INDIRECT QUESTIONS

Maria Gilda

Indirect Questions * Direct questions are often

considered rude when speaking to strangers. (são muitas vezes considerado rude ao falar com estranhos.)

* To be more polite we often use INDIRECT QUESTION FORMS. Indirect questions serve the same purpose as direct questions, but are considered more formal. Para ser mais educado, muitas vezes usamos FORMAS pergunta indireta. Perguntas indiretas têm a mesma finalidade como perguntas diretas, mas são considerados mais formal.)

Indirect Questions using wh-words

FORMULA:Introductory phrase + question word (what, when, where, why, which…) + subordinate clause (positive sentence structure)Direct question: Where can I find El Prado Museum?

Could you tell me where I can find El Prado Museum?

Introductory question subordinate phrase word clause

When using an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed by the question itself in positive sentence structure.

Indirect Questions with yes/no questions

FORMULA: Introductory phrase + if/whether (what, when, where, why, which…) + subordinate clause (positive sentence).Direct question: Are you travelling on business?

Could you tell me if/whether you are travelling?

Introductory if/whether subordinate phrase clause

When using an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed by the question itself in positive sentence structure.

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 … I wonder if you´d mind telling me. . . Would you mind telling me . . .? Can I ask . . .? May I ask you . . .? I'd like to know ...

ExamplesDirect 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?

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

When are you going to invite me to go

to the USA?

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

What is the purpose of your visit?

Can you tell me how you got to the airport?

How did you get to

the airport?

Tag Questions

Question tags are used in English at the end of statements to ask for confirmation. They mean something like, Am I right? or Do you agree? Question tags are mini-questions tagged on to longersentences. They are very common in English.

You aren’t from Minas, are you?

The basic strucutre is:

+ Positive statemet Negative tag –– Negative statement Positive tag +

Adapted by M. Luisa Ochoa from http://katechao.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/lesson-6.ppt#4

Answers to Exercise practice.page 37

• 1) a) Can you tell me where the supermarket is?• b) Could you tell me where Peter went ?• c) I would like to know if Chris answered the letter.• d) I wonder what you are doing.• e) Do you know where John works?• f ) I don’t know why Peter didn’t come to themeeting .• g) I would like to know if Robert will win theelections.• h) Can’t you remember where you found the keys?• i) Could you tell me how much it costs to eat there?• j) I want to know what time it is.

2) a) Do you know how much she weighs?

• b) I’d like to know how old she was when she joined the Spice Girls.

• c) I want to know if she has got pets.• d) Have you got any idea what she

thinks of Madonna?• e) Could you tell me who her

favourite designers are?• f) Do you know why he shaved his

head?• g) I’d like to know if he has got

tattoos.

3) E H D J I A C G B F O K L N M4) a) You can’t swim, can you?b) She should be here by now, shouldn’t she?c) I am your best friend, aren’t I?d) Do your exercices, will/would you?e) They will travel next year, won’t they?f ) Peter could help us, couldn’t he?g) Let’s travel next holiday, shall we?h) They had to study until late at night, didn’t they?i) You would like it in blue, wouldn’t you?j) Peter doesn’t like pagode, does he?k) It isn’t right, is it?l) Let’s go to the movies, shall we?m) Stop it, will/ would you?n) I’m too fat, aren’t I?o) Stop complaining, will/ would you?p) Let’s get it straight, shall we?q) They don’t like popcorn, do they?