Indirect questions are used to be more polite than direct questions. They use sentence word order and terms like "if" and "whether" for yes/no questions. Indirect questions can request information or an action. They use various introductory phrases like "Do you know...", "I wonder...", and "Could you tell me..." to politely ask for information from others, especially strangers. The document provides examples of direct questions and their indirect equivalents, as well as exercises rewriting direct questions indirectly using different introductory phrases.

1. INDIRECT QUESTIONS

2. 1. FUNCTION:
 Indirect questions are used to be polite. Direct
questions sometimes sound rude. Compare:
 What time is it?
 Do you know what time it is?
 How old are you?
 Would you mind telling me how old you are?

3.  They are especially used when we want to get
information from a stranger. Compare:
 Where is the metro station?
 Excuse me, could you tell me where the metro
station is?

4. 2. STRUCTURE:
 Indirect questions use SENTENCE word order
(verb after subject).
 WHERE IS the metro station?
 Could you tell me WHERE the metro station IS?

5.  Use If/WHETHER for yes/no questions (just like
reported speech!)
 Is Julia ill?
 Can anyone tell me IF Julia is ill?
 Is there a train station around?
 Do you know WHETHER there is a train station
around?
 Can they come at 8 instead of 7?
 I wonder IF they can come at 8 instead of 7.

6.  Can be requests for information or for action.
 Where are we going?
 I wonder if you could tell me where we are
going.
 Can you make me some tea?
 Do you think you could make me some tea?

7.  Use many different types of introductory phrases.
Some of them use (?) and some use (.)
 (?) phrases:
 Do you (happen to) know…? / Do you
remember…? / Can anyone tell me…? Would
you mind telling me…? / Do you think…? /
Could you tell me…? Are you sure…? / Have
you any idea…? / Do you have any idea…?
 (.) phrases:
 I don’t know… / I wonder… / I’d like to know…

8. REWRITE THE SENTENCES BELOW BY USING THE INTRODUCTORY PHRASES BELOW
(What are the committee members discussing?)
 I think I can guess what the committee members are discussing.
(Why is there an ambulance outside Peter’s house?)
 I wonder ……………………………………………………………..
(How can she take on another part-time job at the moment?)
 I don’t know………………………………………………………….
(Where can I pay for this please?)
 Can you tell me………………………………………………………?
(How long will it take us to get there?)
 I would like to know…………………………………………………
(Which of these reports was written by Shelia?)
 I need to know………………………………………………………..
(How does she manage to be in debt despite earning such a high salary?)
 I wonder ……………………………………………………….
(When will our office be refurnished?)
 Do you happen to know ……………………………?

9. ANSWER KEY
 I wonder why there is an ambulance outside Peter’s house.
 I don’t know how she can take on another part-time job at
the moment.
 Can you tell me where I can pay for this?
 I would like to know how long it will take us to get there.
 I need to know which of these reports was written by Shelia.
 I wonder how she manages to be in debt despite earning
such a high salary.
 Do you happen to know when our office will be refurnished?