# Indirect questions: Could you tell me...? Turn a direct question into a polite one with Could you tell me, Do you know and I wonder: statement order in the inner clause, dropping do, does and did, where be and can go, if and whether for yes-no questions, a sample conversation and an answered exercise. Author: Aslıgül Aşkın · Published: 2026-10-20 Page address: https://grammardots.com/en/blog/indirect-questions-in-english An indirect question puts a request for information inside another sentence: instead of “Where is the station?” you ask “Could you tell me where the station is?” The meaning stays the same and the tone becomes softer. There's one core rule: the inner question uses ordinary statement order, so the subject comes before the verb. When you ask a stranger for directions, speak to a hotel receptionist or write a work email, this form often sounds more natural than a direct question. This guide shows the change step by step, with the usual mistakes and real conversation examples. ## The change in three steps Step one: choose an opening (Could you tell me, Do you know, I wonder). Step two: keep the question word as it is (where, when, how much, why). Step three: put the rest in normal statement order. “What time does the museum open?” → “Do you know what time the museum opens?” The question word (what time) stayed, does disappeared, and open became opens to agree with the subject. If you keep these three steps in mind, you can change almost any direct question. ## Which opening, and when? - “Could you tell me…?” - “Do you know…?” - “I wonder…” - “Would you mind telling me…?” Could you tell me frames a request and is the safest choice with a stranger. Do you know fits when you aren't sure the other person has the information. I wonder isn't a question but a statement of curiosity; in a meeting or an email it sounds thoughtful: “I wonder whether we could move the meeting.” Would you mind telling me is the most formal and helps when you ask for personal or sensitive information. ## Do, does and did disappear In a direct question, do, does and did are there only to make the question; an indirect question doesn't need them. “Where does Ece live?” → “Do you know where Ece lives?” “How much does this bag cost?” → “Could you tell me how much this bag costs?” In the past, did disappears and the verb takes its past form: “Where did they go?” → “Do you know where they went?” A common mistake is dropping does but leaving the verb bare: “where Ece lives”, not “where Ece live.” ## Be and modal verbs change places Be, can, will and should carry meaning, so they stay; they just move behind the subject. “Where is the bus stop?” → “Could you tell me where the bus stop is?” “When can we leave?” → “Do you know when we can leave?” “When will the results be ready?” → “Do you know when the results will be ready?” Another mistake Turkish speakers often make is keeping question order inside: “Could you tell me where is the station?” Because the sentence starts as a question, it feels as if the inside should be one too; but the opening has already done the asking. ## Yes-no questions: if and whether When the question has no question word, add if or whether. “Is the café open?” → “Do you know if the café is open?” “Does this train stop in Konak?” → “Could you tell me whether this train stops in Konak?” This if doesn't create a condition; it introduces information with a yes or no answer. Whether is a little more formal and often comes with or not: “I'm not sure whether the shop is open or not.” ## A sample conversation in the street Ali: “Excuse me, could you tell me how I get to the museum?” Passer-by: “Sure. It's about ten minutes on foot. Go straight on and turn left at the lights.” Ali: “Thanks. Do you know if it's open on Mondays?” Passer-by: “I'm not sure, I'm afraid. I think it's closed on Mondays, but you'd better check.” Ali: “No problem. And do you know whether there's a café nearby?” Passer-by: “Yes, there's one right next to it.” Ali: “That's really helpful, thanks.” Every one of Ali's questions uses statement order inside: how I get, if it's open, whether there's a café. You can try the same situation yourself in the speaking activity at the end of this post. ## Change them and check Change these direct questions into indirect ones with the opening given. 1. Where is the nearest pharmacy? (Could you tell me…) 2. What time does the last bus leave? (Do you know…) 3. Can I pay by card? (Do you know…) 4. Why did the meeting finish early? (I wonder…) 5. How long will the repair take? (Could you tell me…) Answers: 1. Could you tell me where the nearest pharmacy is? 2. Do you know what time the last bus leaves? 3. Do you know if I can pay by card? 4. I wonder why the meeting finished early. 5. Could you tell me how long the repair will take? The fourth sentence is a statement, not a question, so it ends with a full stop. The third has no question word, so if was added. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is an indirect question always better? No. With a friend, or in an emergency, “Where's the exit?” is clearer. Choose the indirect form when you want a polite tone with a stranger, someone serving you, or at work. ### How do you answer a question that starts with Do you know? Usually with the information itself: to “Do you know where the toilets are?” you say “Yes, they're upstairs” or just “Upstairs, on the left.” Answering only “Yes” can sound like a joke. ## Strengthen the basics To build an indirect question you first need to form the direct one comfortably; if you're unsure about do, does and question words, start with [how to ask questions in English](https://grammardots.com/en/blog/how-to-ask-questions-in-english). Indirect questions are a B1 topic; you can see what comes before and after them in [English grammar topics by level](https://grammardots.com/en/blog/english-grammar-topics-by-level).