Search results for 'tag:Direct questions tag:Indirect speech' matching tags 'Direct questions' and 'Indirect speech'

Re: ..why do I have vs ..why I have

EagerSeeker — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Tanit

Hi,

As Goodman says, only the first one is correct,
From your post and your examples, I understand you've got Swann's book, right?
So, may I suggest another approach to clear your doubt?
That's an indirect question.
If you've got the same edition as me (the 3rd), have a look at section 276, "Indirect speech: questions and answers":

In reported questions the subject normally comes before the verb in standard English, and auxiliary do is not used.
- DIRECT: Where's Alice?
- INDIRECT: I asked where Alice was. (NOT ... ~~where was Alice~~.)
...
- DIRECT: What do I need?
- INDIRECT: She asked what she needed. (NOT ... ~~what did she need~~.)
...

If we try and use the same approach:

- DIRECT: Why do I have two cars?
- INDIRECT: You may wonder why I have two cars. (NOT ... ~~why do I have two cars~~.)

Yes, you are absolutely right! It is indeed indirect speech (I realized it later after reading more) and then we don't use auxiliary "do" in indirect questions.
But I found this to be a tricky one. Yes, I have Swan's book but he doesn't mention that we can use auxiliary do in indirect speech when the sentence
is negative.

I found this from my Finnish-English grammar book: "Auxiliary do is not used in indirect questions except in negative sentences".
Example: "Philip asked why children didn't read anymore."

So on the basis of what has been said so far I would find these examples correct:

"You may wonder why I have two cars."
"You may wonder why I don't have two cars." (negative sentence)
"You may wonder why I do have two cars." (emphatic sentence)

That emphasis is a nice suggestion from you guys!

Re: ..why do I have vs ..why I have

Tanit — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:47:12 GMT

"You may wonder why I have two cars."
"You may wonder why do I have two cars."

Hi,

As Goodman says, only the first one is correct,
From your post and your examples, I understand you've got Swann's book, right?
So, may I suggest another approach to clear your doubt?
That's an indirect question.
If you've got the same edition as me (the 3rd), have a look at section 276, "Indirect speech: questions and answers":

In reported questions the subject normally comes before the verb in standard English, and auxiliary do is not used.
- DIRECT: Where's Alice?
- INDIRECT: I asked where Alice was. (NOT ... ~~where was Alice~~.)
...
- DIRECT: What do I need?
- INDIRECT: She asked what she needed. (NOT ... ~~what did she need~~.)
...

If we try and use the same approach:

- DIRECT: Why do I have two cars?
- INDIRECT: You may wonder why I have two cars. (NOT ... ~~why do I have two cars~~.)

Re: Check my translations, please

CalifJim — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 04:20:47 GMT

<<
1. Can you do the exercise on direct questions? OK.
2. The plane which I went to London on it has flown 10,000 miles.
3. Yesterday evening Bill had a phone call from Sally. He he was very surprised and happy because he had ~~ahd~~ written to her many times but she had never replied to his letters.

4. Direct Speech
    My younger brother said,' Did you hear what grandpa said? '

    Indirect Speech
    My younger brother asked me ~~that~~ whether I had heard what grandpa had said.
>>

You've done very well!

CJ

Check my translations, please

Kittixay — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 01:31:56 GMT

1. Can you do the exercise on direct questions?
2. The plane which I went to London on it has flown 10,000 miles.
3. Yesterday evening Bill had a phone call from Sally, he was very surprised and happy because he ahd written to her many times but she had never replied to his letters.

4. Direct Speech
    My younger brother said,' Did you hear what grandpa said? '

    Indirect Speech
    My younger brother asked me that whether I had heard what grandpa had said.

Re: About the expression "...what was the matter" or "what the matter was"

Conchita57 — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:51:12 GMT

The exercise sentence is in reported speech, also called 'indirect speech/question'. Therefore, the correct answer is B: 'My mother asked what the matter was with me'. The direct question could have been: 'What is the matter with you?'.

Your last example is fine.

Re: Who came to see you

nona the brit — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:11:44 GMT

Right, I think I've got you now Pioussoul. It may work ok in your native language and I can get a sense of your meaning, but we can't phrase it that way in English.

Do you think who came to see you?

This is a sort of attempt to combine direct speech or thought with an indirect question and it doesn't quite work that way.

To express this we have to say

Do you think about who came to see you? (as in indirect speech. for example - .. Did he say that he likes cheese? Yes, he said that he likes cheese.

Do you think 'Who came to see me?' (as in direct speech. for example. Did he say 'I like cheese?' Yes, he said 'I like cheese.'

You can't combine the two forms in English.

Re: Am I or I am

miriam — Sat, 29 May 2004 13:37:00 GMT

"Who am I?" is correct if you are asking a direct question.

In indirect speech you might say something like "I wonder who I am."

Miriam
------------------------------

~comes back to edit~

I forgot you asked "why".
The verb "to be" doesn't use any auxiliaries in the present simple, so in order to make a question you only need to invert the position of the subject and the verb.
In an affirmative sentence, you say:
"I am atm."

In a question, you turn "I am" into "am I", so you have:
"Who am I?" (for a wh-question)
or
"Am I atm?" (for a yes-no question)

Affirmative:
I am
You are
He/she/it is
We/you/they are

Interrogative:
Am I?
Are you?
Is he/she/it?
Are we/you/they?

Hope it helps.