She Asked Me If I Was Happy
Reported speech — questions, commands, and requests. A Toronto Life journalist interviews Leo about the café; he answers, and then retells the conversation to Maya.
📖 Reading: The Magazine Interview
Toronto Life magazine sent a journalist to interview Leo about the award.
She asked him how long he had been running the café.
He told her it had been just over a year.
She asked whether he had always wanted to own a business.
"Not always," he said. "But from the moment I arrived in Canada, yes."
She asked him who had inspired him most.
He said it was hard to choose one person, but he mentioned his grandmother and then, after a pause, Maya.
"She was my first regular customer," he explained. "She asked me if I knew any good spots in the neighbourhood. I gave her a list and invited her to a dinner. That changed everything."
The journalist asked him what advice he would give to someone who wanted to open their own business.
"I'd tell them to start before they're ready," said Leo. "And I'd tell them to find their community first."
She asked him if he was happy.
"She asked me if I was happy," Leo told Maya later. "I didn't even need to think. The answer was obvious."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| journalist | A person who writes or reports for news media | n. — The journalist interviewed Leo. |
| inspire | To fill someone with the urge to do something creative or meaningful | v. — She asked who had inspired him most. |
| spot | A particular place, especially a pleasant one | n. — Are there any good spots nearby? |
| obvious | Easily noticed or understood; clear | adj. — The answer was obvious. |
| advice | Recommendations about what to do | n. — She asked what advice he would give. |
| regular | A customer who visits a place frequently | n. — Maya was his first regular customer. |
| pause | A temporary stop or break | n. — After a pause, he mentioned Maya. |
| inversion | When the subject and verb swap position in a sentence | n. — No inversion in reported questions. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
ask + if/whether (yes/no Q) | She asked if he had always wanted a business. |
ask + wh- word (wh- Q) | She asked how long he had been running the café. |
tell + person + infinitive (command) | He told her to start before she was ready. |
ask + person + infinitive (request) | She asked him to explain his inspiration. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Reported Yes/No Questions | |
Direct | Are you happy? / Do you enjoy the work? |
Reported | She asked if/whether I was happy. |
Key rule | Use if or whether. No inversion. Tense backshift applies. |
Reported Wh- Questions
📚 Reported Wh- Questions | |
Direct | How long have you been running the café? |
Reported | She asked how long he had been running the café. |
Direct | Who inspired you most? |
Reported | She asked who had inspired him most. |
Key rule | Use the question word (how/what/where/when/who/why). No inversion. |
Reported Commands & Requests
📚 Reported Commands & Requests | |
Command: tell + person + infinitive | He told her to start before she was ready. |
Request: ask + person + infinitive | She asked him to describe his grandmother. |
Negative: told/asked not to | He told her not to worry about the details. |
🎭 Dialogue: What Did She Ask You?
After the magazine interview, Leo tells Maya every question the journalist asked — and Maya gets a surprise when Leo names his second-biggest inspiration.
Leo! How was the interview? What did she ask you?
She asked how long I'd been running the café. And whether I'd always wanted my own business.
What did you say?
I told her not always — but since arriving in Canada, yes.
Did she ask about the community aspect?
Yes. She asked who had inspired me most. I said my grandmother. And then you.
Me?!
You were my first regular. You asked me if I knew any good spots. The rest is history.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
How long had Leo been running the café when the interview took place?
Who did Leo say had inspired him most?
What advice did Leo say he would give someone starting a business?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Rewrite: '"How long have you been running the café?"'
Rewrite: '"Did you always want to own a business?"'
Rewrite: '"Who inspired you most?"'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: You are a journalist. Interview your partner about their life, work, or ambitions using direct questions.
- Student B: Answer the questions as the interviewee.
- Then Student A reports the interview to a third person using reported questions: "They asked whether… / I asked them how… / They told me that…"
- Use at least 5 reported questions and 2 reported commands or requests.