Tag/Direct/Indirect Questions

Tag questions

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini-question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Is that right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in English.

Direct and Indirect Questions

Examples:
Direct question: Where is the department store?
Indirect question: Could you tell me where the department store is?

Direct question: What is his name?
Indirect question: Do you know what his name is?

Indirect questions are polite longer forms of direct questions. We use them when talking to a person we don´t know very well or in formal situations.

​Indirect questions are formed of two parts: a POLITE EXPRESSION and a question that places the verb after the subject unlike a direct question.

Rule 1

​Indirect questions do no use the helping verbs do, does or did.

​​Rule 2

Multiple Choice

Where is the station?

• Can you tell me where is the station?

• Could you tell me where is the station?

• Could you told me where the station is?

• Could you tell me where the station is?

Open Ended

Put the words in the correct order to form a direct question that uses do, does or did. Then, underneath make the direct question indirect:

1. early/close/shop/the/does/so/why/ ?