General Writing and Grammar Help/Reported Sentence


1. Can I use "I wondered.." in reported sentences?
eg. I wondered what Mark was doing.
 Or can I use it in quoted sentence
eg. "What is Mark doing?" I wondered.
If not, can you tell me the reason.

2. Can I use "question" (verb)in reported sentences?
eg. He questioned what I was doing.
Can you tell me in what kind of situation is suitable to use the word?

3. Can I use "that" in wh-Q or Yes/No Q ?
eg. He asked that if she was busy.
eg. He asked that where his pen was.

Thank you!

1.  Both are right.  "I wondered" means that you've been thinking about something or have a question.  You could say, "I wondered if the stock prices will rise," or you could put it as a question--"Will the stock prices rise?" I wondered.  You an use "wonder" (or wondered) in a statement or as a question.
2.  You can use "question" in that context.  For example, "The congressman questioned the president's motives."  You can use "question" in a sentence any time a person is "questioning" something.
3.  In these sentences, you don't need to use "that".  "That," in this case, would be a conjunction and you don't need it here.  You can say, "He asked if she was busy," or "He asked where his pen was." In these sentences,"if" and "where" serve as conjunctions, or connecting words.  If you used "that," it'd be a double conjunction.  Joel

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Joel Bjorling


I can answer questions relating to grammar or general writing technique.


I have published five nonfiction books and a number of articles. I currently write a column for a local newspaper. I am especially good at reference materials and where to find information.

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B.A., Oral Roberts University, Behavioral Science; MA, McCormuick Theological Seminary (Theological Studies)

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