Indirect questions are a polite way to ask for information. We often introduce them with phrases like “Could you tell me…?” or “Do you know…?” The word order in indirect questions follows the typical sentence structure: subject + verb.
Example
- Could you tell me what time it is?
- Do you know where I can find a bank?
- Can you tell me what time the shops close?
- I don’t know what he is doing here.
- I wonder when he will find the truth.
- I’m not sure when I can come.
- I’d like to know where you left the documents.
When crafting a question that requires a YES/NO response, you can use either if or whether to introduce the question.
Example
- Do you know if/whether he’ll be here soon?
References