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Direct or indirect interrogatives: patterns.
Why are non- interrogative propositions (Or indirect interrogatives) so badly used when speaking?
For weeks, Television channels and multiple radios broadcast interviews, and questions that journalists, reporters, military
strategists, men in the street, survey companies, Generals, politicians coming from the whlole world etc.
The interviews were live, or through authorised translators, or with important specialists speaking their own languages.
In both cases, the 'orthodox' constructions of non-interrogatives (indirect interrogatives)were seldom respected.
Why?
1) What are the characteristics of a non-interrogative?
- An indirect interrogative is not a real question.
- Therefore, it doesn't end with a question mark.
- An indirect interrogative is a subordinate reporting a question.
(introduced by: say, tell, report, repeat, ask)
- Paul repeated what his mother had said.
(Here, the direct interrogative would be: 'what did Paul's mother say?' )
- An indirect interrogative is introduced by an expression like:
- 'I wonder' , 'He wants to know...', 'she asked...'
She wondered why he didn't come.
(Here, the direct interrogative is: ' Why didn't he come? )
- This subordinate is introduced by if/ whether or by an interrogative word:
where, when, how, why, what, which, etc.
- 'He wonders whether she will answer or not.'
(Here, the direct interrogative is: ' Will she answer, or not?')
- I wonder why he's so late.
(Here, the direct interrogative is: 'Why is he so late?')
2) WHAT IS IMPORTANT! WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER!
The indirect expression followed by the interrogative word must then be followed by the structure SUBJECT VERB.
I wonder +interrogative word +SUBJECT +VERB +0 (NO QUESTION MARK;)
- I wonder how he could answer that difficult question.
- Can you say where I must sit.
- He couldn't say what the man had done to his car.
- She asked me where the boy had disappeared.
Compare these two constructions:
A) I need to know where you're going.
B) Do you know where he's going?
Sentence B) is followed by a question mark, but sentence A) which is an indirect interrogative, is not.
- It contains an indirect interrogative [where he's going...]
- It contains an interrogative word 'Where?'.
This sentence B) is a true direct interrogative, including an indirect interrogative .
There you are! Now, you know the bases and even the subtleties of indirect interrogatives.
If you fancy it, have fun noticing and making fun of the mistakes you're bound to hear, but PLEASE,
make sure you'll never make the mistakes again! 
Intermediate
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