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Rules for Embedded Questions

1) An embedded question is a question contained within another statement or question, commonly introduced with phrases like "I wonder" or "Could you tell me". 2) There are five rules for using embedded questions: use a period not question mark if a statement; omit auxiliary verbs and change verbs for tense; reverse subject-auxiliary order; avoid contractions; and use "whether" for yes/no questions. 3) Embedded questions are sometimes preferred over direct questions for politeness or when the speaker lacks knowledge, as they can make a request sound less direct or acknowledge uncertainty.

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259 views3 pages

Rules for Embedded Questions

1) An embedded question is a question contained within another statement or question, commonly introduced with phrases like "I wonder" or "Could you tell me". 2) There are five rules for using embedded questions: use a period not question mark if a statement; omit auxiliary verbs and change verbs for tense; reverse subject-auxiliary order; avoid contractions; and use "whether" for yes/no questions. 3) Embedded questions are sometimes preferred over direct questions for politeness or when the speaker lacks knowledge, as they can make a request sound less direct or acknowledge uncertainty.

Uploaded by

Pedro Mena
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 DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Embedded Questions

Embedded Questions

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 Question I wonder what time he left.

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 Question Could you tell me what he said?

Direct Question Can you help me?

Embedded Question I wonder if you could help me.

Direct Question Is he a doctor?

Embedded Question Do you know if he is a doctor?

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

Direct Question Where is she?

Correct Embedded Do you know where he is?


Question

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).

Will he be there?
Direct Yes/No Question

Do you know if he will be there?


Embedded Question Do you know whether or not he will be there?
Do you know whether 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 Infinitive Please tell me what to do.

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?

Could you tell me what time the bus arrives?


Embedded Question
(more polite)

2. Talking About Something Which Is Unknown to the Speaker


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

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

Note: The embedded question is in a statement, so it ends with a period,


not a question mark.

Common questions

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Forming embedded questions involves specific grammatical adjustments compared to direct questions. In embedded questions, a period replaces a question mark if the question is part of a statement. Auxiliary verbs like 'do', 'does', and 'did' are typically omitted in present or past simple tenses, with changes to the main verb form, e.g., direct: 'What time did he leave?' becomes embedded: 'I wonder what time he left.' Subject and auxiliary verb positions are reversed if an auxiliary verb or 'to be' is present, e.g., direct: 'Can you help me?' becomes embedded: 'I wonder if you could help me.' Verbal contractions are avoided at the end of an embedded question. Yes/no questions are often introduced by 'whether' or 'if'. Additionally, infinitives can follow question words or' whether' in embedded questions. For instance, direct: 'What should I do?' can be embedded as: 'Please tell me what I should do,' or 'Please tell me what to do.' Embedded questions are often used for politeness or when the information is unknown to the speaker.

Embedded Questions Introduction An embedded question is a question that is included inside another question or statement. Th
Embedded Question Could you tell me what he said? Direct Question Can you help me? Embedded Question I wonder if you could he
Rule Five The infinitive can follow a question word or whether in embedded questions, as in the following example. Direct Qu

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