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Indirect questions: Could you tell me where…?
B1 B1 grammar · lesson 15 of 23
Indirect questions are a polite way to ask for information, especially with people you don’t know. They are very useful in shops, hotels, offices and when travelling.
Direct and indirect questions
A direct question can sound a little strong: Where is the station? An indirect question starts with a polite phrase and sounds softer: Could you tell me where the station is?
Common opening phrases:
- Could you tell me…? / Can you tell me…?
- Do you know…?
- Do you have any idea…?
- I wonder… / I’d like to know… (these end with a full stop, not a question mark)
Word order
After the opening phrase, the second part uses statement word order: subject + verb. We don’t use do / does / did in the second part.
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| What time is it? | Do you know what time it is? |
| Where does Ken live? | Could you tell me where Ken lives? |
| When did the bus leave? | Do you know when the bus left? |
| Is the museum open? | Do you know if the museum is open? |
For yes/no questions, use if or whether. Notice that the tense does not move back here, because the opening phrase is in the present. This is different from reported questions.
Could you tell me how much this costs?
Do you know where the toilets are?
Can you tell me what time the shop closes?
Do you have any idea why Mia was upset?
Do you know if there’s a bank near here?
Could you tell me whether breakfast is included?
I wonder who that man is.
I’d like to know how long the course lasts.
Who, what as the subject
When who or what is the subject of the question, the order doesn’t change: Who won? → Do you know who won?
Common mistakes
✗ Could you tell me where is the post office?
✓ Could you tell me where the post office is?
✗ Do you know what time does the film start?
✓ Do you know what time the film starts?
✗ Do you know is Anna at home?
✓ Do you know if Anna is at home?