Meaning
The classification of Indirect Questions can be broken down into two topics.
Indirect requests and indirect inquiries are used to ask questions in a polite or formal manner.
- Requests are defined in this article as questions asked for favors. The expected response to requests is not a spoken or written answer, but action on the part of the addressee.
- Inquiries are defined in this article as questions that seek information. The expected reply to inquiries is to divulge the information asked for.
By asking requests or inquiries through an indirect framework, the questions come off as less demanding and more cooperative — perhaps even deferential.
Reported Questions are a subset of Reported Speech. They usually repeat questions that have been previously expressed. However, it’s also possible to use Reported Speech for future or hypothetical situations, and Reported Speech might convey what someone thinks, even if they don’t say it aloud or write it down. Reported Questions generally express the questions in a different context than their original utterance.
Structure
The structure of Indirect Questions can be broken into two pieces: the introductory expression and the question content. The specifics of each depend upon a) whether the sentence is a Reported Question or not, and b) the intent and level of detail expressed in the question content.
Introductory Expressions
Requests & Inquiries
When asking a question in an indirect manner, the introductory expression essentially prompts the listener to expect a request or an inquiry. These introductions typically come from a handful of phrases, though there is no strict limit on what these phrases can be.
The usual introductory expression for REQUESTS is “Do/Would you mind … ?”
Common introductory expressions for INQUIRIES include:
- “Can/Could you tell me … ?”
- “Do/Would you mind telling me … ?”
- “I’d like to know … .” / “I’d be interested to know … .”
- “I wonder … .” / “I was wondering … .”
- “Can I ask … ?” / “Do/Would you mind if I ask … ?” / “Do/Would you mind me asking … ?”
- “Please let me know … .”
- “Do you know … ?” / “Do you have any idea … ?”
Notice that the punctuation at the end of the sentence is dependent upon the introductory clause at the start of the sentence. If the intro is phrased as a question (generally by beginning with an auxiliary verb like can, could, do, or would), then the full sentence should end in a question mark. Otherwise, the sentence should end with a period (or possibly an exclamation mark).
Reported Questions
The introductory expressions for Reported Questions communicate who asked the original question. The structure usually looks something like this: 1) the subject = the identity of the original speaker; 2) the speech verb; then possibly 3) the indirect object = the original addressee.
Reported introductions should include a speech verb as the main verb of that clause, or otherwise another phrase that indicates curiosity. Common examples include:
ask • be curious (about) • inquire • request • want to know • would like to know • wonder
The most common of these by far is ask, which serves to introduce Reported Questions in almost every situation.
Furthermore, ask can be followed by an indirect object which communicates the person to whom the original question was asked. This person — the addressee — comes before the question content and is only necessary if the original question was targeted toward a specific person (as opposed to asked openly). For instance, with “Charlotte asked Dave what time it was,” Dave was expected to answer; with “Charlotte asked what time it was,” the answer might have been provided by anyone who heard the question.
The different speech verbs allow us to express how the original question was posed, though we can also use adverbs or other modifiers to convey the manner or attitude of the original question. Also, the tense of the speech verb sets the time frame of the original question.
Question Content
The actual content of the question comes after the introductory expression and may come in one of three forms: a Content Clause, a Participial Phrase, or a ‘WH’ term plus an Infinitive Phrase.
|
Indirect Request |
Indirect Inquiry |
Reported Question |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Content Clause |
|
✓ |
✓ |
|
Participial Phrase |
✓ |
(about) |
(about) |
|
‘WH’ + Infinitive |
|
|
✓ |
Content Clauses
Content Clauses are usually the best option for communicating precision. For Reported Questions, Content Clauses are the best way to convey the information as closely as possible to the original speech. In fact, a Content Clause is probably the default structure for both indirect inquiries and Reported Questions.
When the core question is a Yes/No Question, its crux (the linker/conjunction the starts the Content Clause) should be either if or whether. While they fulfill the same purpose, if indicates a bias toward an affirmative response while whether is balanced between affirmative and negative.
When the core question is a ‘WH’ Question, its crux should be a ‘wh’ question word like who, what, where, when, how, or why.
The rest of the Content Clause following the crux should come in the same order as a declarative clause, despite its interrogative meaning. That is to say, there should be no subject-auxiliary inversion. For example:
- not: “I’d like to know who
is this imposter!” - but: “I’d like to know who this imposter is!”
Finally, for Reported Questions, verbs and relative references likely need to shift to account for the change in context from when and how the original question was expressed. See the Contextual Adjustments section below for more.
Participial Phrases
Since Active Participles are all about taking action, Participial Phrases come after “Do/Would you mind,” when requesting that the addressee takes action. Participial Phrases begin with words that have verb roots and -ing suffixes, and they may be followed by verb complements (such as direct objects) or modifiers. For example:
- “Would you mind handing me those chopsticks?”
- “Do you mind playing your music a little quieter?”
Active Participial Phrases can also work for indirect inquiries or Reported Questions when they follow ‘about’ after the main verb (though this doesn’t work with all verbs). Such Indirect Questions tend to ask about actions or events. They also mention the topic in broad terms instead of specifying any details. For example:
- “Could you tell me about training for this new job?”
- “Bernice wanted to know about adding another profile to her account.”
‘WH’ Words + Infinitives
When seeking direction, a speaker can use an inquiring introductory expression, then a ‘WH’ word (‘whom’, ‘what’, ‘which’, ‘where’, ‘when’, or sometimes ‘whether’), then a Full Infinitive phrase. For example:
- “Can you tell me where to go next?”
- “Please let me know what to say when her majesty arrives.”
Unlike with requests, here the speaker intends to take action themself. However, they need information before they can take that action, hence the inquiry. For instance, the initial response to “I wonder whom to thank for this generous gift,” might be “You should thank Dave.” The original speaker would then set off to find or send a message to Dave in order to thank him.
Contextual Adjustments
For Reported Speech (including Reported Questions), the context is different from from original speech. It might be spoken by a different person; it’s likely spoken at a different time; it might be spoken in a different location or surrounded by different objects; and it might be addressed to a different person. To account for whichever of these elements are no longer the same as with the original context, there need to be contextual adjustments in the Reported Question.
Shifting Relative References
Certain words indicate people, objects, settings, etc. relative to the person that spoke those words and the context in which they said them. Here are the key considerations:
- Demonstratives like here vs. there, now vs. then, and these vs. those may need to swap with their counterparts depending on context.
- Personal Pronouns are relative to the speaker and the listeners. The same person might be referred to in the 1st-person, the 2nd-person, or the 3rd-person depending on who’s talking.
- Time references like ‘today’, ‘next week’, ‘last month’, ‘this year’, ‘three hours ago’, etc. have a different meaning when reported at a different time, so alternative expressions are needed to refer back to those absolute time periods.
Backshifting Verbs
When an action, event, or state is reported at a time later than when it was first uttered, their tenses may need to shift back further into the past. This process is known as backshifting.
Verbs that were originally present usually shift back to the past, while verbs that were previously expressed in a past tense backshift to a Past Perfect tense. Verbs that were originally in a future tense depend on whether those situations have already come and gone by the time they are reported. Verbs that indicate long-standing habits or perpetual states don’t need to backshift at all.
See the Reported Speech page for details on relative references and backshifting.
Usage
Polite Requests
Indirect Questions can be used to request that the listeners carry forth some action. The overall purpose is similar to that of imperatives and other directives, except that indirect requests are far more polite. In fact, they may even be deferential (especially if the auxiliary would is featured in the introductory expression), which means the listener is given the opportunity to deny the request if they so choose.
Additionally, since the imperative structure does not voice ‘you’ as the subject, it may be tricky to know who exactly is being addressed in certain situations. Indirect Questions allow the speaker to integrate ‘you’ into their commands.
Polite/Formal Inquiries
Indirect Questions can also be used for inquires — that is, asking for information. The difference between “How long have you worked here?” and “Can I ask how long you’ve worked here?” lies in that introductory expression:
- First of all, intros like these let the listener know that a question is coming. This is particularly helpful if the listener may need to brace themself, perhaps because the question is a difficult or personal one.
- Second of all, such intros are usually considered polite (although it may depend on the speaker’s tone of voice).
When introductions include the distal modals could or would instead of can or do, respectively, they are regarded as deferential or formal. They might indicate that the speaker would not be offended if the addressee does not respond with the sought-after information.
The expected response to an indirect inquiry is not for the addressee to give a direct reply to the literal question that frames the sentence, but instead to provide the information asked for. For instance, the proper response to “Do you know when the delegates will arrive?” is not “Yes, I do,“ but “They’ll arrive in about an hour,” for example.
Reported Questions
Indirect Questions can be used for interrogative Reported Speech. This usually means repeating what someone said previously (even if it’s only a few seconds earlier).
- eg: “What did he say?” “He wanted to know whether he could borrow your stapler.“
However, it’s also possible to use the Reported Questions structure to predict what someone will ask in the future or speculate on what someone out of earshot might be asking right now.
- eg: “When you arrive at the station, they’ll ask to see your passport.”
Or, Indirect Questions might express aloud what someone had only been thinking about.
- eg: “I was just wonder how long this lecture is going to take.”
Unlike with indirect requests and inquiries, no response to a Reported Question is required from the listeners.
Advanced Concepts
If vs. Whether
Content Clauses that represent Yes/No Questions can feature either if or whether as their crux. Whether is fairly neutral while if has a bias toward the affirmative.
For our first example, let’s compare the preferences of the speaker or the subject.
- With “Hailey wants to know if there’s any pizza left,” we can assume that Hailey hopes the answer is ‘yes’, perhaps because she would like to have another slice.
- With “Hailey wants to know whether there’s any pizza left,” we don’t know Hailey’s preference, if she has one at all. Perhaps she’s prepared to throw away the pizza box, but only if the pizza is all gone.
For our second example, let’s compare the expectations of the listener or addressee.
- With “Please let Wilson know if his boss calls,” the addressed listener should inform Wilson that his boss has called, but only once that call has happened. If Wilson’s boss never calls, the addressee is under no obligation to report anything to Wilson.
- With “Please let Wilson know whether his boss calls,” at some point later, the addressed listener should update Wilson if his boss has called, but also if his boss has not called.
In some situations, the difference between if and whether may be subtle. Even for situations like the examples shown here which might lead to different outcomes, many English speakers may disregard these differences and use the two cruxes interchangeably.
Choice of Auxiliaries
Many introductory expressions begin with an auxiliary verb. In most cases, two similar auxiliaries are interchangeable:
- Do and would generally communicate the same meaning, but would is more deferential than do.
- Can and could communicate the same meaning, but could is more deferential than can.
So while “Can you tell me where the bathroom is?” is considered a polite Indirect Question, “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?” is even more polite — perhaps even formal.
British vs. American Punctuation
In standard American English (AmE), the punctuation at the end of a sentence of an Indirect Question depends on the structure of the introductory expression. The punctuation reflects the form of the main clause of the sentence, as is the rule with all complex sentences.
In standard British English (BrE), however, the punctuation at the end of a sentence of an Indirect Question might be a question mark even if the introductory expression is structured as declarative. The punctuation reflects the intent of the sentence rather than its form.
Perhaps the most common example is with “I wonder …”:
- AmE: “I wonder who won last night’s match.“
- BrE: “I wonder who won last night’s match?“
In British English the speaker could conclude this sentence with a period, but that would indicate that it’s a simple statement about the speaker’s thoughts (and not actually an Indirect Question). By concluding with a question mark, the speaker indicates that they are actually seeking an answer, and the addressed listener should reply with the winner of the match.
Preposition Placement
As is the case with ‘WH’ Question forms, there is an issue with Indirect Questions regarding the placement of any prepositions that lead into the nominal ideas represented by ‘WH’ Words. Consider these two placement options for these otherwise identical sentences:
- “Please let me know whom I should show my ticket to.”
- “Please let me know to whom I should show my ticket.”
A false rule of English grammar is that you should never end a sentence with a preposition. In that case, #2 would be the correct option. However, this wording is considered very formal and may even sound awkward to some fluent English speakers. Furthermore, that rule is fake anyway. Sentence #1 is much more likely to be spoken by English speakers, even if it might be regard as informal. Both versions are grammatically acceptable.
Teaching Tips
Separate the Reported from the Polite
If your curriculum allows it, you should probably teach Reported Questions in a separate lesson from indirect requests and inquiries. Even though they share a common structure and can both be categorized under Indirect Questions, there are enough differences to justify separate lessons, at least for the first time students learn about Indirect Questions. Grouping these together in the same lesson may be overwhelming.
Build Off Reported Speech
Make sure you introduce Reported Speech (declaratives) before introducing Reported Questions. The same general framework is the same; the key difference is which speech verbs should be used. But also keep in mind that there should be no subject-auxiliary inversion for Reported Questions.
Refer to the Teaching Tips on the Reported Speech page for more.
No Inversion
One of the most common mistakes that learners are likely to make with Indirect Questions, even at advanced levels, is in the word order. Learners have gotten used to inverting the placement of the subject and the leading auxiliary for many question types (including Yes/No Questions and Predicate Questions, both of which are common basies for Indirect Questions). But this inversion should only work for the main clause of the sentence. When the interrogative clause is an embedded Content Clause, there should be no inversion.
This word order may sound strange to English learners, so you might want to call attention to it early and often to give them a chance to get used to it.
Insider Access
Visit our How to Teach Indirect Questions page on www.insightstoEnglish.com for a demonstrational video, bonus notes, printouts, a slideshow for your class, practice activities, and more.
Further Reading
Encyclopedia Pages
- Reported Speech – another type of Indirect Speech; overlaps in Reported Questions
- Polar Questions
- ‘WH’ Questions
Intermediate Topics
CEFR Levels B1-B2: Pre-Intermediate to Upper Intermediate courses
