Direct and Indirect Questions in English: Rules and Examples

A direct question asks for information on its own, while an indirect question places that question inside a longer sentence.

Compare:

Where is the nearest pharmacy?

Could you tell me where the nearest pharmacy is?

Both ask about the pharmacy’s location, but the word order is different. In the direct question, is comes before the nearest pharmacy. In the indirect question, the subject comes first: where the nearest pharmacy is.

Indirect questions are common when asking for information politely. They also appear in statements such as I don’t know where the nearest pharmacy is, so they aren’t always requests directed at another person.

Direct and Indirect Questions: What’s the Difference?

You may also see the term embedded question. It refers to a question-containing clause within a larger sentence.

Indirect questions often follow expressions such as Do you know…, Could you tell me…, I wonder…, or I’m not sure….

The last example in the table reports a question someone asked earlier. Reported questions are closely related, but they may involve additional changes in tense, pronouns, or time expressions.

How Word Order Changes in Indirect Questions

In many direct questions, an auxiliary verb or a form of be comes before the subject.

Where is the library?

When the question becomes part of a longer sentence, the embedded clause uses statement word order:

Could you tell me where the library is?

The subject the library now comes before is.

Incorrect: Could you tell me where is the library?

Correct: Could you tell me where the library is?

Questions with auxiliaries work similarly:

Why has the school changed its timetable?

Do you know why the school has changed its timetable?

In the embedded clause, the school comes before has.

To see why this happens, look at the two parts of the sentence:

Do you know where the library is?

The main clause, Do you know…?, has question word order. The embedded clause, where the library is, does not use inversion.

Although the complete sentence is a yes/no question in grammatical form, people often use it to ask for the library’s location. Answering only Yes, I do may be grammatical, but it might not give the person the information they need.

If you need a refresher on auxiliary verbs and question structure, the guide to forming questions in English explains those patterns in detail.

When the Question Word Is the Subject

Not every direct question needs its word order changed when it becomes indirect.

Consider:

Who called the manager?

Do you know who called the manager?

Here, who is the subject in both versions. The original question already has subject–verb order, so there’s no inversion to undo.

Now compare:

Who did the manager call?

Do you know who the manager called?

In the second pair, who is the object. The question-forming auxiliary did disappears when the clause becomes embedded.

For a closer explanation of how question words function as subjects and objects, see WH Questions in English.

What Happens to Do, Does, and Did?

Direct questions in the simple present and past often use do, does, or did to form questions.

When these auxiliaries are used only to form a question, they normally disappear from the embedded clause.

For example:

Where does your sister work?

Could you tell me where your sister works?

The auxiliary does is no longer needed. The main verb takes the form works because the subject is your sister.

In the past tense:

When did the concert finish?

Do you remember when the concert finished?

The auxiliary did disappears, and the main verb returns to its past-tense form, finished.

The event is still in the past; we’re simply asking about it differently.

When Do Is the Main Verb

Not every form of do disappears in an indirect question.

What does your brother do on weekends?

Do you know what your brother does on weekends?

In the direct question, the first does is the question-forming auxiliary. The second do is the main verb.

In the embedded clause, the auxiliary disappears, but the main verb remains and takes the form does.

What Actually Changes? A Quick Comparison

The last example introduces another important distinction: direct yes/no questions need a connecting word when they become embedded.

Indirect Yes/No Questions with If and Whether

A direct yes/no question doesn’t contain a WH word that can introduce its embedded form.

Consider:

Is the exhibition still open?

To embed this question, use if or whether:

Do you know if the exhibition is still open?

Do you know whether the exhibition is still open?

Both are grammatical.

The subject the exhibition comes before is in either version.

Another example:

Has the package arrived?

Could you tell me whether the package has arrived?

The auxiliary has remains because it’s part of the present perfect construction. It follows the subject instead of coming before it.

For more on the original question patterns and their answers, see Yes/No Questions in English.

When Should You Use If or Whether?

In many ordinary indirect yes/no questions, if and whether are interchangeable.

I don’t know if the shop accepts cash.

I don’t know whether the shop accepts cash.

Both sound natural.

However, some constructions require whether.

When a preposition comes directly before the embedded clause, use whether:

We talked about whether the venue would be suitable.

Using if immediately after about is not standard in this construction.

Whether is also used before to + verb when talking about a decision:

I haven’t decided whether to go.

Here, whether to go expresses a decision. It’s different from a complete clause such as whether I should go.

We don’t use if to go in this construction.

Whether is especially common when alternatives are expressed:

I’m not sure whether to take the train or drive.

However, if is also possible in many complete clauses:

I’m not sure if I should take the train or drive.

The important restriction is that if to + verb isn’t standard English.

Using Indirect Questions Naturally

Different introductory expressions can change how a sentence comes across. An indirect question may be a request for information, an expression of uncertainty, or part of a statement about what someone knows.

Asking for Information Politely

Suppose you’re visiting a town and need directions.

You could ask:

Where is the bus station?

This is a normal, direct question. It isn’t automatically impolite.

You could also say:

Could you tell me where the bus station is?

This makes the request less direct.

Another possibility is:

Do you know where the bus station is?

Both expressions can be used to ask for directions, although they place slightly different emphasis on the listener’s knowledge or willingness to provide information.

Other natural examples include:

Could you explain why the booking was canceled?

Do you happen to know when the next ferry leaves?

Would you mind telling me where I can collect my ticket?

When the Question Appears in a Statement

Sometimes you’re not asking anyone for information. You’re describing what you know, don’t know, or are wondering about.

For example:

I wonder why the meeting ended early.

The speaker is expressing curiosity.

I’m not sure whether the parcel has been collected.

This expresses uncertainty.

Nobody knows who left the gate open.

This describes a lack of knowledge.

All three contain embedded questions, but the complete sentences are statements.

Punctuation depends on the whole sentence.

Do you know when the shop closes?

This ends with a question mark because the main clause asks a question.

I don’t know when the shop closes.

This ends with a period because the complete sentence is a statement.

The embedded clause when the shop closes has the same word order in both.

Indirect Questions and Reported Questions

Indirect questions aren’t always reports of something someone asked earlier.

Compare:

Could you tell me where Maya lives?

This asks for information now.

Oliver asked where Maya lived.

This reports an earlier question.

Reported questions can involve changes in pronouns and tenses as well as word order.

For example:

Original question:

Where do you live?

Reported question:

She asked me where I lived.

The pronoun changes from you to I because the speaker is reporting a question directed at them.

The verb may also shift to a past form when a question is reported using a past-tense reporting verb. This is called backshifting, but it isn’t required in every context.

Both constructions use statement word order within the embedded clause.

Practice: Forming and Correcting Indirect Questions

These exercises test whether you can recognize the type of question, make the correct grammatical changes, and avoid common word-order errors.

Exercise 1: Change Direct Questions into Indirect Questions

Rewrite each direct question using the introductory expression provided. Remember that some embedded questions don’t need a change in word order.

1. Where is the nearest post office?
   Begin with: Could you tell me…
2. When does the photography class begin?
   Begin with: Do you know…
3. Why did the train stop unexpectedly?
   Begin with: I wonder…
4. Has the order been dispatched?
   Begin with: Could you tell me whether…
5. What does your brother do for a living?
   Begin with: Do you know…
6. Who opened the garden gate?
   Begin with: Do you know…
7. Which entrance should visitors use?
   Begin with: Would you mind telling me…

Exercise 2: Choose If or Whether

Complete each sentence with if or whether. Write both where either word is natural and grammatical.

1. I’m not sure _______ the library is open today.
2. We talked about _______ the new schedule would affect deliveries.
3. Do you know _______ the museum offers guided tours?
4. She couldn’t decide _______ to stay or leave.
5. I wonder _______ the guests have already arrived.
6. Nobody knows _______ the missing painting has been recovered.

Exercise 3: Correct the Indirect Questions

Each sentence contains a grammatical error. Rewrite it correctly.

1. Could you tell me where is the nearest hospital?
2. Do you know when does the concert start?
3. I wonder why did the lights go out.
4. Could you tell me if has the parcel arrived?
5. I’m not sure whether should we cancel the trip.
6. We talked about if the venue was suitable.
7. Do you know what does the receptionist do?
8. I don’t know where are the keys.

Answers and Explanations

Exercise 1

1. Could you tell me where the nearest post office is?
2. Do you know when the photography class begins?
3. I wonder why the train stopped unexpectedly.
4. Could you tell me whether the order has been dispatched?
5. Do you know what your brother does for a living?
6. Do you know who opened the garden gate?
7. Would you mind telling me which entrance visitors should use?

In Item 6, who is the subject, so the embedded clause doesn’t require a change in word order. The other answers follow the appropriate rules for auxiliary placement or removal.

Exercise 2

1. Both: if / whether
2. Whether: It follows the preposition about.
3. Both: if / whether
4. Whether: Use whether before to stay or leave.
5. Both: if / whether
6. Both: if / whether

Exercise 3

1. Could you tell me where the nearest hospital is?
   The subject comes before is.
2. Do you know when the concert starts?
   Remove question-forming does and use starts.
3. I wonder why the lights went out.
   Remove did and use the past-tense form went.
4. Could you tell me if the parcel has arrived?
   The subject comes before has.
5. I’m not sure whether we should cancel the trip.
   The subject we comes before should.
6. We talked about whether the venue was suitable.
   Use whether after the preposition about.
7. Do you know what the receptionist does?
   The question-forming does disappears, while the main verb do becomes does.
8. I don’t know where the keys are.
   The embedded clause uses statement word order.

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