VERB + WH CLAUSE

Reported speech Advanced 3: VERB + WH-CLAUSE

THAT CLAUSE: I decided THAT I ought to leave WH-CLAUSE: Did you find WHERE to go?

Verbs like this include: ARRANGE, CALCULATE, CHECK, CHOOSE, DEBATE, DETERMINE, DISCOVER, DISCUSS, ESTABLISH, FIND OUT, FORGET, GUESS, IMAGINE, KNOW, LEARN, NOTICE, PLAN, REALIZE, REMEMBER, SAY, SEE, TALK ABOUT, THINK, UNDERSTAND, WONDER.

In reported speech, some verbs can be followed by a clause beginning with a WH-word (HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHICH, WHO, WHY).

Reporting: verb + WH-clause

Some verbs MUST have an object before the WH-clause: She reminded ME WHAT (I had) to do. I told LINDA HOW to get to my house Other verbs like this include: ADVISE, INFORM, INSTRUCT, TEACH, WARN. The verbs ASK and SHOW often have an object before a WH-clause (not always) I asked (HIM) HOW I could get to the station. These verbs can be followed by an OBJECT + WH-WORD + TO INFINITIVE She taught ME HOW TO PLAY tennis

We often use THE WAY instead of HOW referring to either the route or the means: Go back THE WAY (THAT/BY WHICH) you came Have you noticed THE WAY (THAT / IN WHICH) he spins the ball? IMPORTANT! We don’t say THE WAY HOW.

We use WHETHER as the WH-WORD in a WH-clause when we express possible choices. In this case, WHETHER has a similar meaning to IF: He couldn’t remember IF/WHETHER he had turned the computer off. WHETHER is commonly followed by a TO-INFINITIVE to talk about the choice between two or more possibilities (IF is never used before a TO INFINITIVE) He said you had 14 days to DECIDE WHETHER TO KEEP it or not Verbs followed by WHETHER + TO INFINITIVE are concerned with talking or thinking: CHOOSE, CONSIDER, DEBATE, DECIDE, DETERMINE, DISCUSS, KNOW (questions and negatives), WONDER. DO NOT USE these with whether + to infinitive: ASK, CONCLUDE, EXPLAIN, IMAGINE, REALIZE, SPECULATE, THINK.

WHETHER

He said he didn’t know whether the shop was shut He said he didn’t know that the shop was shut

Compare: The first in each pair has a WH-clause with WHETHER and the second with a THAT-CLAUSE

Compare

In formal contexts, we can use AS TO with a meaning similar to ABOUT or CONCERNING before a WH-clause. It is more common before WHETHER.

FORMAL CONTEXTS

Watch the following video and write 5 sentences using reporting speech WH- clauses. Share your sentences with the rest of the class.

Up to you!