Indirect questions use introductory expressions like:
Could you tell me....?/ I'd like to know......./ Do you have any idea........?
Here, the words in the first part of the question generally follow the same order as a direct question, but the order of the words in the second part is the same as an affirmative statement.
In questions where we expect the answer 'yes' or 'no', we use if/whether to introduce the indirect question.
|
First part |
interrogative |
subject |
verb |
|
Can you tell me |
where |
the station |
is? |
|
Do you know |
how much |
it |
costs? |
|
I wonder |
what |
pandas |
eat |
|
Do you know |
if/whether |
birds |
fly backwards? |