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how do you form an indirect question

by Dr. Roma Schimmel I Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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There are different phrases that you can use to make indirect questions:

  1. Do you know?
  2. Can You tell me?
  3. Do you remember?
  4. Could you tell me ?
  5. I was wondering…
  6. Do you have any idea?
  7. Would it be possible?

It uses the word order of a statement and it is a noun clause. So, to form an indirect question, again start with an indirect question phrase, such as “Can you tell me…?” Then, for information requests, add one of the six question words: where, what, when, who, why or how. We call these “wh-question” words.Jun 14, 2018

Full Answer

How do you write an indirect question in English?

In order to form an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed by the question itself in positive sentence structure: Introductory phrase + question word + positive sentence Connect the two phrases with the question word or ‘if’ in the case the question is a yes/no question. that begins without a question word.

How do you make an indirect'wh'question?

Sometimes you want to make an indirect 'wh' question using the present simple of any verb except 'be' or the past simple of any verb except 'be'. Usually these tenses make questions by using 'do / does / did'. However, when we want to make indirect 'wh' questions using these tenses, we don't need 'do / does / did'.

How do you form an indirect question in MacDougal Street?

Second, the rest of the question -- where MacDougal Street is -- does not use the verb-subject word order of a normal question. It uses the word order of a statement and it is a noun clause. So, to form an indirect question, again start with an indirect question phrase, such as “Can you tell me…?”

How common are indirect yes/no questions in English?

They are very, very common in English, especially when you're talking to someone you don't know. To make an indirect 'yes / no' question, we use 'if' and the word order of a normal positive sentence. This is the same as for reported 'yes / no' questions.

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What are some 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. Example of an indirect question: “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”

How do you identify an indirect question?

Indirect Questions Are Worded Like Statements not Questions. Notice that the indirect question has the word order "the time is" (i.e., subject + verb) not "is the time" (i.e., verb + subject). In other words, an indirect question has the same word order as a statement, not a question.) I'm asking where you are going.

What are the three parts of an indirect question?

Indirect questions have three components:Verb of Asking, Requesting, Demanding, etc. Indirect questions must be introduced by a word which can express a question indirectly, e.g. think (why...), wonder (how...), realize (who...), etc.Question Word. ... Subordinate Verb.

How do you turn a question into an indirect speech?

0:267:04Questions in Indirect Speech - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou change the verb into the past tense.MoreYou change the verb into the past tense.

Do indirect questions need question marks?

There is one type of question that never takes a question mark: the indirect question. Indirect questions are embedded within declarative statements: The chicken asked whether anyone wanted to cross the road with her.

What is used to end an indirect question?

Kane: Indirect questions do not close with a question mark but with a period. Like direct questions, they demand a response, but they are expressed as declarations without the formal characteristics of a question. That is, they have no inversion, no interrogative words, and no special intonation.

What is the difference between direct and indirect questions?

The key difference between direct and indirect questions is that direct questions are informal and friendly, whereas indirect questions are polite and formal. A direct question always ends with a question mark, but this is not always true with indirect questions.

Which punctuation mark is used with an indirect question?

periodThe question mark is used at the end of a direct question. Indirect questions take a period.

What is indirect command?

Indirect commands are commands (or other attempts to persuade or influence someone to do something) that you don't hear straight from the speaker's mouth. It's easiest to understand this by first looking at examples of direct commands, then seeing how they would look in an indirect command.

What are the 10 examples of direct and indirect speech?

Check the examples:Direct : She said, 'She can dance'.Indirect: She said that she could dance.Direct: She said, 'I may buy a dress'.Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.Direct: Rama said, 'I must complete the assignment'.Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

How do you convert direct to indirect?

Rules to change Direct Speech into Indirect Speech: The tenses of the verbs inside the quotation marks and commas should be changed. For Example: Direct Speech: Raj said, 'I have to be in the meeting by 3:00 p.m.' Indirect Speech: Raj said that he would have to be in the meeting by 3:00 p.m.

What is indirect form?

When using indirect or reported speech, the form changes. Usually indirect speech is introduced by the verb said, as in I said, Bill said, or they said. Using the verb say in this tense, indicates that something was said in the past. In these cases, the main verb in the reported sentence is put in the past.

How do you identify an indirect question in Latin?

To create an indirect question in Latin, use the question word that started the original direct question as a conjunction, and then put the whole thing into subjunctive, using the sequence of tenses rules we just learned.

How do you recognize an indirect question Latin?

0:492:09Latin Grammar - Indirect Questions - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo an indirect question in Latin has a few parts that you should look for usually the verb the mainMoreSo an indirect question in Latin has a few parts that you should look for usually the verb the main verb the indicative verb is a head verb that means it's a verb of speaking.

What is the difference between indirect and direct questions?

The key difference between direct and indirect questions is that direct questions are informal and friendly, whereas indirect questions are polite and formal. A direct question always ends with a question mark, but this is not always true with indirect questions.

Which punctuation mark is used with an indirect question?

periodThe question mark is used at the end of a direct question. Indirect questions take a period.

What is indirect question?

Indirect questions are a way of being polite. They are very, very common in English, especially when you're talking to someone you don't know. To make an indirect 'yes / no' question, we use 'if' and the word order of a normal positive sentence. This is the same as for reported 'yes / no' questions.

How to change a direct question to an indirect question?

To change a direct question to an indirect question for tenses that make questions using inversion, you just add 'if' and change the word order back to a normal positive sentence.

How to change a question from a direct yes to an indirect question?

To change from a direct 'yes / no' question with inversion to an indirect question, you add 'if' and change the word order back to a normal positive sentence. You don't need to use inversion.

Do you backshift in a Wh question?

We don't need to use inversion. Again, we also don't usually need to 'backshift' (change the tense of the verb) as we do with reported questions.

What is indirect question?

An indirect question is any sentence or clause which is introduced by an interrogative word (pronoun, adverb, etc.), and which is itself the subject or object of a verb, or depends on any expression implying uncertainty or doubt. In grammatical form, exclamatory sentences are not distinguished from interrogative (see the third example below). 574.

Which conjugation is used for indirect questions referring to future time?

a. Indirect questions referring to future time take the subjunctive of the 1st periphrastic conjugation .

What is indirect question?

Indirect questions are a form used to be more polite in English. Consider the following situation: You are talking to a man at a meeting that you have never met. However, you know his name and also that this man knows a colleague named Jack. You turn to him and ask, "Where is Jack?" You might find that the man seems a little bothered and says he doesn't know. He isn't very friendly. You wonder why he seems bothered.

Why are indirect questions considered formal?

Indirect questions serve the same purpose as direct questions but are considered more formal. One of the main reasons for this is that English does not have a formal 'you' form. In other languages, it's possible to use the formal 'you' in order to make sure you are polite. In English, we turn to indirect questions.

Why do people ask direct questions?

It's probably because you didn't introduce yourself, didn't say "excuse me," and—most importantly— you asked a direct question. Direct questions might be considered rude when speaking to strangers. To be more polite we often use indirect question forms. Indirect questions serve the same purpose as direct questions but are considered more formal. One of the main reasons for this is that English does not have a formal 'you' form. In other languages, it's possible to use the formal 'you' in order to make sure you are polite. In English, we turn to indirect questions.

What is indirect question?

Indirect questions are a more polite way to ask for information or make requests. We often use them when asking something of strangers or people we do not know well, including coworkers. We also use them when asking for favors from friends or when we want to avoid sounding demanding.

What are the six questions?

Then, for information requests, add one of the six question words: where, what, when, who, why or how. We call these “wh-question” words. For example, you heard the word where in “where MacDougal Street is.”

Do indirect questions contain a wh?

But, some indirect questions do not contain wh-question words. These are direct “yes or no” questions that we convert into indirect questions. For example:

Is "please" a direct question?

Even with “please” in the direct question, it sounds a little too direct for such a major request. Now, listen to the same question introduced by the indirect phrases: “Is there any chance…?” and “Would it be possible…?”

Can you ask a big favor indirectly?

You can also ask a big favor indirectly with the phrase “I was wondering…”:

Do you forget to use "if" or "if" in indirect questions?

Many English learners forget to keep statement word order in the noun clauses of indirect questions. For “yes or no” questions, they may also forget to use if or whether. For example, they may say: “Do you know are they coming with us?”

Is the final part of an indirect question interrogative?

Notice in these examples that the final part of the indirect question is not in interrogative form. This is where students make most mistakes. Example:

Is question formation difficult?

Question formation is sometimes difficult for students and some questions require particular structures. In this article I will focus on indirect questions which begin with phrases such as could you tell me.

What is indirect question form?

The indirect question form for yes/no questions is similar to reported speech in English. We must use if to help us form indirect questions.

When do we use indirect questions?

We use indirect questions when we want to sound a bit more formal, polite and less direct.

What is the verb after the main subject in an indirect question?

You will notice that with indirect questions with is/are the order changes and the verb (is/are) comes after the main subject, which in this case is metro station.

Do you need an introductory phrase to form a sentence?

As I mentioned before they are often used to make polite requests of people. Therefore, they require an introductory phrase to form the sentence.

Is it better to ask someone on the subway an indirect question or a direct question?

Secondly, they are great when you are away on business traveling. It sounds much better to ask someone on the subway an indirect question than a direct question. For example, “Can you tell me which stop I need to get off at for the natural history museum?”

Is "direct questions" an auxiliary verb?

So, we can see that the auxiliary verb is being used in both forms, however, the sentence word order changes. In direct questions have come before the subject and in indirect questions have comes after the subject.

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1.Indirect Question: Explanation and Examples - Grammar …

Url:https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/indirect_questions.htm

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Url:https://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/indirect-questions

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8.Videos of How Do You Form An Indirect Question

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