DIRECT AND INDIRECT QUESTIONS GENERAL USAGE

A few months ago, a man at VUS said to me, “What is your name.” I
didn’t feel like he was asking me my name but ordering me to tell him
my name as a man would order his dog to sit. Direct questions are
often considered to be rude when speaking to strangers.

Since that day I have gotten to know the man and he is actually very
friendly; he just sounded rude because he used a direct question.
There are two ways in which he could have sounded more polite.
Firstly, he could have used intonation when asking his question. When
intonation rises at the end of a question it can sound more polite than
a question without intonation. In general, speaking with intonation
makes you sound more polite, and interesting. Secondly, instead of
using a direct question, he could have used an indirect question.
This indirect question would have sounded much friendlier:

“May I ask what your name is?”

(Saying “Excuse me” would be even more polite; for example, “Excuse
me. May I ask what your name is?”)

When using an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed

by the question itself in positive sentence structure. Connect the
two phrases with the question word or “if” in the case the question is a
“yes”, “no” question.

_______________________________________________________________________
______________________

Here’s how to do it:

Introductory phrase + question word (or if) + positive sentence.

_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________

Examples:

• Where is Jack?

I was wondering if you know where Jack is? (Jack is at the store)
 • When does Alice usually arrive?

Do you know when Alice usually arrives? (Alice usually arrives at

ten.)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE INDIRECT QUESTIONS

AFTER THE INTRODUCTORY PHRASE, IS SUBJECT + VERB (EXAMPLE:
YOUR NAME IS?) AND NOT VERB +SUBJECT ( IS YOUR NAME?)

What are you looking at?

Can you tell me what you are looking at?

Here are some of the most common phrases used for asking indirect
questions. Many of these phrases are used to make questions (i.e., Do
you know when the next train leaves?), while others are statements
made to indicate a question (i.e., I wonder if he will be on time.).

Do you know . . . ?

Can you tell me . . . ?

Do you happen to know . . . ?

May I ask . . . ?

Would you mind telling me . . . ?

Sometimes we use these phrases to indicate that we’d like some

more information:

I’m not sure . . . .

I’d like to know . . . .

I have no idea . . . .

I wonder/was wondering . . . .

If the direct question contains do, does, or did, we omit it in the

indirect question.

• What do you want?

Can you tell me what you want?

• When did she leave?

 Do you know when she left?

• What time does the movie start?

Do you happen to know what time the movie starts?