TRUE OR FALSE?
SOCIOLINGUISTIC:
We use indirect questions to sound more polite, or less blunt.
TRUE.
D: Is he a party pooper
I: Can you tell me if Moriarty is a party pooper?
simple present
D: What time will we be meeting?
I: Can you tell me what time we will be meeting?
future continuous
Why is she unhappy? "Can you tell..."
Can you tell me why she is unhappy?
Can you tell me how long she has been living here?
How long has she been living here?
STRUCTURE-WISE
When it's a yes/no question, we remove the auxiliary verb and don't add anything.
FALSE.
We add "if"
D: Why were his parents so angry?
I: Can you tell me why his parents were so angry?
simple past
D: Is your neighbor going to mow her lawn?
I: I wonder if your neighbor is going to mow her lawn.
Future with "going to"
When is the restaurant closing? "Can you tell me.."
Can you tell me when the restaurant is closing?
Can you tell me why she had quit her job before she moved here?
Why had she quit her job before she moved here?
When it's an open answer question, we remove the auxiliary verb and add "if"
FALSE
We don't add "if".
D: Why haven't you bought the lootbags yet?
I: could you, please, tell me why you haven't bought the loot bags yet?
present perfect
D: Where is the bridal shower?
I: Can you please tell me where the bridal shower is?
simple present
Why was he late for the meeting? "Can you tell me..."
Can you tell me why he was late for the meeting?
Can you tell me how long she had been living here when she met you?
How long had she been living here when she met you?
In an indirect question, the verb comes after the subject.
TRUE
D: Why are you still insisting that I read your paper?
I: I wonder why you are still insisting that I read your paper.
present continuous
D: Where have you been?
I: Could you please tell me where you have been?
present perfect
What were you doing at 3pm? "Can you tell me..."
Can you tell me what you were doing at 3pm?
Can you tell me what time Lisa will be meeting the boss?
What time will Lisa be meeting the boss?
Even though we remove the auxiliary verb and the verb is placed after the subject, we still keep the question mark in indirect questions.
IT DEPENDS!
D: How long have the guests been at the wild party?
I: I would like to know how long the guests have been at the wild party.
Present perfect continuous
D: Should we RSVP to the wedding?
I: I wonder if we should RSVP to the wedding.
not a verb tense, modal verb
Where has she been? "Can you tell me..."
Can you tell me where she has been?
Can you tell me how long he will have been studying French when he retires?
How long will he have been studying French when he retires?