logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2015
9m 25s

001 - Direct and Indirect Questions in E...

SHAYNA OLIVEIRA
About this episode

Direct questions are the “normal” questions that we can ask to friends, family members, and people who we know well. 

Example of a direct question:
“Where’s the bathroom?”

Indirect questions are a little more formal and polite. We use them when talking to a person we don’t know very well, or in professional situations, and their form is a little different.

Example of an indirect question:
“Could you tell me where the bathroom is?”

In today's lesson, you'll learn how to form indirect questions in English - phrases to use, and the changes in sentence structure that make them different from direct questions.

Click here for the episode text - http://www.espressoenglish.net/direct-and-indirect-questions-in-english/

Up next
Nov 24
Sell, Sale, Sold - Never Mix Them Up Again!
<p><a href= "https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EspressoEnglish-Black-Friday-Preview-Catalog-2025.pdf"> <strong>✨Download Black Friday Preview Catalog ✨</strong></a></p> <p>It's for SELL, or it's for SALE - which one is correct?</p> <p>Today I will clearly ... Show More
5m 39s
Nov 19
Test YOUR Pronunciation with 20 of the TRICKIEST English Words!
<p>🎁 <a href= "https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/free-download-pronunciation-power-up/"> <strong>Download 250+ BONUS practice words</strong></a></p> <p>❤️ <a href= "https://courses.espressoenglish.net/american-english-pronunciation-course-and-shadowing-with-shayna/"> American En ... Show More
5m 39s
Nov 17
Learn 50 "Get" Phrases - Fast & Easy!
<p>🎁 <a href= "https://espressoenglish.lpages.co/free-pdf-50-collocations-with-get/"><strong>Download FREE lesson PDF</strong></a></p> <p>📖 <a href= "https://courses.espressoenglish.net/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day/"> <strong>1000 Collocations E-Book</strong></a></p> < ... Show More
7m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
224 How to ask for clarification in English
<p class="p1"><span style= "font-size: 14pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">>> Get my new course: The</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces= "true"> </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href= "https://pronunciationcourse.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span data-preser ... Show More
12m 19s
Sep 2007
Episode 12 - Mail from Listeners
If there's something you don't understand, it's always good to ask. The professor answers the questions about past episodes that Radio D listeners have sent in. The listeners ask and the professor answers, getting to the root of every question. It's a good opportunity for the lis ... Show More
14m 30s
Jul 2021
#179 Asking for Directions in English
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces= "true">>> Get my new course: The</span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces= "true"> </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href= "https://pronunciationcourse.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span data-preserver-spaces= ... Show More
11m 27s
Jul 2016
181: ‘Tu’ or ‘vous’?
A listener asked about ‘tu’ and ‘vous’. In English, we simply use the pronoun ‘you’ but, in French, things are more complicated. In this conversation, we talk about when to use ‘tu’ and ‘vous’… and how to ‘make the switch’ between the two when our relationships have evolved over ... Show More
9m 36s
Feb 2024
708 - Checking Information
For this English lesson, I'm going to show you a couple of different types of questions that you can ask when you want to check that the information you have is right. Basically, these are tag questions and negative questions. By the end of this lesson you'll understand how these ... Show More
7m 1s
Dec 2014
AEE 229: Tag! You're It! How to Get Your Facts Straight in English
How do you clarify information in English? Have you ever met someone on the phone or the internet before you met them in person? Today, Lindsay and Michelle discuss tag questions, and how they can help you confirm what you think you know, but aren’t sure about!   Come back our s ... Show More
20m 13s