6.

Indirect and direct questions

6. Indirect and direct questions

Remember that Yes/No questions begin with an auxiliary or modal verb (am, is, are, was, were,
do, does, did, can, must, should, etc.) which is followed by a subject. (Sjetite se da Yes/No
pitanja počinju pomoćnim ili modalnim glagolom posle kojih dolazi subjekat (am, is, are, was,
were, do, does, did, can, must, should, itd.):

- Are you reading a book? –Yes, I am.

- Can you ride a horse? – No, I can't.

Wh- questions begin with a question word (what, who, where, when, why, how, etc.). An auxiliary
or modal verb and subject follow. (Wh- pitanja počinju nekom upitnom zamjenicom (what, who,
where, when, why, how, itd.). Nakon toga dolaze pomoćni ili modalni glagol i subjekat.)

- What is that? – It's a GPS.

- How can we use it? – I don't know.

These Yes/No and Wh- questions are direct questions. (Ovakva Yes/No i Wh- pitanja su direktna
pitanja.)

If you want to sound more polite or formal in certain situations, then you use indirect questions.
In these questions actually we have two questions. (Ako želite da zvučite ljubaznije ili zvaničnije u
određenim situacijama, onda koristite indirektna pitanja. U ovim pitanjima mi, zapravo, imamo
dva pitanja).

- Do you know where I put my keys? = 1) Do you know? + 2) Where did I put my keys?

Note that the main verb in indirect questions is in the positive form (Obratite pažnju na to
da je glavni glagol u indirektnim pitanjima u potvrdnom obliku):

- Do you know where my keys are?

and not (a ne)

- Do you know where are my keys?

When there is not a question word in indirect questions then if or whether are used. In this case,
if and whether have the same meaning. (Kada u pitanju nema upitne riječi onda se koriste if ili
whether. U tom slučaju, if ili whether imaju isto značenje.)

- Do you know if/whether he's coming?

If the question begins with Do you think… then if/whether is not used. (Ukoliko pitanje počinje sa
Do you think… onda se if/whether ne koriste.)

- Do you think he's coming?

Activities. Open your Book on page 58. Before you refer to Activity 3 (Real world) do listening
activities 1 and 2. If you find the recording difficult look at recording script, in your Book, page
150. Then do activities 4, 5, 6 and 7. (Otvorite udžbenik na str.58. Prije nego što pređete na

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6. Indirect and direct questions

vježbu 3 (Real world) uradite vježbe 1 i 2. Zatim uradite vježbe 4, 5, 6 i 7. Ako vam je tekst težak
za razumijevanje, pratite slušanje uz tekst u udžbeniku, str.150.)

DON'T FORGET TO DO EXTRA PRACTICE FROM YOUR CD-ROM!

Key 1b).

a) True
b) False. They have changed the email system in the office.
c) True
d) False. He will be back around 3 p.m.
e) False. He's gone to the cinema.
f) True
g) True
h) False. She forgot to call (or She didn't call) him earlier in the day.

Key 2b).

Conversation 1 1b), 2e), 3d), 4c), 5a)

Conversation 2 1h), 2f), 3j), 4g), 5i)

Key 4. 2a), 3a), 4b), 5b)

Key 6.

1. Do you know how this ticket machine works?

2. Have you any idea what Jim wants for his birthday?
3. Can you tell me whether this is room D?
4. Do you think Ruth will be at the meeting?
5. Could you tell me how often the trains run?

Key 7a).

1. Do you know if/whether there's a bookshop near here?

2. Could you tell me how I get to the station?
3. Do you think I should give taxi drivers a tip?
4. Have you any idea what time the banks close?
5. Can you tell me where the nearest post office is?

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