Grammar practice · Skill 9 of 14

Indirect Questions in English

An indirect question, also called an embedded question, is a question placed inside a longer sentence, often to sound polite: Could you tell me where the library is? Get it right by using statement order after the opening words and dropping do, does and did. Seven rules and 40 exercises below show how.

40 questions 8 levels of 5 7 rules Level 1 free

26%

What we measured

of 59,852 sentence-building answers using indirect questions were wrong in the last six months.

How do you form an indirect question?

After the opening words, use statement order

The opening words, such as Could you tell me, Do you know or I wonder, do the asking. So the part after them uses normal statement order: first the subject, meaning the person or thing the sentence is about, then the verb. Helping verbs such as is, will and can follow the subject too: where the library is, when the grades will be ready.

Right:Could you tell me where the library is?
Right:I wonder when the lab will open.
Right:Do you know who that woman is?

Not:Could you tell me where is the library?Instead:Could you tell me where the library is?
Not:Do you know when will the lab open?Instead:Do you know when the lab will open?

Drop do, does and did

As helping verbs, do, does and did only build direct questions, so they disappear in an indirect one. What they carried moves to the main verb. Does leaves its s behind: what time the class starts. Did leaves the past tense behind: where she went. They stay in one case only, a negative: why he did not reply.

Right:Do you know what time the class starts?
Right:I asked where she went.
Right:I wonder why he did not reply.

Not:Do you know what time does the class start?Instead:Do you know what time the class starts?
Not:I asked where did she go.Instead:I asked where she went.

Use if or whether for yes or no questions

When a question has a yes or no answer, it has no question word to start with, so add if or whether. Then use statement order as usual. The two words usually swap freely. Only whether works right before or not and before to plus a verb: whether to apply. In careful writing, use whether after small words such as about and on too.

Right:Do you know if the store is open?
Right:I am not sure whether the exam is on Friday.
Right:We talked about whether to change our topic.

Not:Do you know is the store open?Instead:Do you know if the store is open?
Not:I am not sure if or not the class is full.Instead:I am not sure whether or not the class is full.

Keep how much and how many together

Question words with how travel as one block: how much, how many, how long, how often. Keep the whole block at the front, along with any noun attached to it, such as how many credits or how much time. Then continue in statement order. Never add does after the block: how much the course costs, not how much does the course cost.

Right:I would like to know how much the course costs.
Right:Do you know how long the exam lasts?
Right:We measured how many hours students sleep.

Not:Do you know how much does the course cost?Instead:Do you know how much the course costs?
Not:I wonder how many we need chairs.Instead:I wonder how many chairs we need.

When who or what does the action, nothing moves

Sometimes the question word itself is the subject, the one doing the action. Then the direct question is already in statement order, so copy it straight after the opener: who will lead the group, what happened, which team won. Do not add did, and do not push will to the end. To test it, answer the question: "Maria will lead the group" has the same order.

Right:Do you know who will lead the group?
Right:Nobody knows what happened.
Right:Please tell me which room is free.

Not:Do you know what did happen?Instead:Do you know what happened?
Not:We do not know who the plan approve will.Instead:We do not know who will approve the plan.

The opening words decide the punctuation

Look only at the opening words. If they ask something, as in Could you tell me or Do you know, end with a question mark. If they state something, as in I wonder, I would like to know or I am not sure, end with a period, even though the idea is a question. A request such as Please let me know also ends with a period.

Right:Could you tell me when the office opens?
Right:I wonder when the office opens.
Right:Please let me know when the office opens.

Not:I wonder when the office opens?Instead:I wonder when the office opens.
Not:I would like to know if the class is full?Instead:I would like to know if the class is full.

Use indirect questions in polite emails

A direct question can sound demanding in an email to a professor. "When will you grade our essays?" is correct English, but the tone is too strong. An indirect question sounds more respectful. Three openers cover almost every email: Could you please let me know, I would like to know and I was wondering if you could. The past form in "I was wondering" adds politeness, not past time.

Right:Could you please let me know when the essays will be graded?
Right:I would like to know whether I can still join your section.
Right:I was wondering if you could meet on Thursday.

Not:I was wondering if could you meet on Thursday.Instead:I was wondering if you could meet on Thursday.
Not:Could you please let me know when are your office hours?Instead:Could you please let me know when your office hours are?

Where this costs you marks on the TOEFL

You will not meet a grammar section on the TOEFL, because grammar counts inside Writing and Speaking. Build a Sentence makes up 10 of the 12 Writing items, and this pattern is a frequent trap there, because the question word pulls you toward question order. The pattern matters even more in Write an Email, where asking for something can be part of the job. A polite indirect question suits a message to a professor, while a string of direct questions can sound demanding. In the Interview, phrases such as "I am not sure whether" and "I do not know how much" need the same statement order, so practice saying them aloud.

If your first language is...

First language	What to watch for
Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Telugu speakers	English as used across South Asia often keeps question order inside a longer sentence: "I asked him where is he going." It may sound normal because you hear it often. The TOEFL expects the standard form, so after any opener, check that the subject comes before the verb: where he is going.
Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian speakers	Your language can keep the verb before the subject inside a longer sentence. In Spanish, "¿Sabes dónde está la biblioteca?" maps word for word onto "Do you know where is the library?" English does not allow that order here. Move the subject forward: where the library is.
Arabic and Russian speakers	Your languages usually have no word for "is" in simple present sentences, so "Do you know where the library?" can feel complete. English needs the verb, and here it goes last: where the library is. Russian speakers often add a comma before the question word too, which English does not use.
Chinese, Japanese and Korean speakers	In your language the question word usually stays where the answer would go, as in "the library is where?" English moves it to the front of its part of the sentence, right after the opener: Could you tell me where the library is? The rest keeps statement order, so there is only one move to make.

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Indirect questions exercises: Level 1 with answers

Try these before you open an answer. Each one explains why, not only what.

Could you tell me where _____? (the gym is / is the gym)
Show the answer
the gym is
After Could you tell me, use normal statement order. The gym comes first, then is.
I wonder where _____. (my keys are / are my keys / my keys)
Show the answer
my keys are
After I wonder, keep statement order: my keys are. The verb cannot be left out, and it comes after my keys.
Find the mistake: I don't know how old is your little brother.
Show the answer
I don't know how old your little brother is.
After I don't know, keep statement order: your little brother comes first, and is moves to the end.
Can you tell me what time it _____ right now?
Show the answer
is
Use statement order after the opener: it is, not is it. So the words end up as what time it is.
Put in order, with one piece left over: Excuse me, could you tell me [the / is / where / are / restroom]?
Show the answer
Excuse me, could you tell me where the restroom is?
Could you tell me already does the asking, so the rest stays in statement order: the restroom first, then is.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is an indirect question?

An indirect question is a question placed inside a longer sentence, such as Could you tell me where the station is? It asks for the same information as a direct question, but in a softer way. The part after the opening words follows statement order, with the subject before the verb, and it drops do, does and did.

Are indirect questions and embedded questions the same thing?

Yes, for practical purposes. An embedded question is any question placed inside another sentence, and indirect question is the more common name in English classes. Some books keep indirect question for polite or reported questions, such as She asked where I live, but the word order rules are exactly the same for both.

Does an indirect question need a question mark?

Only if the whole sentence is a question. Could you tell me where the station is? takes a question mark, because could you asks something. I wonder where the station is. takes a period, because I wonder states something. I would like to know and Please let me know also end with a period.

Should I use if or whether?

In most sentences you can use either one: I wonder if the class is full and I wonder whether the class is full are both correct. Whether sounds slightly more formal. Use only whether right before or not, before to plus a verb, and after a preposition in careful writing: I cannot decide whether to apply.

How do I ask a professor a question politely in an email?

Use an indirect question. Instead of When is the deadline?, write Could you please let me know when the deadline is? To ask for a favor, write I was wondering if you could review my outline. Keep the request short, give one clear reason, and thank the professor. Check that the words after your opener are in statement order.

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