INDIRECT QUESTIONS

You already know how to make a direct question. It is as simple as taking

the verb (or the auxiliary) and putting it in front of the subject:

Ex. The meeting was cancelled --- Was the meeting cancelled?

But what happens when you ask the same question indirectly, that is,
inserted in an affirmative sentence?

Compare:
DIRECT: Was the meeting cancelled? vs.

INDIRECT I want to know IF the meeting was cancelled (present)

I wanted to know IF the meeting HAD BEEN cancelled (past)

IMPORTANT! When we make indirect questions we DO NOT invert the

positions of the subject and the verb.

Exercise 1: Write indirect questions of the ones given.

Example: “Are you coming to the meeting?” the secretary

asked.
The secretary asked me if I was going to the
meeting.

“Is the project of marketing functioning ahead of schedule?” the boss

asked.

“Will you pay the VAT taxes of the invoice?” my colleague wondered.

“Has she ever been to a trade fair?” the lecturer asked.

“Have you been fired from your last job?” the interviewer cleverly
asked the candidate.

“Is Ben Fisher an eligible candidate for the job position?” the head of
the Human Resources questioned herself.

“Do you think that the layout works in this context?” the client asked
the designer.

“Is the president of the company a successful entrepreneur?” the

coordinator asked her subordinate.

“Is there any possibility that I can get paid in advance?” the designer
asked his supervisor.

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 “Don’t you think that your corporate image should match the
standards of your outstanding enterprise?” the PR rhetorically asked
the potential client.

“Is the conference going to be postponed due to climate conditions?”

I asked.

“Do I have to submit the proposal two days before the briefing takes
place?” I wanted to know.

INDIRECT wh-QUESTIONS
WH-QUESTIONS are those formulated with a wh-particle:

Where is the meeting?

How was the meeting?
What is the meeting about?
Why do we have to attend another meeting?

IMPORTANT! This type of questions do not take IF in the indirect form. Look
at the following examples:

DIRECT
John asked: “How can I organise my
schedule?”
John asked: “Where is the applicant CV?”
John asked: “Why did the boss reject your
proposal?”
John asked: “When did the trade fair take
place?”
John asked: “Where have you left those
folders?”
INDIRECT
John asked HOW he COULD organise his
schedule.
John asked WHERE the applicant CV WAS.
John asked WHY the director HAD REJECTED
my proposal?
John asked WHEN the trade fair HAD TAKEN
place .
John asked WHERE I HAD LEFT those folders.

Exercise 2: Write indirect questions of the ones given:

1. “Who will discuss the issue with the foreign investor?” the financial
director asked us.

2. “What is the best trait of your profile as a worker?” the employer asked
the applicant.

3. “Why are you trying to simplify your sketch so much?” the designer asked
his mentor.

4. “When is the event going to be held?” the PR asked the hotel manager.

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5. “What time does the candidate need to be there?” the secretary asked
the interviewer.

6. “Where did you acquire such a good command of CS5?” my tutor politely
asked.

7. “Why do companies invest so little in sustainable projects?” the lecturer

wondered.

8. “How are we supposed to overcome the sudden resignation of our

coordinator?” I wondered.

9. “Who are you phoning this late?” my dad asked me.

10. “What are your job ambitions?” the executive implied.

11. “Shall we arrange a meeting for next week?”

My assistant asked me if we should arrange a meeting for the following
week.

12. “Where is the conference hall?”

Our customers didn’t know…

13. “Who analysed the data of the monthly report last month?”
The coordinator wanted to know…

14. “Will the designer take my suggestions into account during the
briefing?”
The customer asked…

15. “Can we afford to pay such an amount of money to hire a freelance

worker that we barely know?”
The executive committee …

Exercise 3. MIXED INDIRECT QUESTIONS. Write the appropriate

indirect question for the ones given.

- “Are you considering the possibility of asking for a salary increase?”

The accountant needed to confirm...

- “Can you pass me the viability study of the restoration project?”

I asked my colleague...

- “Do we need to send our triptych to every single potential customer?”

The marketing director rudely asked...

- “When will the recruiter let us know the results of the selection process?”
The nervous candidate was impatient to know...

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- “Why has the systems analyst decided to turn in his resignation?”
The CEO wondered...

- “Did the profits of the company run parallel to the expenses last month?”
The accountant checked... .

- “What are the main tasks of the marketing department?”

The job inspector asked...