Indirect Questions
- Incorrect: She asked was I interested.
- Correct: She asked if I was interested. / She asked whether I was interested.
- Incorrect: He asked that where are you going.
- Correct: He asked where I was going.
Explanation: Indirect yes / no questions are introduced by if or whether. Note the word order: in indirect questions the subject comes before the verb. In direct questions the verb comes before the subject.
- Direct question: She asked, ‘Where are you going?’
- Indirect question: She asked where I was going. (NOT She asked where was I going?)
- Incorrect: James said if he should I wait.
- Correct: James asked if he should wait.
Verbs like say and tell cannot be used to introduce indirect questions. Instead, we use a verb like ask.
- Incorrect: Alice asked to James why he was angry.
- Correct: Alice asked James why he was angry.
We do not use a preposition between ask and its object.