11 Indirect Questions

First Day on the Job

Focus on Grammar 4
Part X, Unit 28
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2005. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Too
Too Many
Many Questions
Questions
I think he did okay, How What
Oh? did the newof
kinds
Well…
but he sure asked a employee did
questions do on
he his
ask
lot of questions. first day?
you?
Indirect
Indirect Questions
Questions
Heasked
He asked
He alsome
me ifwho
asked
he me fixed
could
whygetthe
the computers.
previous
a bigger
person
office.had left.

“Why did
“Who the
fixes the
“Can I get a
computers?”
previous
bigger office?”
person
leave?”
 Indirect
Indirect Yes
Yes // No
No Questions
Questions 11

Use if or whether in indirect yes/no

questions.

The
The
new
newguyguy
asked
askedwhether
if we had
theany
boss
more
likedchocolate
practical donuts.
jokes. “Do
“Does
you the
haveboss
anylike
more
chocolate
practical jokes?”
donuts?”
 Indirect
Indirect Yes
Yes // No
No Questions
Questions 22

Whether is more formal than if. We often use

whether or not to report yes/no questions.

The new guy asked whether or

not he could take a break. “Can I take a
break?”
 Change the direct questions into
Practice 1 indirect questions. Use if,
whether, or whether or not.
Example:
“Will I get a raise?” He asked…
He asked if he would get a raise.
He asked whether he would get a raise.
1. “Does the company provide a car?” They asked…
He asked whether or not he would get a raise.
They asked if the company provided a car.

2. “Can I have a company credit card?” She asked…

She asked whether she could get a company credit card.

3. “Did he order a new computer?” I asked…

I asked whether or not he had ordered a new computer.
 Wh-
Wh- Questions
Questions 11
Use question words in indirect
wh- questions.

The
Henew
alsoguy asked
asked how when
manythe
next office
copies partymake.
he could was. “When
“How is
many
the next
copies
office
can party?”
I make?”
 Word
Word Order
Order 11
Use statement word order (subject + verb), not
question word order, for indirect yes/no questions.

He asked me if I could turn

off the fax machine. “Can you turn off the
fax machine?”
 Word
Word Order
Order 22
Use statement word order (subject + verb), not
question word order, for indirect wh- questions about
the predicate (usually the last part of the sentence).

He asked why
the meetings lasted so long. “Why do the meetings
last so long?”
 Word
Word Order
Order 33
Use statement word order (subject + verb), not
question word order, for indirect wh- questions about
the subject (usually the first part of the sentence).
Subject

He asked who made the coffee. “Who made

the coffee?”
 Be
Be Careful!
Careful!
If a direct question about the subject has the form
question word + be + noun, then the indirect
question has the form question word + noun + be.

He asked what
was
thethe dress
dress code.
code was. “What is the
dress code?”
 Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries
In indirect questions, do not use the auxiliary do,
does, or did.

He asked me doif II have

had
“Do you have any
anynew
any newvideo
videogames.
games. new video games?”
 Punctuation
Punctuation
In indirect questions, do not end with a question
mark (end with a period).

He asked me if I could wake

him up in an hour?. “Could you wake
me up in an hour?”

?
 Practice 2 Change the direct questions
into indirect questions.

Example:
“Where is my office?” She asked…
She asked where her office was.

1. “What’s the name of the company?” They asked…

They asked what the name of the company was.

2. “How many people work for the company?” We asked…

We asked how many people worked for the company.

3. “How long has the boss worked in the office?” I asked…

I asked how long the boss had worked in the office.
 References
References

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and

its licensors. All rights reserved.