A. When we ask for information, we often say Do you know ...?/Could you tell me ...? etc. If you begin a question like this, the word order is different from a simple question.
Compare:
Where
has Tom gone? (simple question)
but Do
you know where Tom has gone? (not 'Do you know where has Tom gone?')
When the
question (Where has Tom gone?) is part of a longer sentence (Do you know ...?/I
don't know.../Can you tell me ...? etc.), it loses the normal question word
order.
Compare:
* What
time is it? but Do you know what time it is?
* Who is
that woman? but I don't know who that woman is.
* Where
can I find Linda? but Can you tell me
where I can find Linda?
* How
much will it cost? but Have you any idea
how much it will cost?
Be
careful with do/does/did questions:
* What
time the film begins? but Do you know what time the film begins? (not 'Do you
know what time does...')
* What
do you mean? but Please explain what you mean.
* Why
did Ann leave early? but I wonder why Ann left early.
Use if
or whether where there is no other question word (what, why etc.):
* Did
anybody see you? but Do you know if (or whether) anybody saw you?
B. The
same changes in word order happen in reported questions:
direct:
The police officer said to us, "Where are you going?
reported: The police officer asked us where we were-going.
direct:
Clare said, 'What time do the bank close?
reported: Clare wanted to know what time the banks closed.
In
reported questions, the verb usually changes to the past (were, closed). See
Unit 46.
Study
these examples. You had an interview for a job and these were some of the
questions the interviewer asked you:
INTERVIEWER
How old
are you?
What do
you do in your spare time?
How long
have you been working in your present job?
Why did
you apply for the job?
Can you
speak any foreign languages?
Have you
got a driving licence?
Later
you tell a friend what the interviewer asked you. You use reported speech:
* She
asked (me) how old I was.
* She
wanted to know what I did in my spare time.
* She
asked (me) how long I had been working in my present job.
* She
asked (me) why I had applied for the job. (or ... why I applied)
* She
wanted to know whether (or if) I could speak any foreign languages.
* She
asked whether (or if) I had a driving licence. (or ... I had got ... )
EXERCISES
49.1
Make a new sentence from the question in brackets.
1.
(Where has Tom gone?) Do you know where Tom has gone?
2.
(Where is the post office?) Could you tell me where ---
3.
(What's the time?) I wonder ---
4. (What
does this word mean?) I want to know ---
5. (What
time did they leave?) Do you know ---
6. (Is
Sue going out tonight?) I don't know ---
7.
(Where does Carol live?) Have you any idea ---
8.
(Where did I park the car?) I can't remember ---
9. (Is
there a bank near here?) Can you tell me ---
10.
(What do you want?) Tell me ---
11. (Why
didn't Kay come to the party?) I don't know ---
12. (Do
you have to pay to park here?) Do you know ---
13. (Who
is that woman?) I've no idea ---
14. (Did
Ann receive my letter?) Do you know ---
15. (How
far is it to the airport?) Can you tell me ---
49.2 You
are making a phone call. You want to speak to Sue but she isn't there. Somebody
else answers the phone. You want to know three things:
(1)
Where has she gone? (2) When will she be back? and (3) Did she go out alone?
Complete
the conversation:
A: Do
you know where ---(1)?
B:
Sorry, I've got no idea.
A: Never
mind. I don't suppose you know ---(2).
B: No,
I'm afraid not.
A: One
more thing. Do you happen to know ---(3)?
B: I'm
afraid I didn't see her go out.
A: OK.
Well, thank you anyway. Goodbye.
49.3 You
have been away for a while and have just come back to your home town. You meet
Gerry, a friend of yours. He asks you a lot of questions:
1. How
are you?
2. Where
have you been?
3. How
long have you been back?
4. What
are you doing now?
5. Where
are you living?
6. Why
did you come back?
7. Are
you glad to be back?
8. Do
you have any plans to go away again?
9. can
you lend me some money?
Now you
tell another friend what Gerry asked you. Use reported speech.
1. _He
asked me how I was._
2. He
asked me ---
3. He
---
4. ---
5. ---
6. ---
7. ---
8. ---
9. ---
the answer
49.1
2 Could
you tell me where the post office is?
3 I
wonder what the time is.
4 I want
to know what this word means.
5 Do you
know what time they left?
6 I
don't know if/whether Sue is going out tonight.
7 Have
you any idea where Carol lives?
8 I
can't remember where I parked the car.
9 Can
you tell me if(whether there is a bank near here?
10 Tell
me what you want.
11 I
don't know why Kay didn't come to the party.
12 Do
you know if/whether you have to pay to park here?
13 I've
no idea who that woman is.
14 Do
you know if/whether Ann received my letter?
15 Can
you tell me how far it is to the airport?
49.2
1 she
has gone
2 when
she will be back/when she'll be back
3
if/whether she went out alone
49.3
2 He
asked me where I had been. or ... where I'd been.
3 He
asked me how long I had been back. or ... how long I'd been back.
4 He
asked me what I was doing now.
5 He
asked me where I was living.
6 He
asked me why I had come back/... why I'd come back/... why I came back.
7 He
asked me if/whether I was glad to be back.
8 He
asked me if/whether I had any plans to go away again.
9 He
asked me if/whether I could lend him some money.
