Chapter: Indirect Questions
Hello everyone! We are reaching the final stages of 3rd-year junior high English. This time, we're going to study "Indirect Questions," which will really broaden your conversational skills.
Asking "Where is the station?" directly is fine, but asking "Do you know where the station is?" sounds much more polite and natural. You might feel a bit confused by the "word order" at first, but once you get the hang of it, solving these will feel like putting together a fun puzzle!
1. What is an Indirect Question?
An indirect question is simply "a question that has been embedded as a part of another sentence."
For example, let's combine the following two sentences:
① I don't know.
② Who is he?
When you combine these...
I don't know who he is.
This is what we get. The "who he is" part is the indirect question.
【Key Point!】
The biggest difference between a normal question (direct question) and an indirect question is that the word order changes when it moves inside another sentence!
2. The Golden Rule: The "Question Word + Subject + Verb" Magic
There is only one main rule to remember when making indirect questions:
You must use the order: "Question Word + Subject + Verb (Q + S + V)."
In a normal question, like "Who is he?", the verb (is) comes before the subject (he). But in an indirect question, it goes back to the normal statement order of "Subject + Verb."
Common Introductory Phrases
Indirect questions are often used with phrases like these:
・I don't know ~
・Do you know ~ ?
・Please tell me ~
・I want to know ~
・I wonder ~
【Summary: Key Point】
The word order for indirect questions is "Question Word + Subject + Verb"! Repeat this like a magic spell until you memorize it.
3. [Watch Out!] do, does, and did disappear!
This is where many students trip up. When you embed a question that uses action verbs (like go, play, live, etc.) into a sentence, do, does, and did disappear. Instead, you need to adjust the verb form back to its base form or add an 's' for third-person singular subjects.
Example 1: When "does" is used
"Where does he live?"
↓ "Do you know where he lives?"
Do you know where he lives?
(The 'does' disappears, and an 's' is added to 'live'!)
Example 2: When "did" is used
"What did she buy?"
↓ "Please tell me what she bought."
Please tell me what she bought.
(The 'did' disappears, and 'buy' changes to the past tense, 'bought'!)
【Pro Tip: Use an Image to Remember!】
Think of 'do', 'does', and 'did' as "helpers" that were called in just to create a direct question. In an indirect question, the word order returns to that of a regular statement, so the helpers are no longer needed and go home!
4. What if there is no question word?
If you want to combine a question that doesn't have a question word (like Who or What)—in other words, a Yes/No question—you use if or whether in place of the question word. These mean "whether or not."
(Example) Is he busy?
↓ "I don't know if he is busy."
I don't know if he is busy.
※ In 3rd-year junior high textbooks, if is used most often. Just be careful—it doesn't mean "if" as in a conditional ("if it rains") here!
5. Check for Common Mistakes
To help you avoid losing points on tests, let's look at these common mistakes:
× Incorrect: I don't know who is that man.
○ Correct: I don't know who that man is.
(After a question word, use "Subject (that man) + Verb (is)"!)
× Incorrect: Do you know what did he say?
○ Correct: Do you know what he said?
(Don't forget to remove 'did' and change 'say' to the past tense!)
【Advice】
It might feel tricky at first, but don't worry. The best shortcut is to say short examples like "I don't know where he lives" out loud over and over until you memorize the rhythm!
Summary: Take these points with you!
1. The word order for indirect questions is "Question Word + Subject + Verb"!
2. do, does, and did disappear! Pay attention to the verb form (adding 's' or using the past tense).
3. If there is no question word, use "if" (meaning "whether or not").
4. Whether a sentence ends with a "." or a "?" depends on the very beginning of the sentence!
(e.g., I know ~ . / Do you know ~ ?)
Now you've got the basics of indirect questions down! Go through your notes and try solving a few practice problems. I'm rooting for you!