Embedded Questions

An embedded question is a question that is included in
another sentence.

Question	Embedded Question
Who is your teacher?	Could you tell me who your teacher is?
What time is it?	Do you know what time it is?
When is Jim going home?	I don't know when Jim is going home.

Notice the shift in the verb when you
embed an information question:

1. Who is your teacher?
Could you tell me who your
teacher is?

2. What time is it?
Do you know what time it
is?

3. When is Jim going home?
I don't know when Jim
is going home.

Use normal sentence order, not
question order, with embedded questions.

Note: If the embedding
question is included in a question, it is followed by a question mark. If it is
in a statement, use a period.

Embedding
yes/no questions

Use if or whether to embed questions that are answered
with yes or no.

Question	Embedded yes/no Question
Are you hungry?	I asked you if you were hungry.
Do you want to stay at the party?	Would you please ask Duane if he wants to stay at the party?
Am I going?	Stan doesn't know whether I'm going. Stan doesn't know whether I'm going or not.
Were you in the Army?	You didn't tell me whether you were in the Army. You didn't tell me whether you were in the Army or not.

Notice that if is usually used with only one
alternative:

I asked you
if you were hungry.

Would you
please ask Duane if he wants to stay at the
party?

Whether usually provides for more than one
alternative.

Stan doesn't
know whether I'm going.
Stan doesn't know whether I'm going or
not.

You didn't
tell me whether you were in the Army.
You didn't tell me whether you were in
the Army or not.

The same is true in information questions:

Question	Embedded Question
Do you want the red dress or the blue one?	I don't know whether you want the red dress or the blue one.
Does Reggie plan to stay in school or get a job?	Dad asked whether Reggie planned to stay in school or get a job.

Using an infinitive in an embedded
question

English speakers often use an
infinitive after the question word in an
embedded
question.

Question	Embedded Question
How do you change the ink in the copier?	I don't know how to change the ink in the copier.
Should I call Mr. Abbey now or wait until later?	I don't know whether to call Mr. Abbey now or wait until later.
Where should we meet Carole in the morning?	Ask Carole where to meet her in the morning.

Indirect
Questions

Indirect questions are like indirect speech. When a question is in the present
tense, it is in the past when it is embedded in a sentence. If it is in the
past, it must be in the past perfect when it is embedded in a sentence.

Question	Embedded Question
Do you like your job?	She asked me if I liked my job.
Did you like your last job?	She asked me if I had liked my last job.

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Embedded Questions

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