57 Indirect Closed Questions

Indirect Questions are used in formal situations where we may need to ask something from someone we don’t know well.

We usually put Indirect Closed Questions in the yes/no form.

When we are asking an Indirect Question we usually add an if-clause. The structure is as follows:
Indirect question phrase + if + affirmative clause + (?).

• I would like to know if you have already changed the ticket?
• Do you know if he likes to ride a motorbike?
• Do you have any idea if they had an accident?

Indirect Questions are used when the speaker wants to pose questions or requests in a more polite way. These questions are usually made in the yes/no form, in that way the listener can add more information.

There are certain situations (such as professional situations) where we may need to pose questions or request something in a more polite way. One way of doing this is by using Indirect Questions. We usually put these questions in the yes/no form (where the answer to the question is usually yes or no), so that the listener can eventually add some more information.

This type of question has the following structure:
Indirect question phrase + if + affirmative clause + (?) (e.g. Do you know if she canceled her ticket?).

For example:
— “Do you know if she canceled her ticket?” = We are using Indirect Questions to pose questions in a more polite way.

Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.