Indirect Questions
Take a simple scenario: we stop someone in the street and ask: “Where is the supermarket?” This is what we call a direct question.
However, let’s say that we begin with Can you tell me? or Do you know? Our original question is now ‘inside’ the new question: Can you tell me where the supermarket is?
You will see that the word order has now changed because technically the question is now Can you tell me? not Where is? This is what we call an indirect question.
example:
- Whom am I going to invite to my birthday party?¿A quién voy a invitar a mi fiesta de cumpleaños?
-I wonder whom I am going to invite to my birthday party. Me pregunto a quién voy a invitar a mi fiesta de cumpleaños.
-What do you want?¿que es lo que quieres?
-Can you tell me what you want?¿Me puede decir lo que usted quiere?
-Have you seen my dog?
¿Usted ha visto a mi perro ?
Could you tell me if you have seen my dog?
¿Podría decirme si ha visto a mi perro?
