenar que

Direct command:

Supervisor: — Supervisor: Close the door.

Neutral report:

— The supervisor told me to close the door.

Stronger command:

— The supervisor ordered me to close the door.

Ordenar adds stronger command force. Do not use it if the original utterance was only a polite request.

Report a request to another person

Direct:

Ana: — Ana: Carlos, can you review the bill?

Reported:

— Ana asked Carlos to review the bill.

Although the direct form is grammatically a question, its communicative function is a request for action.

Information question versus request for action

Information:

— Can you use this program?

If the speaker genuinely asks about ability:

— He / she asked me whether I could use that program.

Request:

— Can you close the window?

If the speaker wants the action:

— He / she asked me to close the window.

Choose the indirect form according to communicative function, not only surface grammar.

Adjust pronouns

Direct:

Marta: — Marta: Bring me my book.

Reported by the listener:

— Marta asked me to bring her her book.

Me, le, and su change according to the new perspective.

Adjust time references

Direct:

Director: — Director: Submit it tomorrow.

Reported later:

— The director asked us to submit it the following day.

Infinitive where the structure genuinely allows it

Some reporting structures can use an infinitive when the subject relationship is clear.

— The teacher recommended reviewing the text before submitting it.

But for a specific request directed at a specific person, + subjunctive is often clearer:

— The teacher asked me to review the text.

A practical indirect-reporting method

Decide whether the original utterance asks for information or asks someone to act.
Use si for yes-no information questions.
Keep the interrogative word for information questions with qué, dónde, cuándo, por qué, and similar forms.
Use + subjunctive for a request directed at someone.
Use decir que or a stronger verb such as ordenar que only when the command force supports it.
Adjust person, pronouns, and time references.
Do not copy English or direct-question word order into the reported clause.

From Reporting Structures to Reporting Verbs

You can now report questions, requests, and commands according to their communicative function. The next lesson examines how afirmar, reconocer, negar, and advertir change the stance and force of reported information.