Indirect questions

Indirect questions

Exercise 2

Choose the correct forms to complete the questions below. There are direct and indirect questions.

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1 I'd like to know ______.

A.how can I contact her

B.how I can contact her

C.how do I contact her

2 I was wondering ______ the recipe.

A.where you found

B.where did you find

C.where found you

3 Would you mind telling me ______?

A.how much did the sofa cost

B.how much cost the sofa

C.how much the sofa cost

4 How long ______ to finish the project?

A.it is going to take

B.is it going to take

C.it's going to take

5 ______ in this house?

A.How much time you have been living

B.How long you've been living

C.How long have you been living

6 Could you tell me ______?

A.what are you afraid

B.what you are afraid

C.what you are afraid of

7 Do you know ______?

A.if is he going to come

B.if he's going to come

C.whether is he going to come

8 I'd like to know ______ .

A.why you are acting so weird

B.why are you acting so weird

C.why act you so weird

9 Do you have any idea ______?

A.is who the man in black

B.who's the man in black

C.who the man in black is

10 ______? Can you tell me?

A.Where is the new student from

B.Where the new student is from

C.From where is the new student

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Indirect questions

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We normally use indirect questions when we want to be more polite. We begin the question with expressions such as “Can you tell me …?”, “Could you tell me …?”, “Do you know …?”, or “Would you mind telling me …?”

• What time is it? (direct question)
• Could you tell me what time it is? (indirect question)

In indirect questions, the order is subject + verb.

• Do you know where can I find a bank?
• Do you know where I can find a bank?
• Can you tell me what time do the shops close?
• Can you tell me what time the shops close? 

These are some other common expressions used before indirect questions:

• I don’t know what he is doing here. 
• I wonder when he will find the truth.
• I’m not sure when I can come. 
• I’d like to know where you left the documents. 

For yes-no questions (when there is NO question word), we can use both if or whether:

• Do you know if/whether he’ll be here soon?