Embedded Questions

An embedded question is a question that is inside another question or

statement.
They are common after introductory phrases, such as:

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• I wonder • We need to find out.
• Could you tell me • I'd like to know
• Do you know • I don’t know
• Can you remember • Could you tell me
• Let's ask • I'm not sure
• Would you mind explaining.

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Examples:

Order
We move the verb to the end of the sentence.

1. Who is that man?

 I don’t know who that man is.

2. What do you think he is going to answer?

 I’m not sure what his answer is going to be.

3. Who is she (trying to talk to)?

 I found out who she is (trying to talk to.

4. What time is their flight?

 I can’t tell you what time their flight is.

5. What does he do for a living?

 He told me what he does for a living.

6. Can you use a phone here?

 I don’t know if I can use my phone here.

7. Are there any biscuits left?

 I think she will tell me if there are any biscuits left.

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Two Types

1. Embedded Questions within Questions

Here are some examples of an embedded question within another
question. For patterns and uses, see the notes below the charts.

2. Embedded Questions within Statements

Here are some examples of an embedded question within an

affirmative or negative sentence. Note that we do not use a question
mark for these statements even though they contain a question.

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Uses
When and why do we use embedded questions in English?

1. To be more polite
 What time is it? (normal question)
 Could you (please) tell me what time it is? (embedded question
= more polite)

2. To give more information

 I wonder if she’ll call me. (expresses curiosity)
 I don’t know where my bag is. (expresses lack of knowledge)
 I want to know when this meeting will start. (expresses desire
for knowledge)

3. To change direct speech to reported (indirect) speech

 “What do you want to know?” (direct speech)
 He asked me what I wanted to know. (reported speech)

Note
Don’t use contractions at the end of an embedded clause. (Tell
students this follows the same rule as short answers in English—we
can say Yes, he is but we can never say Yes, he’s.)
 Do you know what time it is?
 Do you know what time it’s?

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 PRACTICE:

Look at the questions below, and rewrite them as

embedded questions.

1. Why are they tired? I don’t know__________________________

2. When is Sam’s birthday? I forgot __________________________

3. Where are they going? I can’t remember_____________________

4. Is she her mother? I’m not sure __________________________

5. What time is the movie? I don’t know ____________________

English 3