"It is too late." - I said   .

"I have replied." - He claimed that   .

"I met you yesterday." - Sam told me   .

"I cannot come." - Mary explained that   .

"I could fall down." - He was afraid   .

"I will pay tomorrow." - He said   .

"The Himalayas are the highest." - He knew that   .

"I may lend you some money." - Bill promised   .

"I have been watching a film." - He replied that   .

"Claire must rest." - The doctor said   .

"I have not done it today." - I explained that   .

"If I was younger, I would accept it." - He thought that   .

"I was with him last week." - Jill admitted that   .

"You needn't change your shoes in our house." - She reminded me that   .

"I am calling my mum." - She said   .

"I will finish this picture tomorrow." - Diana supposed that   .

"I would buy it." - She said   .

"Greg used to be my friend." - He told us   .

ANSWERS

"It is too late." - I said   .Right: it was too late

"I have replied." - He claimed that   .

Right: he had replied

"I met you yesterday." - Sam told me   .

Right: he had met me the previous day / he had met me the day before

"I cannot come." - Mary explained that   .

Right: she could not come

"I could fall down." - He was afraid   .

Right: he could fall down

"I will pay tomorrow." - He said   .

Right: he would pay the next day / he would pay the following day

"The Himalayas are the highest." - He knew that   .

Right: the Himalayas are the highest

"I may lend you some money." - Bill promised   .

Right: he might lend me some money

"I have been watching a film." - He replied that   .

Right: he had been watching a film

"Claire must rest." - The doctor said   .

Right: Claire must rest / Claire had to rest

"I have not done it today." - I explained that   .

Right: I had not done it that day

"If I was younger, I would accept it." - He thought that   .

Right: if he was younger, he would accept it

"I was with him last week." - Jill admitted that   .

Right: she had been with him the previous week / the week before

"You needn't change your shoes in our house." - She reminded me that   .

Right: I need not change my shoes in their house / I did not have to change my shoes in their house

"I am calling my mum." - She said   .

Right: she was calling her mum

"I will finish this picture tomorrow." - Diana supposed that   .

Right: she would finish that picture the following day / she would finish that picture the next day

"I would buy it." - She said   .

Right: she would buy it

"Greg used to be my friend." - He told us   .

Right: Greg used to be his friend

Grammar rules with examples

If we want to make questions in the English language, we can do it by changing the word order (Is he your brother? Was she there? Have you been to Ireland?) or by using the auxiliary do (Do you know them? Does he live with you? Did you enjoy it?).

The indirect questions are not normal questions. They have the same word order as statements and we do not use do to form a question. They usually come after introductory phrases combined with interrogative pronouns and adjectives (who, whom, what, which, whose), adverbs (when, where, how, why)or if, whether. Compare the following direct and indirect questions:Direct: What did she want? - Indirect: Do you know what she wanted?Direct: Where was it? - Indirect: Do you remember where it was?Direct: Will they come? - Indirect: I wonder if they will come. We can use many other introductory phrases to start such questions, e. g. I ask, I wonder, I want/would like to know, I can't remember, I have no idea, I am sure etc. or they can be intruduced by direct questions such as Can you tell me, Do you know, Do you remember, Have you any idea etc.Look at more examples to understand how we change the direct questions:How much is it? - I'd like to know how much it is.Is this seat free? - He is asking if this seat is free.

Where did she go? - Have you any idea where she went?Does he want to buy it? - Do you know whether he wants to buy it? 

These questions are more common in English than in some other languages. They are more polite and more formal than the direct questions. Compare the following examples of the direct - indirect questions.

Why did you do it? - Could you tell me why you did it?Could I use your telephone? - Do you think I could use your telephone?Are you married? - I wonder if you are married. 

What will the weather be like next week? - I wonder   .

What's the population of Srí Lanka? - I'd like to know   .

Is it possible? - You should find out   .

How many English words do you know? - I have no idea   .

How much is the most expensive car in the world? - I don't care   .

What day did the World War II start? - I can't remember   .

Does she agree with it? - Ask her   .

What will she have for dinner? - I don't know   .

How much money have they? - I can't tell you   .

Who is he? - I don't want to know   .

He was born in Paris. - And do you know when   ?

What would she do? - Why should I tell you   .

Will we have to pay extra? - I will let you know   .

Answers

What will the weather be like next week? - I wonder   .Right: what the weather will be like next week / what it will be like next week

What's the population of Srí Lanka? - I'd like to know   .

Right: what the population of Srí Lanka is

Is it possible? - You should find out   .

Right: if it is possible / whether it is possible

How many English words do you know? - I have no idea   .

Right: how many English words I know

How much is the most expensive car in the world? - I don't care   .

Right: how much the most expensive car in the world is / how much it is

What day did the World War II start? - I can't remember   .

Right: what day the World War II started / what day it started

Does she agree with it? - Ask her   .

Right: if she agrees with it / whether she agrees with it

What will she have for dinner? - I don't know   .

Right: what she will have for dinner

How much money have they? - I can't tell you   .

Right: how much money they have

Who is he? - I don't want to know   .

Right: who he is

He was born in Paris. - And do you know when   ?

Right: he was born

What would she do? - Why should I tell you   .

Right: what she would do

Will we have to pay extra? - I will let you know   .

Right: if you will have to pay extra / whether you will have to pay extra

Indirect and direct object examples, grammar rules

In the English language verbs can often be followed by two different types of objects. Let's have a look at the following examples.I sent Mary some flowers.I sent some flowers to Mary.These two sentences contain both kinds of objects. Flowers are the direct object. It refers to what I sent.Mary is the indirect object. It refers to whom I sent it.As you can see, the word order in these two sentences is different - Mary and flowers can be placed first or second in each of these examples.

The changeable word order in English sentences

1. If the indirect object comes first in a sentence, there is no preposition.They gave Harold a new car.Mrs. Jones offered the girls a cake.My grandma always wishes me a good luck.

2. If it comes second, a preposition must be used.They gave a new car to Harold.Mrs Jones offered a cake to the girls.My grandma always wishes a good luck to me.

3. If the direct object is a pronoun (it, this ... ), it comes first and we must use a preposition. Compare the difference in the following examples.I bought it for my sister.Can you send it to him?I'll get it for you as soon as I can.(Not: I bought my sister it. Can you send him it? I'll get you it as soon as I can.)

What did you do? Can you tell me it?   ?

He wrote to Dan a letter. 

They gave a lot of presents Simon. 

This picture is so nice. - Can you show to me?   ?

I have brought for your sister this book. 

Please, will you pass me it?   ?

I'm looking forward to your reply. Write me soon. 

Grandma, could you read me?   ?

Don't smoke anymore. Will you promise to me?   ?

Answers

What did you do? Can you tell me it?   ?Right: Can you tell me

He wrote to Dan a letter. 

Right: He wrote Dan a letter. / He wrote a letter to Dan.

They gave a lot of presents Simon. 

Right: They gave Simon a lot of presents. / They gave a lot of presents to Simon.

This picture is so nice. - Can you show to me?   ?

Right: Can you show me / Can you show it to me

I have brought for your sister this book. 

Right: I have brought this book for your sister.

Please, will you pass me it?   ?

Right: Please, will you pass it to me

I'm looking forward to your reply. Write me soon. 

Right: Write to me soon.

Grandma, could you read me?   ?

Right: Grandma, could you read to me

Don't smoke anymore. Will you promise to me?   ?

Right: Will you promise me / Will you promise it to me