INDIRECT QUESTIONS

INDIRECT QUESTIONS. BY ATS.EDU

There are two main types of English questions: direct questions and indirect questions. When we ask questions in English, we either start the question immediately (a direct question) or use an introduction to make the question more polite (an indirect question).

What Are Indirect Questions?

Direct questions are the “normal” questions that we can ask to friends, family members, and people who we know well.

• 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?”

Remember: We use indirect questions to make our requests or questions softer or more polite.

Some phrases for Indirect Questions

• Could you tell me…
• Can you tell me…
• Do you know…
• I wonder… / I was wondering…
• Do you have any idea…
• I’d like to know…
• Would it be possible…
• Is there any chance…
• I’d be interested to hear…
• Would you mind telling me…
• Have you any idea…

For detailed explanations we recommend:

Indirect Questions by Perfect English Grammar
Indirect questions by BBC