Direct and indirect questions

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

Direct and indirect questions

What Are Indirect Questions?

Example of a direct question:

“Where’s the bathroom?”

Indirect questions are a little more formal and polite. We use them when talking to a person we don’t know very well, or in professional situations, and their form is a little different.

Example of an indirect question:

“Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”

Could you tell me…

Do you know…

I was wondering…

Do you have any idea…

I’d like to know…

Would it be possible…

Is there any chance…

indirect in tenses

Verb Tense Direct Question Indirect Question

Present simple with 'be' Is he Spanish? Can you tell me if he is Spanish?

Present continuous Is the restaurant closing now? Can you tell me if the restaurant is closing now?

Past simple with 'be' Was he late for the meeting? Can you tell me if he was late for the meeting?

Past continuous Were you watching TV at 3pm? Can you tell me if you were watching TV at 3pm?

more tenses

Present perfect Has Lucy been to Mexico? Can you tell me if Lucy has been to Mexico?

Present perfect continuous Has she been living here long? Can you tell me if she has been living here long?

Past perfect Had she found this job when she moved here? Can you tell me if she had found this job when she moved here?

Past perfect continuous Had she been living here long when she met you? Can you tell me if she had been living here long when she met you?

and the last ones..

Future simple with 'will' Will she start her new job next week? Can you tell me if she will start her new job next week?

Future simple with 'going to' Is it going to rain later? Can you tell me if it is going to rain later?

Future continuous Will Lisa be meeting the boss later? Can you tell me if Lisa will be meeting the boss later?

Future perfect Will he have finished the report by tonight? Can you tell me if he will have finished the report by tonight?

Future perfect continuous Will he have been studying French for twenty years when he retires? Can you tell me if he will have been studying French for twenty years when he retires?

Modal verbs Should we start now? Can you tell me if we should start now?

'Yes / no' questions with tenses that use 'do / does / did

Sometimes you want to make an indirect question using the present simple of any verb except 'be' or the past simple of any verb except 'be'. These tense make direct questions by using 'do / does / did'. When we want to make indirect 'yes / no' questions using these tenses, we need 'if' and we don't need 'do / does / did'.

examples

Verb Tense Direct Question Indirect Question

Present simple with any verb except 'be' Does David live in London? Can you tell me if David lives in London?

Past simple with any verb except 'be' Did Amanda call John yesterday? Can you tell me if Amanda called John yesterday?

Where does she play tennis?

Does he live in Paris?

Where is the nearest supermarket?

Did she go out last night?

Where did she meet her brother?

Why did they arrive so late?