An introductory phrase may be used before a question. When you need to use them, you must change the order of the word in the question.
Common introductions:
| Do you know…? |
| Can I ask…? |
| I’m not sure… |
| I’d like to know… |
| I wonder… |
Example sentences:
| What’s the date today? | Can you tell me what the date today is? |
| Where did they sleep? | I don’t know where they slept. |
Form:
1. If the question has an auxiliary verb, exchange the positions of the auxiliary verb and the subject. You can also do the same in sentences with the verb to be.
Example: When can she complete it?
The auxiliary verb is “can” and “she” is the subject. Exchange their positions when adding an introduction.
Do you know when she can complete it?
Other examples:
| Where are they going? | I don’t know where they’re going. |
| What is she doing? | I wonder what she’s doing. |
If the verb is the last word in the sentence, you cannot shorten the verb.
Incorrect: Do you know where it’s? Correct: Do you know where it is?
2. Remove “do“, “does“, and “did” from the question if the question is in the present or past simple. Change the verb ending by using the correct verb tense.
Example:
| What did she say? | Did you hear what she said? |
| What time do you go to school? | Can you tell me what time you go to school? |
| Where does he live? | I wonder where he lives. |
3. If no question word (where, what, why etc.) is used in a question, use if or whether before the question.
Example:
| Does she study there? | Do you know if she studies there? |
| Are they going to the park? | Do you know whether they are going to the park? |