Grammar

Indirect Questions

Have you ever heard about them❓ Do you know how to use one❓ If you don't know the answer for the last question, read the following ❸ conversations and try to guess. Good luck 🍀❗

💬
Mark: Excuse me. Could you tell me what ⏰ the next 🚌 arrives❓
Chris: It arrives in 10 minutes.
Mark: Thank you.
Chris: You're welcome.

💬
Andrew: This 🍰 is so delicious❗ Would you mind telling me how you made the cake❓
Eugene: No, of course not.

💬
Nick: I'm the new captain of the 🎾 team. I was wondering if you'd like to take part in the team.
Jean: Yes. Of course.

Did you guess how to use indirect questions❓ Well; if you are 😕, don´t 😟. Let´s see their uses❗

Indirect Questions are questions used to ask for information in a more polite way.

These questions consists of an introductory phrase and an affirmative clause/sentence.

      Excuse me. Could you tell me what time the next bus arrives?

                     ↳ Could you tell me |  wh-question + subject + verb ?
                     Introductory phrase |    affirmative sentence

      It's so delicious! Would you mind telling me how you made the cake?

                           ↳ Would you mind+gerund | how + subject + verb ?
                                  Introductory phrase     |    affirmative sentence

      I'm the new captian of the tennis team. I was wondering if you'd like to take part in the team.
                                                                 ↳ I was wondering | if / wheter + subject + verb  
                                                               Introductory phrase |      affirmative sentence

*If we want to answer an indriect question with the introductory phrase 'Would you mind + gerund...?' meaning 'Yes', we say 'No, of couse not'.
**When someone ask a question with an intoductory phrase followed by 'if' or 'whether', the question is a 'yes/no question' so we should answer with 'yes' or 'no'.

The most used phrases to introduce indirect questions are:

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