When we ask for information, we often say Do you know ...?/Could you tell me ...? etc. If you begin a question like this, the word order is different from a simple question.
Compare:
Where has Tom gone? (simple question)
but Do you know where Tom has gone? (not 'Do you know where has Tom gone?')
When the question (Where has Tom gone?) is part of a longer sentence (Do you know ...?/I don't know.../Can you tell me ...? etc.), it loses the normal question word order.
Compare:
* What time is it? but Do you know what time it is?
* Who is that woman? but I don't know who that woman is.
* Where can I find Linda? but Can you tell me where I can find Linda?
* How much will it cost? but Have you any idea how much it will cost?
Be careful with do/does/did questions:
* What time the film begins? but Do you know what time the film begins? (not 'Do you know what time does...')
* What do you mean? but Please explain what you mean.
* Why did Ann leave early? but I wonder why Ann left early.
Use if or whether where there is no other question word (what, why etc.):
* Did anybody see you? but Do you know if (or whether) anybody saw you?
The same changes in word order happen in reported questions:
direct: The police officer said to us, "Where are you going?
reported: The police officer asked us where we were-going.
direct: Clare said, 'What time do the bank close?
reported: Clare wanted to know what time the banks closed.
In reported questions, the verb usually changes to the past (were, closed).
Study these examples. You had an interview for a job and these were some of the questions the interviewer asked you:
INTERVIEWER
How old are you?
What do you do in your spare time?
How long have you been working in your present job?
Why did you apply for the job?
Can you speak any foreign languages?
Have you got a driving licence?
Later you tell a friend what the interviewer asked you. You use reported speech:
* She asked (me) how old I was.
* She wanted to know what I did in my spare time.
* She asked (me) how long I had been working in my present job.
* She asked (me) why I had applied for the job. (or ... why I applied)
* She wanted to know whether (or if) I could speak any foreign languages.
* She asked whether (or if) I had a driving licence. (or ... I had got ... )
EXERCISES
49.1 Make a new sentence from the question in brackets.
1. (Where has Tom gone?) Do you know where Tom has gone?
2. (Where is the post office?) Could you tell me where ---
3. (What's the time?) I wonder ---
4. (What does this word mean?) I want to know ---
5. (What time did they leave?) Do you know ---
6. (Is Sue going out tonight?) I don't know ---
7. (Where does Carol live?) Have you any idea ---
8. (Where did I park the car?) I can't remember ---
9. (Is there a bank near here?) Can you tell me ---
10. (What do you want?) Tell me ---
11. (Why didn't Kay come to the party?) I don't know ---
12. (Do you have to pay to park here?) Do you know ---
13. (Who is that woman?) I've no idea ---
14. (Did Ann receive my letter?) Do you know ---
15. (How far is it to the airport?) Can you tell me ---
49.2 You are making a phone call. You want to speak to Sue but she isn't there. Somebody else answers the phone. You want to know three things:
(1) Where has she gone? (2) When will she be back? and (3) Did she go out alone?
Complete the conversation:
A: Do you know where ---(1)?
B: Sorry, I've got no idea.
A: Never mind. I don't suppose you know ---(2).
B: No, I'm afraid not.
A: One more thing. Do you happen to know ---(3)?
B: I'm afraid I didn't see her go out.
A: OK. Well, thank you anyway. Goodbye.
49.3 You have been away for a while and have just come back to your home town. You meet Gerry, a friend of yours. He asks you a lot of questions:
1. How are you?
2. Where have you been?
3. How long have you been back?
4. What are you doing now?
5. Where are you living?
6. Why did you come back?
7. Are you glad to be back?
8. Do you have any plans to go away again?
9. can you lend me some money?
Now you tell another friend what Gerry asked you. Use reported speech.
1. _He asked me how I was._
2. He asked me ---
3. He ---
4. ---
5. ---
6. ---
7. ---
8. ---
9. ---
49.1
2 Could you tell me where the post office is?
3 I wonder what the time is.
4 I want to know what this word means.
5 Do you know what time they left?
6 I don't know if/whether Sue is going out tonight.
7 Have you any idea where Carol lives?
8 I can't remember where I parked the car.
9 Can you tell me if(whether there is a bank near here?
10 Tell me what you want.
11 I don't know why Kay didn't come to the party.
12 Do you know if/whether you have to pay to park here?
13 I've no idea who that woman is.
14 Do you know if/whether Ann received my letter?
15 Can you tell me how far it is to the airport?
49.2
1 she has gone
2 when she will be back/when she'll be back
3 if/whether she went out alone
49.3
2 He asked me where I had been. or ... where I'd been.
3 He asked me how long I had been back. or ... how long I'd been back.
4 He asked me what I was doing now.
5 He asked me where I was living.
6 He asked me why I had come back/... why I'd come back/... why I came back.
7 He asked me if/whether I was glad to be back.
8 He asked me if/whether I had any plans to go away again.
9 He asked me if/whether I could lend him some money
