Using Indirect Questions
What are indirect questions? Generally, indirect questions do not begin with question words such as what/where/which/why/how/whose. If you ask a direct question such as "Where do you live?", most probably the answer will be:
"I live in Sunrise Park." How can a direct question be turned into an indirect question? Indirect questions usually begin with these common phrases such as Do/Did you know/Can/Could you tell me....... Read these direct and indirect questions and pay attention to the words in bold.
An American tourist is now talking to a passer-by. The American uses the phrase Can you tell me to begin his question like this:
Can you tell me what time it is now? (indirect question)
What time is it now? (direct question) (pay attention to the position of the words it/is)
It's incorrect to say Can you tell me what time is it now? Therefore, when using indirect questions, the linking or helping verb is must come after the word it.
More examples:
Where does Kelvin live? (present tense direct question)
Do you know/Can you tell me where Kelvin lives? (present tense indirect question)
(incorrect to say Can you tell me where does Kelvin live?)
Which suitcase is yours? (present tense direct question)
Can you tell me which suitcase yours is? (present tense indirect question)
(incorrect to say Can you tell me which suitcase is yours?)
Why didn't Tommy go to school yesterday? (past tense direct question)
Do you know why Tommy didn't go to school yesterday?
(past tense indirect question/the word didn't must come after Tommy)
How did the burglar manage to deactivate the alarm system? (p.t. direct question)
Can you tell me how the burglar managed to deactivate the alarm system?
(past tense indirect question/the word did must be omitted and past tense of manage must be used)
Whose knapsack was left in the bus? (past tense direct question)
Do you know whose knapsack was left in the bus? (past tense indirect question/note that the direct question is repeated exactly after Do you know as the verb was is a linking verb and comes immediately after the noun knapsack.
"Where do you live?" in indirect question is: Can you tell me where you live? (the word do must be omitted)
Click on "Common Errors" to view other common errors.
"I live in Sunrise Park." How can a direct question be turned into an indirect question? Indirect questions usually begin with these common phrases such as Do/Did you know/Can/Could you tell me....... Read these direct and indirect questions and pay attention to the words in bold.
An American tourist is now talking to a passer-by. The American uses the phrase Can you tell me to begin his question like this:
Can you tell me what time it is now? (indirect question)
What time is it now? (direct question) (pay attention to the position of the words it/is)
It's incorrect to say Can you tell me what time is it now? Therefore, when using indirect questions, the linking or helping verb is must come after the word it.
More examples:
Where does Kelvin live? (present tense direct question)
Do you know/Can you tell me where Kelvin lives? (present tense indirect question)
(incorrect to say Can you tell me where does Kelvin live?)
Which suitcase is yours? (present tense direct question)
Can you tell me which suitcase yours is? (present tense indirect question)
(incorrect to say Can you tell me which suitcase is yours?)
Why didn't Tommy go to school yesterday? (past tense direct question)
Do you know why Tommy didn't go to school yesterday?
(past tense indirect question/the word didn't must come after Tommy)
How did the burglar manage to deactivate the alarm system? (p.t. direct question)
Can you tell me how the burglar managed to deactivate the alarm system?
(past tense indirect question/the word did must be omitted and past tense of manage must be used)
Whose knapsack was left in the bus? (past tense direct question)
Do you know whose knapsack was left in the bus? (past tense indirect question/note that the direct question is repeated exactly after Do you know as the verb was is a linking verb and comes immediately after the noun knapsack.
"Where do you live?" in indirect question is: Can you tell me where you live? (the word do must be omitted)
Click on "Common Errors" to view other common errors.
By Susan L
On 12/09/2009 05:30:00 PM
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View More Articles... On 12/09/2009 05:30:00 PM
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