Indirect questions are more polite or formal ways to ask for information. Instead of starting with usual question words like what, who, or how, indirect questions often start with phrases like:

• Could you tell me…
• Do you know…
• I wonder…
• Can you explain…
• Would you mind telling me…

1. The Key Rule
🔑​ In indirect questions, we do NOT use the question word order (verb before subject).
Instead, we use the same word order as a normal statement, which is the subject before the verb.

Compare: 
Direct WH-question:
WH-word + verb + subject

• Where is the bank?

Indirect Question:
Polite phrase + WH-word + subject + verb (statement form)

• ​Could you tell me where the bank is?
• In the indirect question form, the subject 'the bank' goes before the verb 'is'.

​
2. Structure
🔑Indirect question general structure:
Polite phrase + WH-word/if + subject + verb

Examples:

• Do you know when the train leaves?
• Could you tell me what time it starts?
• I wonder if she is coming.

​3. Indirect Questions with Wh + do (uses do/does/did as auxiliary in direct form)
These are questions that start with a WH-word (what, where, when, why, how, etc.) and then use do/does/did to help form the question, such as in the example, 'Why do you like grape juice?'

When you turn a direct WH-question with do/does/did into an indirect question, you drop the auxiliary (do/does/did) and just use the use statement word order.

WH + do (for I/you/we/they and plural subjects)

• Direct: What do you eat​ for breakfast?
  • Indirect: Could you tell me what you eat for breakfast?
• Direct: How do the students usually spend their weekends?
  • Indirect: Do you know how the students usually spend their weekends?
• Direct: What do they need?
  • Indirect: Could you tell me what they need?

👉 Notice how “do” disappears in the indirect version.

WH + does (for he/she/it and singular subjects)​

• Direct: What books does she like to read?
  • Indirect: Can you tell me what books she likes to read?
• Direct: Where does her mother work?
  • Indirect: Do you know where her mother works?

👉 Again, with he/she/it and singular subjects, “does” is dropped, and the main verb goes back to its base + “s” form 

WH + did (for questions in past tense)​

• Direct: When did you arrive?
  • Indirect: Could you tell me when you arrived?
• Direct: What did she say?
  • Indirect: Do you know what she said?

👉 With did, we also drop it — and use the past tense form of the main verb directly.


4. Indirect Questions with Wh + be (uses am/is/are/was/were as main verb)
​These are questions that start with a WH-word (what, where, who, why, how, etc.) followed by a form of the verb be (am, is, are, was, were).

To make  Wh + be questions indirect, we keep the verb be, but we switch it into statement order (subject + verb).
Examples:

• Direct: Where is the bathroom?
  • Indirect: Could you tell me where the bathroom is?
• Direct: Who are your teachers?
  • Indirect: Do you know who your teachers are?
• Direct: How was the exam?
  • Indirect: Can you tell me how the exam was?

✅ Key: Be stays, but moves after the subject.

​
5. Yes/No Questions in Indirect Form
🔑If the question is a yes/no type, we use if or whether.

With be (am/is/are/was/were)

• Direct:  Is she at home?
  • Indirect: Do you know if she is at home?
  • Indirect: Do you know whether she is at home?​​

​​
​​With can

• Direct:  Can she drive?
  • Indirect: Do you know if she can drive?
  • Indirect: Do you know whether she can drive?
• Direct:  Can the children swim?
  • Indirect: Do you know whether the children can swim?

With will

• Direct:  Will they come to the party?
  • Indirect: Could you tell me whether they will come to the party?

With should​

• Direct:  Should I tell them the bad news?
  • Indirect: I wonder whether I should tell them the bad news.

​6. Common Mistakes Learners Make

1.  Keeping the auxiliary or helping verb do/does/did:
   • ❌ Incorrect: “Do you know what does it mean?”
   • ✅ Correct: “Do you know what it means?”
2.  Forgetting to change the word order into a normal statement order (subject before verb):
   • ❌Incorrect: “Could you tell me where is the bank?”
   • ✅ Correct: “Could you tell me where the bank is?”
3.  Mixing direct + indirect forms:
   • ❌Incorrect: “I wonder where is he going.”
   • ✅ Correct: “I wonder where he is going.”

​
7. Quick Practice
Turn these direct questions into indirect ones:

1. What time does the movie start?
2. Where is the nearest ATM?
3. Did she finish her homework?
4. Who is that man?​

Asking questions is one of the most important skills in any language, not just English. This is a quick overview of how to form questions, from basic to more advanced.

1. WH-Questions (What, Where, When, Who, Why, How)
These words ask for information, not just “yes/no.”
The WH-word usually comes at the beginning.

Structure:
WH-word + helping/auxiliary verb (do/does/did/be/have) + subject + main verb

​Examples:

• What does she design? 
• Where do you live?
• When did she arrive?
• Who is your teacher?

​In WH-questions with be as the main verb, the question word (WH) comes first, followed by the correct form of be, then the subject.

Structure:
WH-word + am / is / are / was / were + subject (+ complement)?

Examples:
Present tense

• Who is your teacher? 
• Where are the kids? 
• How are you today?

Past tense

• When was the party? 
• Where were you yesterday? 

Practice:
Make questions:

1. (What / you / eat for breakfast?)
2. (Where / he / go yesterday?)
3. (How / she / feel?)

2. Do/Does/Did Questions (Yes/No questions)
👉 We use do/does/did when the main verb is not “be” or a modal (like can, should).
👉 These questions ask for confirmation or yes/no answers.
Structure:

• Do/Does/Did + subject + base form of verb

Examples:

• Do you like pizza?
• Does she play the piano?
• Did they watch the movie?

Practice:
Change these into questions:

1. You speak Spanish.
2. She likes coffee.
3. They went to the park.

3. Questions with Be (Am/Is/Are/Was/Were)
When the main verb is be, we don’t use “do/does/did.” Instead, the correct form of be (am / is / are / was / were) goes before the subject to form the question.

Structure:

• Be (am/is/are/was/were) + subject + (rest of sentence)?

Examples:

• Are you a student? (NOT: Do you be a student?)
• Is he tired?
• Were they at home yesterday?
• Am I late?

Practice:
Make questions:

1. She is upset. → Is she upset?
2. They are really busy.
3. He was quite sick.
4. The packages are ready to ship. 
5. The shops were closed last weekend. 

More Advanced Structures

1. Questions with Modals (can, should, will, would, might)
These are usually yes or no questions. 

Structure:
Modal + subject + base verb + (rest of sentence)?

Examples:

• Can you swim?
• Shall we start the meeting?
• Should I call him?
• Will they come tomorrow?

Common error: Not using the base verb with modals

• ❌ Incorrect: Will the driver picking us up at the airport?
• ✅ Correct: Will the driver pick us up at the airport?​

​2. Negative Questions
These types of questions are used for: 

• Expectation/confirmation: Isn’t it your turn? (I think it is, I just want you to confirm.)
• Polite offers/suggestions: Why don’t we go for a walk?
• Surprise: Didn’t you hear the news? (I thought you already knew.)

General structure:
Auxiliary/Modal + n’t + subject (+ main verb)…?
or: (WH-word) + Auxiliary/Modal + n’t + subject (+ main verb)…?

Examples:

• Don’t you like chocolate?
• Isn’t she your friend?
• Didn’t he call you?
• Can't we start now?
• Why don't you give it a try first?

3. Indirect Questions (more polite)
We often use these in formal or polite situations.
General structure:
Polite phrase + WH-word + subject + verb + (rest of sentence)?

Examples:

• Could you tell me where the station is?
• Do you know what time it starts?
• I wonder why he left early.

For a more thorough understanding of indirect questions, see our article on How to Ask Indirect Questions in English.

​4. Question Tags (for checking information)
This type of question is made up of a statement + short question at the end.

​General structure: 
Statement  + Auxiliary verb (positive/negative) + Subject pronoun?
​
Examples:

• If the statement is positive → the tag is negative.
  • You are tired, aren’t you?
  • She has finished, hasn’t she?
  • They were at the party, weren’t they?
• If the statement is negative → the tag is positive.
  • He isn’t coming, is he?
  • She doesn’t like tea, does she?
  • They haven’t eaten yet, have they?

5. Quick Practice Review
Turn these sentences into questions in different ways:

1. She is your sister.
2. They play football on weekends.
3. He can drive a car.
4. You saw her yesterday.
5. She will come to the party.