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Newguest Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

indirect question

0Hi02br
02br
00Where is Tom? Could you tell me where Tom is? 01b00it's clear that the first one is a direct question, and the second one is an indirect question. The position of the word "is" is different.02b02br
02br
00How about this:02br
02br
001. What is wrong with this?02br
02br
002. Could you tell me what01b00 is02b00 01b00wrong 02b00with this? OR Could you tell me what 01b00wrong02b00 01b00is02b00 with this?02br
02br
00So, should it be "what is wrong" or "what wrong is" and WHY? I suppose it should be "what is wrong," but I'm not sure why?0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi NG02br 00You are right. 02br 001. 02br 01i 00What did he say?

— Cool Breeze

  • 0 Hi NG02br 00You are right.
  • 02br 001.
  • 02br 01i 00What did he say?
  • 02i 02br 002.
  • There isn't a word that can begin a clause.
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4 Answers
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0 Hi NG02br
00You are right. Indirect questions fall in three categories.02br
001. There is a word that can begin a clause but the word is not the 01font00subject02font00.02br
01i00What did he say? - Tell me what 01font00he02font00 said.02i02br
00
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0Google hits: 01b02br
02b02br
00 4 for "Could you tell me what wrong is" 02br
02br
00 66,800 for "Could you tell me what is wrong"02br
00Now, what do 01b00you02b00 think? 02br
00As to the 01i00why02i00: it's this way because this is the way educated people speak, i.e.
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0Thanks guys. It's a bit clearer now 050010id15
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0Hi Marius02br
02br
00Why is your explanation so different from that provided by Cool Breeze? IMO, it's not idiomatic. I think CB's reply is logical.0-
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