Indirect Questions 7

Indirect Questions

❓Indirect Questions

1️⃣What is an Indirect Question?

📝An indirect question is a more polite or formal way to ask something. Instead of asking directly, we introduce the question with another phrase.

👉Direct: Where is the bank?
👉Indirect: Could you tell me where the bank is?

2️⃣Structure

🏗️Indirect questions follow the order of a statement, not a direct question.

❌No auxiliary before the subject (no "do/does/did").
✅Word order = Subject + Verb (like a normal sentence).

a) With question words (who, what, when, where, why, how)

Direct: What time does the bus leave?
Indirect: Do you know what time the bus leaves?

b) Yes/No questions (start with if / whether)

Direct: Is she at home?
Indirect: Do you know if she is at home?

3️⃣Common Introductory Phrases

🙏Could you tell me…
🤔Do you know…
💭I wonder…
📚Can you explain…
🙏Would you mind telling me…

4️⃣Examples

🚉Direct: Where is the train station?
Indirect: Could you tell me where the train station is?
🚪Direct: Why did he leave?
Indirect: Do you know why he left?
🍕Direct: Does she like pizza?
Indirect: I wonder if she likes pizza.

5️⃣Common Mistakes ❌✅

❌Can you tell me where is the station?
✅Can you tell me where the station is?
❌Do you know what time does the movie start?
✅Do you know what time the movie starts?
❌I wonder is he happy.
✅I wonder if he is happy.

✨Quick Tips

🙏Indirect questions = more polite.
📝Word order = subject + verb (not inverted like direct questions).
❔Use if/whether for Yes/No questions.