Grammar 11-1 Indirect questions

Direct and indirect questions

Could you please tell me what time it is?

Indirect Question:

What time is it?

Direct Question:

We use indirect questions to make questions sound softer or more polite:

Open Ended

First, order this words to make a direct (normal) question:

she/ drive/ to work/ does/ ?

Open Ended

Order this words to make a direct (normal) question:

speak/ can/ she/ English/ ?

Open Ended

Order this words to make a direct (normal) question:

he/ is/ why/ leaving/

Form

​When we use this grammar, we do not use inversion.

This means we do not place the auxiliary verb before the subject.

In fact, the word order of an indirect question is the same as in positive sentences:

Example #1

Example #2

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In Past Simple and Present Simple questions, did, do, and does appear in direct questions.

Just like positive sentences, indirect questions do not need these auxiliaries:

​Example 1

​Example 2

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Remember, in indirect questions or positive sentences, we do not need do, does or did as auxiliary verbs. Do not forget that do can be used as a main verb:

Indirect Questions Using If / Whether

If there is no question word in your question like when, where, who, what, why, etc., it is because the question is a "yes" or "no" question. For these questions, we use if or whether in indirect questions:

Common Ways To Ask Indirect Questions

• Could you tell me...?

• Do you know...?

• Do you happen to know...?

• Have you got any idea...?

• Do you remember...?

• Would you mind telling me...?

More Expressions (Not Questions)

• I don't know...

• I wonder...

• I can't remember...

• I've got no idea...

• I'd like to know...

• I'm not sure...

Multiple Choice

CHANGE TO DIRECT OR INDIRECT QUESTIONS.

Did she go out last night?

• Can you tell me if she is going out last night?

• Can you tell me if she goes out last night?

• Can you tell me if she went out last night?

• Can you tell me did she go out last night?

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