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Direct and Indirect Questions

This document summarizes different types of questions: direct questions, object questions, subject questions, and indirect questions. Object questions ask about the object of the sentence while the subject is known. Subject questions ask about the subject while the object is known. Indirect questions are used to be more polite by introducing the question in a statement format rather than directly asking it, while maintaining the same word order as a statement response.

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Viviana Vazqez
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118 views

Direct and Indirect Questions

This document summarizes different types of questions: direct questions, object questions, subject questions, and indirect questions. Object questions ask about the object of the sentence while the subject is known. Subject questions ask about the subject while the object is known. Indirect questions are used to be more polite by introducing the question in a statement format rather than directly asking it, while maintaining the same word order as a statement response.

Uploaded by

Viviana Vazqez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Direct

Ques+ons
Object Ques+ons…
ask about the object of a sentence. You know who
did the ac4on (subj.) but not who/what was
affected by it (obj).
(Ques4on Word - Object) + aux + subject + verb
Who did you go out with last night? —> (I went out) with a friend.
Where did she live before living here? —> (She lived) in Nairobi.
Why are you looking at me that way? —> (I’m looking at you that way) because you’re being a jerk.
How did they know that? —> (They knew that) because I told them!
What did Alexander Fleming discover? —> (A. Fleming discovered) penicillin.
Subject Ques+ons…
ask about the subject of a sentence. You don’t know who did the ac4on (subj.)
but you do know who/what was affected by it (obj).
NEVER USE AUXILIARY VERBS! THERE IS NO INVERSION!
THE WORD ORDER OF THE QUESTION IS THE SAME AS THE ANSWER!
(Ques4on Word - Subject) + verb + object and all the rest.
Who went out with you last night? —> A friend (went out with me).
What’s the capital of Kenya? —> Nairobi (is the capital of Kenya).
What’s wrong with you? —> Nothing(’s wrong with me).
Who likes grammar? —> Everybody (likes grammar)!
Who discovered penicillin? —> Alexander Fleming (discovered penicillin).
Indirect Ques+ons
Indirect ques+ons are used to be less direct (WOW!) so that we can ask be more
polite or ask about sensi4ve things.
The opening phrase contains the ques4on form (verb + subj) but the real ques4on
has the word order of a normal sentence/the answer (subj + verb)

Direct Indirect
opening phrase real ques4on

How old are you? Do you mind me asking | how old you are?
Who did you vote for? Can I ask you | who you voted for?
What 4me is it? Could you tell me | what 4me it is?
No+ce that the word order is the same as the answer!
Do you mind me asking how old you are? —> I’m 35.

Can I ask you who you voted for? —> I voted for the leY, although the party I
would’ve voted for didn’t make it through the primaries.

Could you tell me what 4me it is? —> It’s ten past five.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you mind me asking how old are you?
Can I ask you who did you vote for?
Could you tell me what 4me is it?
Some indirect ques+ons aren’t asked as a ques+on at all.
The same rules apply!

I was wondering where you bought that jacket.


I bought it at a thriY store.

I wanted to know whether you’d like to have dinner with me some day.
Sure, I’d love to!

I wanted to know if you would’ve reacted the same way I reacted.


Well, I probably wouldn’t have been so rude!
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was wondering where did you buy that jacket.

I wanted to know whether would you like to have dinner with


me some day.

I wanted to know if would you have reacted the same way I reacted.

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