|   
			ESL Forum: 
			
			
			
			Techniques and methods 
			in Language Teaching 
			
			Games, activities 
			and teaching ideas 
			
			Grammar and 
			Linguistics 
			
			
			Teaching material 
			
			
			Concerning 
			worksheets 
			
			
			Concerning 
			powerpoints 
			
			
			Concerning online 
			exercises 
			
			
			Make suggestions, 
			report errors 
			
			
			Ask for help 
			
			
			
			Message board 
			  
			
			
			
			
			 | 
 		
		
		ESL forum >
		
		
		Ask for help > help  me, pleaseee.....which is right?     
			
		 help  me, pleaseee.....which is right? 
		
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 loty7645
 
   | 
						
							| help  me, pleaseee.....which is right? 
 |  
							|   � � what is the matter? � � asked Julia. Julia asked what the matter was. or Julia asked what was the matter. ?   The first one is definitely correct but in the second one are we asking the subject of the sentence or what?    � � who is on tv now? � �  She wondered who was on tv....(this one is also definitely correct.)   But what about the following?    � �who is your favourite singer? � � he asked me who  my favourite singer was.   this is ok but can we say  � �HE ASKED ME WHO WAS MY FAVOURITE SINGER. � � |  17 Dec 2009      
					
					 |  |  
			| 
 
					
					
					
				 
 |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 Jorgelinaac
 
   | 
						
							| Hi loty, in my opinion, since it is an Indirect question, it shoud go like this... He asked me who my favourite singer WAS. ( SUBJECT + VERB)  Just like in the other examples   Then,  if it were an ordinary question, it would be ok to say... who was my favourite singer? but this is not the case in the example you provided.   I hope it helps, have a nice day   Jorgelina |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 Lana.
 
   | 
						
							| Hi loty,   HE ASKED ME WHO WAS MY FAVOURITE SINGER   is definitely not correct,  Reported Speech only allows for the inverted word order:                        1             2             3 She asked me   what   the matter   was.   That´s what my grammar teacher told me anyway.   |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 GAZA_CHILD
 
   | 
						
							| hi happy new hijri year the correct one is she asked me what the matter was  the inversion is no longer kept when transforming a direct speech into an indirect speech. GOOD LUCK |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 GAZA_CHILD
 
   | 
						
							| hi happy new hijri year the correct one is she asked me what the matter was  the inversion is no longer kept when transforming a direct speech into an indirect speech. GOOD LUCK |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 learner34
 
   | 
						
							| Hello Loty, I think I understand what you mean. 
 Julia asked what was the matter.  If it were like this, the part  what was the matter would be a noun clause (object of the verb  �asked �), but it isn �t possible because in that case we must use  �ask about �.
 I mean   �Julia asked about what was the matter. � Here, what is the subject of the noun clause.
 In this sense, the sentence could be  �Julia told us what was the matter. � Maybe this example makes it clearer. It �s the same for the other one.
 However, we don �t prefer these usages, instead, "the matter" is better as the subject.
 I wish this is OK for you.
 Best wishes.
 
 (Hi GAZA CHILD! Salam to all glorious people of Palestine )
 
 |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 marsala
 
   | 
						
							| You must say "She asked me what the matter was." In the direct speech it was a question, but in the inderect it became into an affirmative sentence.
 So you need to put in the use this form: subject + verb + objects....
 
 
 |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 ayda louhichi
 
   | 
						
							| Direct question: word order: Question word + verb + subject. Indirect question: the word order is the same as in the affirmative form.
 DQ: What was the matter?
 IQ: She asked me/ Could you tell me/ I �d like to know/ Would you mind telling me what the matter was.
 
 |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
			| 
				
					| 
					
					
 
 loty7645
 
   | 
						
							| thanks...thanks..thanks...my dear teachers and friends!!! your explanations were very clear...I knew it as you told but I doubted when I came across a different question in a test..now it is allright... so happy you and I are always here... have a nice day..   |  17 Dec 2009     
					
                     |  |  
	
	   |