Indirect Questions

To report indirect questions we use the following verbs and expressions: to ask,
to inquire / enquire, to want to know, to wonder (= to ask oneself/ves), etc.

• General Questions

Indirect general questions are introduced by the conjunctions if and whether (more formal). The word order is direct (… if/whether + subject + predicate). The auxiliary verbs do / does and did are not used.

DIRECT GENERAL QUESTIONS	INDIRECT GENERAL QUESTIONS
He asked, ‘Do you live in Uman?’	He asked if she lived in Uman.
He asked, ‘Did you see him yesterday?’	He asked if she had seen him the day before.
He asked, ‘Are you a student?’	He asked if she was a student.

Negative questions often express surprise or enthusiasm and are mostly reported by emotionally coloured words.

DIRECT GENERAL QUESTIONS	INDIRECT GENERAL QUESTIONS
He asked, ‘Don’t you like ice-cream?’	He was surprised that she didn’t like ice-cream.
‘Isn’t she lovely!’ he exclaimed.	He was exited by the girl’s beauty.
	He remarked how lovely the girl was.
‘Isn’t that stupid?’	She complained that it was stupid.

• Special Questions

Indirect special questions are introduced by the same pronouns that introduce direct special questions. The word order is direct (… who/what/where + subject + predicate). The auxiliary verbs do / does and did are not used.

DIRECT SPECIAL QUESTIONS	INDIRECT SPECIAL QUESTIONS
He asked, ‘ Where do you live?’	He asked where she lived.
He asked, ‘ When did you see him?’	He asked when she had seen him.
He asked, ‘ Who is she?’	He asked who she was/ who was she.

• Disjunctive Questions

Indirect disjunctive questions are introduced by the conjunctions if and whether (more formal). The word order is direct (… if/whether + subject + predicate). The auxiliary verbs do / does and did are not used.

DIRECT DISJUNCTIVE QUESTIONS	INDIRECT DISJUNCTIVE QUESTIONS
He asked, ‘ You live in Uman, don’t you?’	He asked if she lived in Uman.
He asked, ‘ You didn’t see him yesterday, did you?’	He asked if she had seen him the day before.
He asked, ‘ You are a student, aren’t you?’	He asked if she was a student.

• Alternative Questions

Indirect alternative questions are introduced by the conjunctions if and whether (more formal). The word order is direct (… if/whether + subject + predicate + or …). The auxiliary verbs do / does and did are not used.

DIRECT ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS	INDIRECT ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS
He asked, ‘Do you live in Uman or in Kyiv?’	He asked if she lived in Uman or in Kyiv.
He asked, ‘Did you see him or her yesterday?’	He asked if she had seen him or her the day before.
He asked, ‘Are you a student or a teacher?’	He asked if she was a student or a teacher.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16