Indirect questions

Indirect question (also called embedded question) is a statement within another statement/ question (polite expression). Indirect questions are polite, longer forms of normal questions.

For examples,

• What is your name? → I can't remember what your name is.
• Can you speak English?  → Can you tell me if you can speak English?

Some common polite expressions are:

• I wonder……………...………
• Do you know………………….………?
• I can't remember ...…………
• Could you tell me ... …………………?
• I'd like to know .....………….
• Would you mind telling me ... ………?
• I can't remember...…….……
• Would it be possible for you to.…..…?

Changing direct questions to indirect questions

There are two types of questions: Yes/no question and Wh questions. When we change them to indirect questions, there is a slightly difference in form.

WH QUESTIONS

Form:

• A polite expression + a statement

Procedures:

Step 1: Change the question to statement word order. See the example,

• "Where do you live?"
• → Where you do live

Step 2: Remove auxiliary verb if necessary.

• → Where you do live

Step 3: Embed it in a polite expression.

• I can't remember where you live.

Step 4: Check whether you need to punctuate with question mark "?" or full-stop ".".

• Can you tell me where you live? ["?" is used when polite expression is a question.]
• I want to know where you live. ["." is used when polite expression is a statement.]

Here are more examples,

• What's his name? 
• →  Do you know what his name is?
• →  Do you know what is his name? 

• What's the time? 
• →  Do you have any idea what the time is? 
• →  Do you have any what is the time?

• When does the next train arrive? 
• →  Do you know when the next train arrives? 
• →  Do you know when does the next train arrive?

YES/NO QUESTIONS

Form:

• A polite expression + if / whether + a statement

Procedures:

Step 1: Change the question to statement word order. See the example,

• "Do you like apple?"
• →  you do like apple

Step 2: Remove auxiliary verb if necessary.

• you do like apple

Step 3: add IF or WHETHER in front of re-ordered question.

• if/whether you like apple

Step 4: Embed it in a polite expression.

• I can't remember if/whether you like apple.

Step 5: Check whether you need to punctuate with question mark "?" or full-stop ".".

• Can you tell me if/whether you like apple? ["?" is used when polite expression is a question.]
• I want to know if/whether you like apple. ["." is used when polite expression is a statement.]

Here are more examples,

• Do you like Chinese food? 
• →  I'd like to know if/whether you like Chinese food.
• →  I’d like to know if / whether do you like Chinese food. 
• →  I’d like to know if / whether you do like Chinese food.

• Does she work for Mobitel? 
• →  I wonder if/whether she works for Mobitel. 
• →  I wonder if/whether does she work for Mobitel. 
• →  I wonder if/whether she does work for Mobitel. 
• →  I wonder if/whether she work for Mobitel.