What Are Indirect Questions?
Indirect questions are a way of asking for information in a more polite and formal way. Instead of asking directly, we use an introductory phrase before the main question.
How Do We Form Indirect Questions?
The structure of indirect questions is different from direct ones. In direct questions, we use inversion (placing the verb before the subject), but in indirect questions, we use the word order of a normal statement.
Structure
Introductory phrase + question word + subject + verb + rest of the sentence
Can you tell me where the bathroom is?
Remember!
Inversion means changing the usual word order by placing the verb before the subject. When learning English tenses, we are taught that questions are formed by using inversion.
However, in indirect questions, we do NOT use inversion. Instead, we follow the word order of a statement, where the verb comes after the subject rather than before, as in most direct questions.
This is a key difference between direct and indirect questions, and one of the most common mistakes learners make.
Common Mistakes with Indirect Questions
Many learners apply inversion incorrectly because most English questions use it. However, indirect questions do not use inversion.
Indirect questions are also known as embedded questions because they are “embedded” inside another sentence.
Common Phrases Used in Indirect Questions
To form an indirect question, we start with a polite phrase, such as:
Could you tell me…?
Do you have any idea…?
Do you know…?
I can’t remember…
I was wondering…
I wonder…
I’d like to know…
I’m not sure…
Would it be possible…?
Would you mind…?
Indirect: Could you tell me where you live?
Indirect: I’d like to know when the train leaves.
Indirect: Do you know why she left so early?
Do We Use a Question Mark in Indirect Questions?
If the introductory phrase is part of a statement, we do not use a question mark.
I’d like to know what your name is.
However, if the indirect question is still part of a question, we use a question mark.
Could you tell me what time it is?
Direct vs. Indirect Questions – Types of Questions
Questions with “do/did”
In Simple tenses (Present Simple, Past Simple), we use the auxiliary verb do/did to form direct questions. However, in indirect questions, we do not use the auxiliary verb do/did.
Indirect: I’d like to know if you visited that museum.
In Past Simple, the auxiliary verb takes the past form did, while the main verb stays in its base form. However, in an indirect question, we remove the auxiliary verb, so the main verb (visit) takes the past form (visited).
Indirect: I wonder what you watched yesterday.
In the direct question, the verb do appears twice—as an auxiliary verb (did) and as the main verb (do). However, in the indirect question, we remove the auxiliary verb, so do appears only once as the main verb (did).
Remember!
In Present Simple, the verb do changes to does in the third-person singular (he, she, it). Learn more in the article on do vs does.
Open Questions (Wh- Questions)
Open-ended questions are questions that start with wh- words like what, where, why, and require a detailed answer. They can be used in both direct and indirect questions.
In direct questions, the verb comes before the subject (inversion).
In indirect questions, the verb comes after the subject.
Do you know where she is going? (indirect question – is comes after the subject she)
Questions with the verb “to be”
In direct questions, the verb to be is placed before the subject.
In indirect questions, to be comes after the subject.
This rule applies to both open-ended and closed questions.
Indirect: Could you tell me what that sound is?
A frequent mistake in indirect questions is placing to be before the subject. Remember:
In indirect questions, to be follows the subject.
Indirect: I’d like to know where you study.
In indirect questions, we remove the auxiliary verb do—even when the question begins with what, why, where, etc.
Closed Questions (yes/no questions)
Closed questions are questions that can only be answered with yes or no.
In direct questions, we form them using inversion (changing the word order) or the auxiliary verb do/did. Yes/No questions are changed into indirect questions using if or whether (this is pretty formal).
Indirect: I wonder if you have seen this movie.
Indirect: Do you know if she is coming tonight?
Indirect: Can you tell me if you saw my email?
Indirect: I wonder if you have ever been to Italy.
Summary of Changes in Indirect Questions
Indirect: Do you know where he lives?
Indirect: Do you have any idea why she was late?
Comparison: Direct vs. Indirect Questions
Open Questions (Wh- Questions) with “do/did”
| Czas | Direct questions | Indirect questions |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | What instrument does she play? | Do you know what instrument she plays? |
| Past Simple | Where did you go? | Can you tell me where you went? |
Yes/No Questions with “do/did”
| Czas | Direct question | Indirect questions |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Do you know him? | Could you tell me if you know him? |
| Past Simple | Did you finish work? | I wonder if you finished work. |
Wh- Questions (Open Questions)
| Czas | Direct question | Indirect questions |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple (to be) | Where is Adam from? | Do you know where Adam is from? |
| Present Continuous | When are you coming home? | I was wondering when you are coming home. |
| Present Perfect | What have you seen up until now? | I’m wondering what you have seen up until now. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | How long have you been waiting? | I’d love to know how long you have been waiting. |
| Past Simple (to be) | Why was he upset? | Do you have any idea why he was upset? |
| Past Continuous | What were you playing? | Could you tell me what you were playing? |
| Past Perfect | Why had she left this company last month? | I’d like to know why she had left this company last month. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | How long had he been living there before he moved? | Do you know how long he had been living there before he moved? |
| Future Simple | When will you come home? | I was wondering when you will come home. |
| Future Continuous | How far will you be traveling tomorrow? | Can you tell me how far you will be traveling tomorrow? |
| Future Perfect | When will we have finished work? | I’d love to know when we will have finished work. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | How long will I have been waiting for him by eight? | Do you have any idea how long I will have been waiting for him by eight? |
| Modal Verbs | What can you do? | Can I ask what you can do? |
Yes/No Questions (Closed Questions)
| Czas | Direct question | Indirect questions |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple (to be) | Are you from the USA? | Can you tell me if you are from the USA? |
| Present Continuous | Is she cleaning the house? | I’d like to know if she is cleaning the house. |
| Present Perfect | Have you been to Paris? | I was wondering if you have been to Paris. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Have we been sitting here long? | Do you have any idea if we have been sitting here long? |
| Past Simple (to be) | Were you late? | Can you tell me if you were late? |
| Past Continuous | Was he running this morning? | I’d love to know if he was running this morning. |
| Past Perfect | Had you been watching TV before you came here? | Can you tell me if you had been watching TV before you came here? |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Had they been working here long before we came? | I was wondering if they had been working here long before we came. |
| Future Simple | Will it rain on Sunday? | I wonder if it will rain on Sunday. |
| Future Continuous | Will he be going to the movies on Friday? | Do you have any idea if he will be going to the movies on Friday? |
| Future Perfect | Will we have made dinner before nine? | I’d like to know if we will have made dinner before nine. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Will we have been studying English for two years when we go to the USA? | Could you tell me if we will have been studying English for two years when we go to the USA? |
| Modal Verbs | Can I come over? | I’d love to know if I can come over. |
Summary – Key Rules for Indirect Questions
