Ampersand Lab

Intermediate grammar · Lesson 50 · B1

Questions 2 (do you know where ... ? / he asked me where ...)

When a question sits inside a longer sentence (Do you know ... ? / I wonder ... / She asked me ...), it loses its question word order. The subject comes before the verb, and do/does/did disappears.

Start the lesson

10Steps · about 21 minutes

In this lesson

Do you know where ... ? / I don't know why ... / Could you tell me what ... ?A2 screens of questions
He asked me where ...B2 screens of questions
Put it together+2 screens of mixed questions

Point A of 2

Do you know where ... ? / I don't know why ... / Could you tell me what ... ?

A direct question has question word order: Where has Kirsty gone?

Tuck the same question inside a longer sentence (Do you know ... ? / I don't know ... / Can you tell me ... ? / I wonder ...) and it goes back to statement order, with the subject before the verb:

Direct question Inside a longer sentence
Where has Kirsty gone? Do you know where Kirsty has gone? (not has Kirsty gone)
What time is it? Have you any idea what time it is?
Who are those men? I've no idea who those men are.
When will the plumber come? Could you tell me when the plumber will come?

Take extra care with do/does/did questions. The auxiliary disappears, and the main verb carries the tense instead:

Direct question Inside a longer sentence
What time does the chippy open? Do you know what time the chippy opens?
What do you want? Tell me what you want.
Why did Owen resign? I wonder why Owen resigned.

With no question word (what, why, where etc.), bring in if or whether:

Direct question Inside a longer sentence
Did anyone lock the shed? I don't know if anyone locked the shed. / ... whether anyone locked the shed.
  • Do you know where Kirsty has gone?
  • Could you tell me when the plumber will come?
  • Do you know what time the chippy opens?
  • I wonder why Owen resigned.
  • I don't know whether anyone locked the shed.

Point A · Exercise 50.2 · part 1 of 2

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence. The first word or words are given.

  1. Example

    (the match / you / what time / know / starts) Do ...?

    Do you know what time the match starts?

    AnswerDo you know what time the match starts?

  2. (is / to Whitby / far / it) How ...?

  3. (wonder / is / how / old / this house) I ...

  4. (she / here / worked / has) How long ...?

  5. (she / here / how long / worked / has / know) Do you ...?

Point A · Exercise 50.2 · part 2 of 2

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence. The first word or words are given.

  1. (tell / the post office / you / me / is / where) Could ...?

  2. (in the fire / hurt / anybody / don't / whether / know / was) I ...

  3. (what / on Friday / know / time / will / get here / you / you) Do ...?

Point B of 2

He asked me where ...

Reported questions follow the same rule: statement word order, no do/does/did. The verb usually moves into the past as well (see Unit 47).

Direct Reported
The guard said to us, "Where are you going?" The guard asked us where we were going.
Fatima asked, "What time does the library close?" Fatima wanted to know what time the library closed.

Suppose you had an interview for a job at a garden centre in Harrogate, and the manager asked you these questions:

  • Can you work weekends?
  • What did you do in your last job?
  • How long have you lived in Harrogate?
  • Why do you want to work here?
  • Have you ever worked in a shop?
  • Are you allergic to anything?

Later you tell a friend what the manager asked. It was, one gathers, a thorough interview for a job involving compost.

  • She asked if I could work weekends.
  • She wanted to know what I had done in my last job.
  • She asked how long I had lived in Harrogate.
  • She asked why I wanted to work there.
  • She wanted to know whether I had ever worked in a shop.
  • She asked if I was allergic to anything.

Point B · Exercise 50.3 · part 1 of 2

You spent a week in Glasgow, and a great many people asked you a great many questions. Now you tell a friend what they asked. Use reported speech.

  1. Example

    A taxi driver: "What's your job?" (He asked me ...)

    He asked me what my job was.

    AnswerHe asked me what my job was.

  2. A woman at the hotel: "How long have you been in Scotland?" (She asked me ...)

  3. Two students: "Have you visited Glasgow before?" (They asked me ...)

  4. A waiter: "Do you like the food here?" (He asked me ...)

  5. A man on the train: "Which hotel are you staying at?" (He asked me ...)

Point B · Exercise 50.3 · part 2 of 2

You spent a week in Glasgow, and a great many people asked you a great many questions. Now you tell a friend what they asked. Use reported speech.

  1. A shop assistant: "When are you going to go home?" (She asked me ...)

  2. A tour guide: "Do you think Glasgow is friendly?" (She asked me ...)

  3. A bus driver: "Why did you choose Glasgow?" (He asked me ...)

Put it together · Exercise 50.1 · part 1 of 2

Which is right? Choose the correct sentence.

  1. Example

    Do you know when the library closes? (Do you know when the library closes? / Do you know when does the library close? / Do you know when closes the library?)

    AnswerDo you know when the library closes?

  2. (Why Leon does live so far from work? / Why Leon lives so far from work? / Why does Leon live so far from work?)

  3. (I'd like to know what this sign says. / I'd like to know what does this sign say. / I'd like to know what says this sign.)

  4. (I can't remember where did I put my glasses. / I can't remember where I put my glasses. / I can't remember where I did put my glasses.)

  5. (Why you didn't answer my message? / Why didn't you answer my message? / Why you not answered my message?)

Put it together · Exercise 50.1 · part 2 of 2

Which is right? Choose the correct sentence.

  1. (Do you know where does Craig live? / Do you know where Craig does live? / Do you know where Craig lives?)

  2. (How much it costs to hire a van? / How much does it cost to hire a van? / How much it does cost to hire a van?)

  3. (Tell me what you need. / Tell me what you do need. / Tell me what do you need.)

Lesson 50 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: Auxiliary verbs (have/do/can etc.) I think so / I hope so etc.Back to the course

–Right

Each point

A. Do you know where ... ? / I don't know why ... / Could you tell me what ... ?–Not checkedB. He asked me where ...–Not checkedPut it together–Not checked