What is an embedded question?

Embedded (also called ‘indirect’) questions start with phrases such as Can/Could you tell me …? or Do you know …?

We often use them to be polite. For instance ‘Could you tell me where the station is, please?’ sounds more polite than the direct questions ‘Where is the station?’.

Embedded questions are often followed by a wh- question word:

• Do you know when the next train leaves?

It is important to remember that word order in embedded questions is different from word order in direct questions. In fact it is easier, because it is the same as in statements!

• Could you tell me where I can buy a ticket? (NOT …where can I buy ….)

In addition, remember that you do not need the auxiliary do in the part of the question after the wh– word:

• Have you any idea what time the train left? (NOT … what time did the train leave)

For indirect yes/no questions, we use if or whether at the beginning of the second part:

• Do you know if he’s coming to the meeting?
• Could you tell me whether the hotel has a car park?

For general advice on learning grammar, see our post: How to learn grammar for B1/PET and B2/FCE