Indirect questions

See also PDF exercises below.

Online exercises:

Direct | indirect questions

Exercise 1 change direct questions to indirect questions:

• What did she do? - Can you tell me ___ ?

Exercise 2 change indirect questions to direct questions:

• Do you know where Marion lives? - Where ___ ?

Exercise 3 multiple choice - choose the correct ending:

• Who is your boyfriend? - Can you tell me ___ ? (who is your boyfriend | who your boyfriend is)

PDF exercises:

Indirect questions - PDF 1 + Key with answers 1 Change direct questions into idirect questions.

Indirect questions - PDF 2 + Key with answers 2 Change indirect questions into direct questions.

More PDF worksheets:

• Indirect questions PDF exercises a printable test with two exercises to download for free.

PDF grammar rules:

• English grammar PDF to download for free.

If we want to make questions in the English language, we can do it by changing the word order (Is he your brother? Was she there? Have you been to Ireland?) or by using the auxiliary do (Do you know them? Does he live with you? Did you enjoy it?)

The indirect questions are not normal questions. They have the same word order as statements and we do not use the verb do to form a question. They usually come after introductory phrases combined with interrogative pronouns and adjectives (who, whom, what, which, whose), adverbs (when, where, how, why) or if, whether.

Compare the following direct and indirect questions:
What did she want? - Do you know what she wanted?
Where was it? - Do you remember where it was?
Will they come? - I wonder if they will come.

We can use many introductory phrases such as I ask, I wonder, I want/would like to know, I can't remember, I have no idea, I am sure etc., or they can be introduced by expressions such as Can you tell me, Do you know, Do you remember, Have you any idea.

Look at more examples to understand the changes:
How much is it? - I'd like to know how much it is.
Is this seat free? - He is asking if this seat is free.
Where did she go? - Have you any idea where she went?
Does he want to buy it? - Do you know whether he wants to buy it?

The indirect questions are more common in English than in some other languages. They are more polite and more formal. Compare the following examples.
Why did you do it? - Could you tell me why you did it?
Could I use your telephone? - Do you think I could use your telephone?
Are you married? - I wonder if you are married.