Jackeline Langarano

Direct questions
• Direct questions are the “normal” questions
that we can ask to friends, family members,
etc.

• Use the QUASM formula to write direct

questions.
 How to write questions…
QUESTION AUXILIARY SUBJECT MAIN VERB
WORD VERB
Where do you work?
What does Martha think about the project?
How do you like your new apartment?
How many kids does Bob have?
What are you doing at the moment?
Why is he ignoring me?
What time are we meeting up
for dinner?

Who is she dating now?

How much money have you spent on clothes this
month?
How long has your teacher worked at this school?
What have they been doing
all day?
 Indirect questions 
• Indirect questions are a little more formal and
polite.

• We use them when talking to a person we

don’t know very well, or in professional
situations, and their form is a little different.
 Introductory Phrases for
Indirect Questions

 Could you tell me…

 Do you know…
 I was wondering…
 Do you have any idea…
 I’d like to know…
 Would it be possible…
 Is there any chance…
 Would you mind…
Verb to be
If there is no question word (who, what, when,
why, how) in a direct question…
• …we need to use if or whether in the indirect question.
example: 

Direct: Did she make it on time? 

Indirect: Can you tell me if she made it on time? 
Can you tell me whether she made it on time?

• Direct: Is this the right bus for Oxford Street?

Indirect: Do you have any idea if this is the right bus for Oxford
Street?

• Direct: Is she French? 

Indirect: Do you know whether she is French? 
When there is a Wh-word and an auxiliary verb
(be, do have, can, will etc) …
• We don't use the auxiliary verbs in indirect question.
example: 
• Direct: When does the lesson end?
Indirect: Could you tell me when the lesson ends?

• Direct: What car does she drive?

Indirect: Can you tell me what car she drives?

• Direct: How did you make that cake?

Indirect: Would you mind telling me how you made that
cake?
 Wh-questions with be
• Where is the bank?
• Where are the
restrooms?
Wh-questions with do or did
• How often do the buses
leave?
• What time does the bank
open?
• When did Flight 575 arrive?
Indirect questions
• Could you tell me where
the bank is?
• Do you know where the
restrooms are?
Indirect questions
• Can you tell me how often
the buses leave?
• Do you know what time the
bank opens?
• Do you know when Flight
575 arrived?
 Different tenses examples
Verb Tense Direct Question Indirect Question
Present simple with
Is he Spanish? Can you tell me if he is Spanish?
'be'

Can you tell me if the restaurant

Present continuous Is the restaurant closing now?
is closing now?

Can you tell me if he was late for

Past simple with 'be' Was he late for the meeting?
the meeting?

Can you tell me if you were

Past continuous Were you watching TV at 3pm?
watching TV at 3pm?

Can you tell me if Lucy has been

Present perfect Has Lucy been to Mexico?
to Mexico?

Present perfect Can you tell me if she has been

Has she been living here long?
continuous living here long?

Had she found this job when Can you tell me if she had found
Past perfect
she moved here? this job when she moved here?
Practice…
Rewrite these direct questions into indirect
questions.