Brief description on Indirect Questions basic information for ESL learners!

1. Teaching Capsule
By Patty Villacorta-Melendreras
Indirect
questions

2. SPECIFIC NFORMATION
• CLARIFICATION
• NOT SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Questions in General
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

3. Some questions have no answers
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

4. DIRECT QUESTIONS (DQ)
DQ begin with a “WH Word or with a verb
like “DO” and end in a question mark. (?)
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

5. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• A sentence formed by two parts:
INTRODUCTION + INDIRECT QUESTION
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras
INTRODUCTION
INDIRECT QUESTION

6. Introductory phrases
• I don’t know
• I wonder
• I can’t remember
• I have no idea
• I’d like to know
• I’m not sure
.
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

7. Introductory phrases Indirect
Question
• Could you tell me
• Do you know
• Do you happen to know
• Have you got any idea
• Do you remember
• Would you mind telling me
?
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

8. Look at these sentences
1. Where does she live?
2. I want to know where she lives.
3. Can you tell me where she lives?
 There is no “does” in 2 and 3.
 They are indirect questions.
And sentence 1 is direct question.
What is the difference?
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

9. Direct questions  Indirect questions
Question with question word
What time did the plane leave?
She wonders what time the plane left.
Introductory phrase + WH-word + PERSON + VERB
THING
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras

10. Introductory phrase + wh-word + positive statement
When will Luisa arrive?
Could you tell me when Luisa will arrive?
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras
The question mark here
corresponds to the
introduction because it
begins with a verb.

11. Are they in the cafeteria?
Do you know
if
they are in the cafeteria?
whether
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras
In a YES/NO question, use
IF/WHETER to introduce the indirect
question.

12. Introductory phrase + whether/if + positive statement
Do you like Coke or Pepsi ?
I can’t remember if you like Coke or Pepsi.
whether
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras
NEVER, never, never use DO in the
indirect question segment. It
introduces a YES/NO question;
therefore, use IF/WHETER

13. Indirect questions
IN GENERAL
Introductory
phrase
wh-word
+ if +
whether
Positive
statement
Person + verb
TJ Patty Villacorta-Melendreras