B1 English Grammar Profile point 5 in REPORTED SPEECH is defined as:
‘YES-NO’ QUESTIONS using ‘ask’ + ‘if’ or ‘whether’ + clause, with a pronoun and tense shift where relevant.
A search in iWeb for:
ask* * if|whether _P _V
1 ASKED ME IF I WANTED 2391
2 ASKED ME IF I WAS 2083
3 ASKED ME IF I WOULD 1870
4 ASKED ME IF I HAD 1779
5 ASK YOU IF YOU WANT 1637
6 ASKED HIM IF HE WAS 1321
7 ASKED HIM IF HE HAD 1178
8 ASKED ME IF I COULD 1120
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLES:
Finally, a friend asked me if I could bring him back some clothes from American brands
since they were much cheaper in the States than in Switzerland.
French, Male, Level 5, Grammar Class.
One of my friends asked me if I could call him via Skype.
Arabic, Male, Level 5, Grammar Class.
9 ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD 1018
10 ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE 911
11 ASKED HER IF SHE WAS 816
12 ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED 800
13 ASKED HIM IF HE COULD 724
14 ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD 638
15 ASKED HER IF SHE HAD 638
16 ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED 601
17 ASKED ME IF I KNEW 594
18 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE 592 (This is not really reported speech and it is C2)
It’s time to ask yourself what you believe.
19 ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD 590
20 ASKED ME IF I ‘D 589
21 ASK THEM IF THEY CAN 539
22 ASKED HIM IF I COULD 523
23 ASKS YOU IF YOU WANT 492
24 ASK THEM IF THEY ARE 487
25 ASK THEM IF YOU CAN 449
26 ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE 392
27 ASKED HER IF SHE COULD 389
28 ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW 378
29 ASKED HER IF I COULD 373
30 ASKED ME IF IT WAS 360
31 ASKING ME IF I WAS 358
32 ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD 348
33 ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD 344
34 ASKING YOU IF YOU WANT 321
35 ASK YOU IF YOU ARE 318
36 ASKED ME IF HE COULD 314
37 ASKS ME IF I WANT 305
38 ASK THEM IF THEY WANT 304
39 ASKED HIM IF IT WAS 303
40 ASK ME IF I WAS 297
41 ASK THEM IF THEY KNOW 294
42 ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD 285
43 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ‘RE 277
44 ASKED HIM IF HE ‘D 273
45 ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD 272
46 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU WOULD 271
47 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE 270
48 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU WANT 263
49 ASK YOURSELF IF YOU CAN 253
50 ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT 247
51 ASKING ME IF I WANTED 245
52 ASKED US IF WE WANTED 227
53 ASK ME IF I WANT 224
54 ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT 222
55 ASKED ME IF SHE COULD 217
56 ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW 210
57 ASK ME IF I ‘M 208
58 ASK ME IF I WANTED 200
59 ASK HIM IF HE HAS 200
60 ASKED THEM IF I COULD 200
61 ASKING ME IF I HAD 195
62 ASK YOU WHETHER YOU WANT 193
63 ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE 192
64 ASK HIM IF HE WANTS 189
65 ASK HIM IF HE WOULD 182
66 ASK ME IF I HAD 180
67 ASK THEM IF THEY WILL 177
68 ASK YOURSELF IF IT IS 176
69 ASKED THEM IF THEY WANTED 172
70 ASKING ME IF I WANT 172
71 ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DO 171
72 ASKING ME IF I WOULD 171
73 ASKED HER IF IT WAS 169
74 ASK HER IF SHE WANTS 166
75 ASK YOURSELF IF IT ‘S 161
76 ASK ME IF I HAVE 161
77 ASK THEM IF THEY COULD 160
78 ASKED HIM IF WE COULD 158
79 ASK ME IF I WOULD 149
80 ASKED US IF WE COULD 148
81 ASKED ME IF THEY COULD 147
82 ASKED ME IF WE COULD 147
83 ASK HER IF SHE WOULD 146
84 ASKED US IF WE WOULD 146
85 ASKED HER IF SHE ‘D 141
86 ASKED ME IF I NEEDED 131
87 ASKED US IF WE WERE 129
88 ASK HER IF SHE HAS 126
89 ASKED HIM WHETHER HE HAD 117
90 ASKING HIM IF HE WAS 116
91 ASKING ME IF I ‘M 112
92 ASK ME IF I AM 111
93 ASKING THEM IF THEY WOULD 109
94 ASK ME IF I COULD 108
95 ASKED ME IF I LIKED 105
96 ASKING ME IF I COULD 105
97 ASKED HER IF WE COULD 103
98 ASK YOU IF YOU WISH 102
99 ASK HIM IF HE WAS 102
100 ASKING YOU IF YOU ARE 102
A2 Vocabulary:
could, if, were, wish, yourself
EXPERT EXAMPLE:
The next day his mother asked me if I had told him some horror stories.