Do you know.../expression

Question

HelloCan you make the following question in both ways?1) Do you know what this is?2) Do you know what is this?Another question I have is, (is this comma correct?) if there is any expression in english to say that a person doesn't have the moral to criticize someone elese.Regards.

Canadian45 · Accepted Answer

Anonymous
Hello

Can you make the following question in both ways? no

1) Do you know what this is? [Y]

2) Do you know what is this? [N]
Do you have any idea why 1) is correct and 2) isn't?

Another question I have is, (is this comma correct?) no if there is any expression in English to say that a person doesn't have the moral authority to criticize someone else.

The above sentence is a statement with an indirect question embedded it in, and it can be handled in two ways.
1. as above but without the comma and with the changes and addition made

2. Another question I have is 'Is there any expression....................else?' (the part within single quotes may be another exact question you want to have added to a list of questions)

Regards.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks for answering.

Indeed, I don't know why 1) is the only one (that is ?) correct.

Shouldn't the indirect question embedded take a question mark at the end?

Regarding the expression, don't you have any expression that could be applied in that situation (in my language, translated literraly, we say "what a moral that you have" )

Canadian45 · Answer

AnonymousThanks for answering.
Indeed, I don't know why 1) is the only one (that is ?) correct.

2) is incorrect because it has two questions, or at least two question 'units' in it.

"Do you know" is a question and "what is this" is also a question. We generally don't put two questions into a sentence, unless the two questions are separated by something such as 'and'.

'Who is he and what is he doing here?'

Secondly, instead of 2) one can just say 'What is this?' So in 2) the 'Do you know" part is not really necessary.

Actually, 1) could be answered with just 'yes' or 'no', but it is understood that those are not the desired answers. So if the person being asked knows what this is, (s)he is expected to say what it is.

(I don't know what this is.) Do you know what this is? [Y]

Shouldn't the indirect question embedded take a question mark at the end? No, only direct questions need a question mark.

Regarding the expression, don't you have any expression that could be applied in that situation (in my language, translated literraly, we say "what a moral that you have" ) I may have incorrectly taken this part to be a question of grammar rather than one of vocabulary/expression. If I understand your question corectly now, in English we say 'moral authority'.

Do you know.../expression

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