Here are indirect versions of the direct questions: A. I wonder if you could tell me when the next train arrives. B. Do you happen to know what time the museum closes? C. Could you tell me how hard it is to be an artist? D. I was wondering when you wrote your first story. E. Would you mind if we heard your latest song? F. May I ask why you want this job? G. Can you tell me how soon you can start? H. Do you know where you live?

1. 1.- What do you think of first- the
music or the lyrics?
2.- What is your dream project?
3.- Can you tell me how hard it is to
write a song?
4.- Could you tell me who your music
idols are?

2. Direct and Indirect
QUESTIONS

3. Indirect Questions
* Direct questions are often
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.

4. • We use indirect questions when we are
starting a conversation with someone we
don’t know or when we are asking a
personal question

5. Indirect Questions
• Here are some of the most common phrases
used for asking indirect questions.
Do you know … ?
Can/Could you tell me … ?
Do you happen to know ...?
I wonder / was wondering …
Would you mind telling me . . .?
Can I ask . . .?
May I ask you . . .?
I'd like to know ...

6. Examples
Direct question:
Where's the tourist information office?
Indirect question:
Could you tell me where the tourist information
office is?
-------------------------ooooo--------------------------
Direct question:
Do you like flying?
Indirect question:
Could you tell me if you like flying?

7. When are
you going
to invite
me to go
to the
USA?
Can I ask you when you are going to invite me to go
to the USA?

8. What is the
purpose of
your visit?
Would you mind telling me what the purpose
of your visit is?

9. How did
you get to
the
airport?
Can you tell me how you got to the airport?

10. Transform these direct questions into
indirect questions
• A.- when does the next train arrives?
• B.- what time does the museum close?
• C.- how hard is it to be an artist?
• D.- when did you write your first story?
• E.- can we hear your latest song?
• F.- Why do you want this job?
• G.- how soon can you start?
• H.- where do you live ?

11. Role play Activity
• Work in pairs.
• One of you will be a famous music star,
and the other will be an interviewer.
• Write a short interview (with at least 6
questions)
using ONLY indirect questions.