Making Embedded Questions (Noun Clauses)

Embedded questions, also known as noun clauses, can sound more polite (softer) than
a direct question. Compare:

Direct Question: What are you doing?

Embedded Question: Could you tell me what you are doing?

As you can see, an embedded question is a question inside another sentence (the

question is embedded within another sentence.). The sentence can be a statement or
a question. For example:

I would like to know what your name is. (statement)

Common Phrases to Start Embedded Questions

Question patterns:

 Can/Could/Would you tell me …

 Would/Do you mind…
 Do you know…

Statements patterns:

 I’d like to know…

 I’m not sure…
 I was wondering…
 I wonder…
 I don’t know…
 Please tell me…

For Yes/No Questions, Add ‘If/Whether’

If the direct question is a Yes/No question, then you will always need to

add if or whether (whether is a little more formal) to the beginning of the embedded
question.

Direct Yes/No Question: Can she dance?

Embedded Yes/No Question: I wonder if/whether  she can dance.

1.Make embedded questions:

(Where do they live?) > I wonder 

(Is Tony happy?) > Can you tell me 

(Should we visit?) > I don’t know 

(What do you want?) > I’m not sure 

(How is the cake?) > Could you tell me 

(Who do you live with?) > Do you mind telling me 

Exercise 2: Changing Main Verbs

Please remember to add punctuation (a period for a statement or question mark for a
question).

(What did she say?) > I wonder 

(Does it matter?) > Can you tell me 

(Where did he go?) > I don’t know 

(How long does it take?) > I’m not sure 

(Did he leave?) > Could you tell me 

(Which did he take?) > Do you mind telling me 

Exercise 3: Intermediate Embedded Questions

(Who ordered pizza?) > I wonder 

(What does it cost?) > Can you tell me 

(Should we tip?) > I don’t know 

(Did we tip enough?) > I’m not sure 

(Has he met Janet?) > Could you tell me 

(Will the manager arrive soon?) > Do you mind telling me 

(Is Mary going fishing?) > I wonder 

(Why didn’t he ask?) > I don’t know 

(What were they watching?) > Do you mind telling me 

4.Make embedded questions:

B 1 What time is it? Do you know ... ?

B 2 Will he be back soon? You wouldn't happen to know ... would you?

B 3 Could I have a word with you? I was wondering ...

 B 4 What do you mean? I'm not really sure ...

B 5 Do you need anything? Let me know ...

B 6 Does it hurt? Tell me ...

B 7 What time does the bank close? You couldn't tell me ... could you?

B 8 What are we supposed to be doing? Do you know ...

B 9 How long have we been waiting? Have you any idea ... ?

B10 How much did she pay for her new hair do? I wonder ...

Question tags

1. Use

frequently used in spoken English when you want someone to agree or disagree

2. Form

 positive statement → question tag negative → You are Tom, aren't you?

 negative statement → question tag positive → He isn't Joe, is he?

3. Examples

3.1. with auxiliaries

 You've got a car, haven't you?

3.2. without auxiliaries (don't, doesn't, didn't)

 They play football on Sundays, don't they?
 She plays football on Sundays, doesn't she?
 They played football on Sundays, didn't they?

Questions tags are used to keep a conversation going. You can agree or refuse to a
sentence with a question tag.

 Affirmative sentence: He is from Germany, isn't he?

 Negative sentence: He isn't from Germany, is he?

Possible answers are Yes or No. If you use Yes, do not use contracted forms. If

you use No, contracted form are possible.

 Yes, he is.
 No, he is not. or No, he isn't. or No, he's not.

4. Special points

4.1. Although the negative word not is not in the sentence, the sentence can be
negative. Then we use the positive question tag.

 He never goes out with his dog, does he?

4.2. If have is a main verb in the sentence and refers to states, there are two
possible sentences – We have a car, _____?

 We have a car, haven't we? mostly British English

 We have a car, don't we? mostly American English

4.3. Use will/would with imperatives (Simple Present).

 Open the window, will you?

 Open the window, would you?
 Don't open your books, will you?

4.4. We use won't with a polite request.

 Open the window, won't you?

4.5. We use shall after Let's.

 Let's take the next bus, shall we?

4.6. Auxiliary must

We must be at home at 8 pm, mustn't we?

 Yes, we must.
 No, we needn't.

4.7. Personal pronoun I

I am late, aren't I?

This form is commonly used (mostly informal). It is because there is no contracted

form for am + not (amn't). Grammatically correct would be: am I not. This is
only used in formal situations.

Postive sentences, with negative tags

Present simple 'be' She's Italian, isn't she?

Present simple other verbs
Present continuous
Past simple 'be'
Past simple other verbs
Past continuous
They live in London, don't they?
We're working tomorrow, aren't we?
It was cold yesterday, wasn't it?
He went to the party last night, didn't he?
We were waiting at the station, weren't we?
Present perfect
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Future simple
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
Modals
Modals
Negative sentences, with positive tags
Present simple 'be'
Present simple other verbs
Present continuous
Past simple 'be'
Past simple other verbs
Past continuous
Present perfect
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Future simple
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
Modals
Modals
They've been to Japan, haven't they?
She's been studying a lot recently, hasn't she?
He had forgotten his wallet, hadn't he?
We'd been working, hadn't we?
She'll come at six, won't she?
They'll be arriving soon, won't they?
They'll have finished before nine, won't they?
She'll have been cooking all day, won't she?
He can help, can't he?
John must stay, mustn't he?
We aren't late, are we?
She doesn't have any children, does she?
The bus isn't coming, is it?
She wasn't at home yesterday, was she?
They didn't go out last Sunday, did they?
You weren't sleeping, were you?
She hasn't eaten all the cake, has she?
He hasn't been running in this weather, has he?
We hadn't been to London before, had we?
You hadn't been sleeping, had you?
They won't be late, will they?
He won't be studying tonight, will he?
She won't have left work before six, will she?
He won't have been travelling all day, will he?
She can't speak Arabic, can she?
They mustn't come early, must they?
1.Which sentences are correct?
1.  Let's go swimming, aren't we?
 Let's go swimming, isn't it?
 Let's go swimming, shall we?
2.  I think he's from India, doesn't he?
 I think he's from India, don't I?
 I think he's from India, isn't he?
3.  There's a fly in your soup, is there?
 There's a fly in your soup, isn't it?
 There's a fly in your soup, isn't there?
4.  We had better leave, hadn't we?
 We had better leave, haven't we?
 We had better leave, weren't we?
5.  Pass me the salt, aren't I?
 Pass me the salt, aren't you?
 Pass me the salt, won't you?

2.Put in the correct question tags into the gaps.

1. Barbara could help you,  ?
2. You don't like yoghurt,  ?
3. Angela has ordered pizza,  ?
4. The teacher was late for school,  ?
5. Chris got up at seven,  ?

3.Which sentence goes with the question tag?

1.       isn't it?
2.       wasn't he?
3.       doesn't she?
4.       can't he?
5.       aren't I
4. Find and correct the mistakes in the tag questions below.
1. They live in San Francisco, aren’t they?
2. He didn’t buy the chairs, doesn’t they?
3. We are late, do we?
4. He can’t swim, does he?
5. She was a student, isn’t she?
6. Thomas saw a movie, wasn’t he?
7. He couldn’t answer the question, did he?
8. Mr. Smith was late, wasn’t she?
9. They had dinner, were they?
10. Your sister bought a new house, didn’t it?
11. You don’t exercise, don’t you?
12. It’s three o’clock, aren’t it?
13. She is your friend, don’t you?
14. He is from Canada, isn’t it?
15. Your father doesn’t drink tea, is he?
16. They already started their class, don’t they?

6.Put in the correct question tags into the gaps.

1 There wasn't enough paper in the printer,   ? 

2 If he spoke better English he would look for a job abroad,   ? 

3 They've already sent you the invitation,   ? 

4 We should invite them to our party,  ? 

5 You had to sell some shares,   ? 

6 You were disappointed when you got your exam results,   ? 

7 We won't have to work tomorrow,   ? 

8 We'll have to finish the project before next week,   ?