Can you tell me where the station is?
- Language
- English
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Reported and Indirect Speech
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Indirect questions are questions that are included inside another sentence or question. They are more polite and formal than direct questions.
When to use it
Use indirect questions when you want to ask something politely, when reporting what someone else asked, or when you are unsure about something.
Key forms
- Introductory phrase + question word + subject + verb
- Introductory phrase + if/whether + subject + verb
Examples
I don't know if she will come.
Do you know what time it is?
Could you explain how this works?
He asked whether I liked coffee.
Tips
- In indirect questions, do not use the auxiliary 'do/does/did'.
- The word order is like a normal sentence, not like a direct question.
- Use 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions.
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