What Is an Indirect Question? » Pyinnyar Pankhin

What Is an Indirect Question? (with Examples)

Indirect Question

An indirect question is a question embedded inside a statement (i.e., a declarative sentence) or another question (i.e., an interrogative sentence).

Let’s start with a direct question:

Do you like cheese?

Here it is as an indirect question in a statement:

She asked whether I liked cheese.

The word whether can be replaced with if in these examples.

Direct Questions

Who is she? ⎮ Where can I sit?

Indirect Questions

An indirect question in a question:

Do you know who she is? ⎮ Can you tell me where I can sit?

An indirect question in a statement:

He is asking who she is. ⎮ I wonder where I can sit.

Look! No question marks

Easy Examples of Indirect Questions

An indirect question can be embedded in a statement, another question or an order.

I wonder whether Anne is happy.
(The embedded direct question is “Is Anne happy?”. This is a direct question within a statement, i.e., within a declarative sentence.)
Do you know if anyone was listening?
(The embedded direct question is “Was anyone listening?”. This is a direct question within a question, i.e., within an interrogative sentence.)
Please find out what time the train is due.
(The embedded direct question is “What time is the train due?”. This is a direct question within an order, i.e., within an imperative sentence.)

Real-Life Examples of Indirect Questions

I wonder whether other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. (Comedian Rita Rudner)
Does anyone know if Lamborghini makes wheelchair vehicles? (American footballer Steve Gleason, who is battling Lou Gehrig’s disease)
In order to know what he is, a man must first know what the sum of this mysterious humanity is, a humanity made up of people who, like himself, do not understand what they are. (Russian author Leo Tolstoy)

More about Indirect Questions

When the direct question is a yes-no question, the indirect question will start with if or whether.

I’m asking if you are cold.
I’m asking whether you are cold.

(The embedded direct question is “Are you cold?”. This is a yes-no question.)

Indirect Questions Are Worded Like Statements not Questions.

When the direct question starts with a question word like how, what, when, where, which, who, whose, or why (called interrogative pronouns or interrogative adjectives), the indirect question will start with the question word, but the word order is like a statement not like a question.

I’m asking what the time is.
(The embedded direct question is “What time is it?”. Notice that the indirect question has the word order “the time is” (i.e., subject + verb) not “is the time” (i.e., verb + subject). In other words, an indirect question has the same word order as a statement, not a question.)
I’m asking where you are going.
(The embedded direct question is “Where are you going?”. The word order for the indirect question is “you are going”, i.e., subject + verb.)
I don’t know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be. (American president Abraham Lincoln)

Indirect Questions Are Noun Clauses.

Indirect questions are classified as noun clauses. (A noun clause is a multi-word noun that features a subject and a verb.)

Indirect Questions (Noun Clauses)

Do you know who she is? ⎮ Can you tell me where I can sit?

noun clauses

He is asking who she is. ⎮ I wonder where I can sit.

Why Should I Care about Indirect Questions?

For native English speakers, there are three common issues related to indirect questions:

(Issue 1) Don’t use a question mark with a non-question.

By far the most common mistake with indirect questions is using a question mark at the end of a sentence that isn’t a question.

She needs to know where you’re going? ✘
Tell the staff if you feel cold? ✘
Mark is trying to determine whether he’s allergic to cats? ✘

(These are not questions. There should be no question marks.)

Before using a question mark, make sure the whole sentence is a question.

Does she need to know where you’re going? ✔︎
Will you tell the staff if you feel cold? ✔︎
Is Mark trying to determine whether he’s allergic cats? ✔︎

(Issue 2) Use whether unless you’re presenting a condition.

These two sentences are both grammatically sound, but they mean different things.

Tell the staff if you need a seat.
(This means tell the staff only if you need a seat. In other words, needing a seat is a condition that needs to be true before the staff are told. This is called a conditional sentence.)
Tell the staff whether you need a seat.

(This means tell the staff about your seating needs. There are two alternatives: needing a seat and not needing a seat. The staff are to be told in either case. In other words, there is no condition that needs to be true.)

Often if and whether are interchangeable when heading an indirect question, but bear this point in mind when choosing between them. Remember that if you’re stating a condition, use if. If you’re not, use whether.