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GRAMMAR - Embedded Questions

Embedded questions are questions included inside other questions or statements. There are five rules for using embedded questions: 1) Use a period, not a question mark, and omit auxiliary verbs. 2) Reverse subject and auxiliary verb positions. 3) Avoid contractions at the end. 4) Use "whether", "whether or not", or "if" for yes/no questions. 5) Infinitives can follow question words or "whether". Embedded questions make statements more polite and are used when information is unknown to the speaker.

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Cristian Ochoa Limachi
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517 views5 pages

GRAMMAR - Embedded Questions

Embedded questions are questions included inside other questions or statements. There are five rules for using embedded questions: 1) Use a period, not a question mark, and omit auxiliary verbs. 2) Reverse subject and auxiliary verb positions. 3) Avoid contractions at the end. 4) Use "whether", "whether or not", or "if" for yes/no questions. 5) Infinitives can follow question words or "whether". Embedded questions make statements more polite and are used when information is unknown to the speaker.

Uploaded by

Cristian Ochoa Limachi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Embedded Questions

(embed: connect, join, marry, include)

Introduction
An embedded question is a question that is included ​inside ​another question or
statement. They are common after introductory phrases, such as:

I wonder

Could you tell me

Do you know

Can you remember

Let's ask

We need to find out

I'd like to know

Could you tell me

I'm not sure

Would you mind explaining


Five Rules for Using Embedded
Questions
Rule One
If the embedded question is part of a statement, use a period and not a question
mark at the end of the sentence. Also, if the question is in the present or past
simple verb tense, omit the auxiliary verbs ​do​, ​does​, and ​did​ and change the
verb to its appropriate form, as in the example below.

Direct Question What time ​did​ he ​leave​?

Embedded I wonder what time he​ ​left​.


Question

Rule Two
If the embedded question includes an auxiliary verb or the verb "to be", ​reverse
the positions of the subject and the auxiliary verb,​ as in the examples
below.

Direct Question What ​did he​ say?

Embedded Could you tell me what ​he said​?


Question

Direct Question Can you​ help me?

Embedded I wonder if ​you could​ help me.


Question

Direct Question Is he​ a doctor?

Embedded Do you know if ​he is​ a doctor?


Question
Rule Three
Do not use a verbal contraction at the end of the sentence.

Direct Question Where ​is she​?

Correct​ Embedded Question Do you know where ​he is​?

Incorrect​ Embedded Do you know where ​he's​?


Question

Rule Four
Embedded questions are introduced by ​whether​, ​whether or not​, and ​if​ ​when
there is no question word in the sentence​ (yes/no questions).

Direct Yes/No Will he be ​there?


Question

Embedded Question Do you know ​if​ he will be ​there?


Do you know w​ hether or not​ he will be
there?
Do you know w ​ hether​ he will be there or
not?

Rule Five
The ​infinitive ​can follow a question word or whether in embedded questions, as in the
following example.

Direct Question What should I do?

Embedded Question Please tell me ​what I should


do.
Embedded Question with an Please tell me ​what to do.
Infinitive

Using Embedded Questions


There are times when native English speakers prefer to use embedded rather
than direct questions. Here are two examples.

1. Politely Asking for Information

Direct Question What time does the bus arrive?

Embedded Could you tell me what time the bus


Question arrives?
(more polite)

2. Talking About Something Which Is Unknown to the


Speaker
Direct Question Why did she decide not to come with us?

Embedded I don't know why she decided not to come with


Question us.

Note​: The embedded question is in a statement , so it ends with a period, not a


question mark.
EMBEDDED QUESTIONS (embed: connect, join, marry, include)
A question INSIDE another question or sentence.

- Do you like sci-fi movies?

- I want to know ​IF ​you like SCI-FI movies.

- Did you read today's newspaper?

- could you tell me ​IF​ you read today's newspaper?

- Have you read a hilarious book?

- I'd like to know ​ IF ​you have read a hilarious book.

-​ What​ is the article about?

- I wonder ​what​ the article is about.

- ​Who​ is the writer of Titanic?

- Could you tell me ​who​ the writer of Titanic is?

- What book are you reading?

- I don't know ​what​ you are reading.

- Where did you get this book?

- do you know ​where​ you GOT this book?

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