Today we are going to learn how to make indirect questions in English following some easy steps and checking some examples.
We can’t talk about indirect without knowing what direction questions are.
Direct questions are the normal questions that we can ask friends, family and people we know well.
For example:
- Where is the cat?
- Where does she live?
- Why did she quit her job?
Indirect Questions are little bit more formal and polite. We use them to talk to people who we don’t know really well.
- Do you know where the cat is?
- Do you remember where she lives?
- Do you have any idea why she quit her job?
Now let’s learn all we need to make indirect or embedded questions in English
Table of Contents
Phrases to Make Indirect Questions
There are different phrases that you can use to make indirect questions:
- Do you know?
- Can You tell me?
- Do you remember?
- Could you tell me ?
- I was wondering…
- Do you have any idea?
- Would it be possible?
How to Make Indirect Questions
These are some key ideas to help you make indirect questions
These are some indirect questions with the verb to be
- Where is the car?
- Do you know where the car is?
- Can you tell me where the car is?
These are some examples of indirect questions with simple present
- What does she want?
- Do you know what she wants?
- I was wondering what she wants
These are some some examples of indirect questions with simple past
- why did she quit her job?
- Do you know why she quit her job?
- I was wondering what she quit her job?
These are some examples of indirect questions with the present continuous
- What is she doing?
- Do you know what she is doing?
- I was wondering what she is doing?
These are some examples of indirect questions with the past continuous
- What were they watching?
- Do you know what they were watching?
- Could you tell me what they were watching?
Indirect Questions with Do you know?
These are some indirect questions with do you know?
- Do you know where the gas station is?
- Do you know what the movie is about?
- Do you know where my brothers are?
- Do you know where the party will be?
- Do you know who will pick me up at the airport tomorrow?
Indirect Questions with Can you Tell me?
These are some indirect questions with can you tell me?
- Can you tell me what the name of the song is?
- Can you tell me who the impostor is?
- Can you tell me where we have to go next?
- Can you tell me why we have to give ride to strangers?
- Can you tell me how we are going to get there on time?
Indirect Questions with Do you Remember?
These are some indirect questions with do you remember?
- Do you remember where I left the car keys?
- Do you remember what I had to do?
- Do you remember who took my money?
- Do you remember what button we are supposed to press?
- Do you remember what the song they played was?
Indirect Questions with Could You Tell me?
These are some indirect questions with Could you tell me?
- Could you tell me what the movie is about?
- Could you tell me what your favorite song is’
- Could you tell me when the first person landed on the moon?
- Could you tell me where the university is?
- Could you tell me what your beliefs are?
- Could you tell me what your religion is?
Indirect Questions with I was Wondering
These are some indirect questions with I was wondering
- I was wondering if you have any money
- I was wondering why you moved to Europe
- I was wondering why you didn’t take the offer
- I was wondering why you decided to quit your job
- I was wondering why she abandoned her children
Indirect Questions Video Explanation
Learn more about indirect questions by watching the following video:
