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d. Indirect Questions
As well as being used at the beginning of direct questions, interrogative pronouns and adjectives can also be used at the beginning of indirect questions.
Whereas a direct question forms a complete sentence in itself, an indirect question is part of a longer sentence. The following examples show the difference between a direct question and an indirect question.
e.g. Who is there?
He wants to know who is there.
Will you tell me who is there?
In the first example, Who is there? is a direct question. In the second example, who is there is an indirect question which is part of a longer statement. In the third example, who is there is an indirect question which is part of a longer question.
i. Interrogative word as the subject
When the interrogative word is the subject of a verb, or modifies the subject of a verb, the word order of an indirect question is usually the same as that of a direct question. In the following examples, the verbs of the direct and indirect questions are underlined, and their subjects are printed in bold type.
e.g. Direct Question: What has happened?
Indirect Question: We shall ask what has happened.
Direct Question: Which child won the race?
Indirect Question: They will ask which child won the race.
In the first pair of examples, the interrogative pronoun what is the subject of the verb has happened. In the second pair of examples, the interrogative adjective which modifies child, the subject of the verb won. In both pairs of examples, the word order of the indirect questions is the same as that of the direct questions.
ii. Interrogative word as the object of a verb or preposition
When the interrogative word is the object of a verb or preposition, or modifies the object of a verb or preposition, the word order of an indirect question differs from that of a direct question. In a direct question, the first auxiliary precedes the subject, and the auxiliary to do must be used for verbs in the Simple Present and Simple Past. In an indirect question, the subject precedes the verb, and the auxiliary to do is not used. Thus, in an indirect question, the word order used is the same as that used for an affirmative statement.
This difference in word order is illustrated in the following examples.
e.g. Direct Question: What is he doing?
Indirect Question: I will ask what he is doing.
Direct Question: What story did they tell you?
Indirect Question: I wonder what story they told you.
Direct Question: Which does she prefer?
Indirect Question: We asked which she prefers.
Direct Question: Whom did he meet?
Indirect Question: Tell me whom he met.
Direct Question: To whom has she sent the invitations?
Indirect Question: They will ask to whom she has sent the invitations.
Direct Question: For which friend did they make the arrangements?
Indirect Question: Do you know for which friend they made the arrangements?
As illustrated in the preceding examples, when the interrogative word is the object of a verb or preposition, or modifies the object of a verb or preposition, the first auxiliary precedes the subject in a direct question, but the subject precedes the verb in an indirect question.
iii. The verb To Be with a noun or pronoun complement
A noun, noun phrase or pronoun which follows the verb to be is said to be the complement of the verb. When what or who is followed by both the verb to be and a noun or pronoun complement of the verb, the word order of an indirect question usually differs from that of a direct question. As illustrated in the following examples, in a direct question, the verb to be is followed by its complement; whereas in an indirect question, the verb to be is usually preceded by its complement.
In each of the following examples, the verb to be is underlined, and its noun or pronoun complement is printed in bold type.
e.g. Direct Question: What is that?
Indirect question: Can you tell me what that is?
Direct Question: What was that noise?
Indirect Question: I wonder what that noise was.
Direct Question: What time is it?
Indirect Question: Ask him what time it is.
Direct Question: Who is she?
Indirect Question: Do you know who she is?
Direct question: Who was that man?
Indirect Question: I will ask who that man was.
Direct Question: Whose shoes are these?
Indirect Question: I wonder whose shoes these are.
Similarly, when which is followed by the verb to be, followed by a pronoun, the pronoun complement generally precedes the verb in an indirect question.
e.g. Direct question: Which was it?
Indirect Question: I want to know which it was.
Direct Question: Which organization is that?
Indirect Question: Please ask which organization that is.
However, when which is followed by the verb to be followed by a noun or noun phrase, the noun complement often follows the verb in an indirect question.
e.g. Direct Question: Which is the right road?
Indirect Question: Please tell me which is the right road.
Direct Question: Which insects are predators?
Indirect Question: He wants to know which insects are predators.
It should be noted that in sentences with the verb to be, the word order of indirect questions differs from that of direct questions only when the verb is accompanied by a noun or pronouncomplement.
If the verb to be is accompanied by an adjective, the word order of direct and indirect questions is the same. In each of the following examples, the verb to be is underlined, and the accompanying adjective is printed in bold type.
e.g. Direct Question: Who is here?
Indirect Question: I will ask who is here.
Direct Question: Who was successful?
Indirect Question: Tell me who was successful.
Direct Question: Which answer is correct?
Indirect Question: Please tell us which answer is correct.
The following table summarizes the variations in word order which occur in direct and indirect questions. The examples of direct questions should be compared with the corresponding examples of indirect questions.
Word order of Direct and Indirect Questions beginning with What, Which and Who
Direct Questions
Type of Question
Word Order
The interrogative word is the
Subject precedes verb. Examples:
subject of the verb, or modifies
Who told her?
the subject of the verb
Which boy did it?
The interrogative word is
Subject follows the first auxiliary:
the object of a verb or
What has he done?
preposition, or modifies the
To whom shall we send it?
object of a verb or preposition
Which questions did she answer?
For which child did you buy it?
The verb to be is accompanied
The verb to be precedes its complement:
by a noun or pronoun complement
Who are their friends?
What was that?
What time is it?
Which book was it?
Which is the right answer?
Indirect Questions
Type of Question
Word Order
In all cases
Subject precedes verb. Examples:
I wonder who told her.
You asked which boy did it.
She wants to know what he has done.
He wonders to whom we shall send it.
I wonder which questions she answered.
Please tell me for which child you bought it.
The verb to be is accompanied
The verb to be usually follows
by a noun or pronoun complement
its complement. Examples:
He will ask who their friends are.
I wonder what that was.
Do you know what time it is?
Please tell me which book it was.
However, in the case of which,
the verb to be often precedes a
noun complement. For example:
I wonder which is the right answer.
