Indirect questions

Indirect questions are a more polite or formal way of asking for information or making inquiries. They are commonly used in conversations to sound less direct and more respectful.

1. When Do We Use Indirect Questions?

We use indirect questions when:

We want to sound polite or formal:
- Instead of “Where is the train station?” Use “Could you tell me where the train station is?”
We embed a question within a statement or another question:
- I wonder what time the meeting starts.
- Do you know if she is coming to the party?
We introduce a question using phrases like:
- Can you tell me…?
- Do you know…?
- I wonder…
- Could you explain…?

2. Forming the Present Simple

Main clause + question phrase + subject + verb

I wonder where he went.
Could you tell me how she feels?

Key Points to Remember:
Word Order: In indirect questions, the subject comes before the verb.
- Direct: Where is she?
- Indirect: Do you know where she is?
No Auxiliary Verb (Do/Does/Did): Indirect questions omit auxiliary verbs.
- Direct: What does he like?
- Indirect: Could you tell me what he likes?
Yes/No Questions: Use if or whether for questions without a specific question word.
- Direct: Is it raining?
- Indirect: Do you know if it is raining?

3. Examples

Polite Requests:

Can you tell me where the nearest bank is?
Could you explain how this machine works?

Embedded Questions in Statements:

I wonder why he left so early.
She wants to know if they are joining us for dinner.

Yes/No Questions:

Direct: Has she finished her homework?
Indirect: Do you know if she has finished her homework?
Direct: Will it rain tomorrow?
Indirect: I wonder whether it will rain tomorrow.