Introduction to Embedded Questions

Embedded questions are **questions that are part of a larger sentence** rather than standing on their own. They're often used to make a question more polite or indirect, and they don't follow the typical question structure. They can be introduced by phrases like 'I wonder,' 'I don't know,' or 'Can you tell me.'

Unlike direct questions, embedded questions **do not follow a question structure** (like using an inverted subject-verb order) and they **end with a period** (.) instead of a question mark (?).

Key Rules for Embedded Questions

When forming an embedded question, you need to remember a few main rules:

• **Subject-Verb Order:** In an embedded question, the subject always comes **before the verb**. This is a key difference from direct questions, which often invert this order. For instance:
  Incorrect: *Can you tell me where **is** the bus stop?*
  Correct: *Can you tell me where the bus stop **is**?*
• **Using 'If' or 'Whether' for Yes/No Questions:** If the original question is a simple yes/no question, you must use **'if' or 'whether'** to introduce the embedded question.
  Direct Question: *Is it raining?*
  Embedded Question: *He asked **if** it was raining.* or *He asked **whether** it was raining.* Direct Question: *Can you lend me some money?*
  Embedded Question: *I am wondering if you can lend me some money.*
• **Removing 'Do' or 'Does':** When a direct question uses *do* or *does*, you must **remove it** in the embedded question and adjust the verb form to agree with the subject.
  Direct Question: *When does the library open?*
  Embedded Question: *Can you tell me **when the library opens**?*
• **Punctuation:** The punctuation at the end of the sentence depends on the **main clause**. If the main clause is a statement, the sentence ends with a period. If the main clause is a question, it ends with a question mark.
  Statement: *I don't know why she left.*
  Question: *Do you know why she left?*