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Grammaire
Questions and negation B1 B2

Embedded questions

Use statement word order after question words in indirect questions and polite information requests.

Traduction des explications en cours…
Pour le moment, la leçon originale en anglais s’affiche.
Guide visuel

Embedded questions: the question stays outside

Embedded question = question shell + calm inside

Could you tell me [ where the station is ]?
└─ real question ─┘ └─ question word + statement order ─┘
                         the station + is
                         thing first, verb after

Not inside-question order:
Do you know where is the station?  ✗
Do you know where the station is?  ✓

In embedded questions, keep the question form in the outside phrase; inside, use statement word order.

Introduction

Questions inside sentences

An embedded question is a question placed inside another sentence. Instead of asking directly, you put the missing information after a frame such as I wonder, I don’t know, Do you know, or Could you tell me. The important change is word order: after the question word, use statement order. Say I wonder why she left early, not why did she leave early. Embedded questions are common when you want to sound polite, report someone’s question, or talk about information you do not have.
Core Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

I wonder why she left early.

Embedded questions often appear inside statements, not only inside polite questions.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

I wonder
wondering_frame
A statement frame used when you are thinking about a question.
À apprendre comme une unité
why she left early
embedded_question
The embedded question uses subject + verb, not question order.
Core logic

The main question stays outside

In a direct question, English often moves an auxiliary before the subject: When does the meeting start? In an embedded question, the question becomes part of a larger sentence, so it behaves more like a noun phrase. The main sentence carries the question grammar; the embedded part carries the information. Compare Do you know when the meeting starts? The outer part, Do you know, is the question. The inner part, when the meeting starts, uses normal statement order: subject before verb. This is the central rule for almost all embedded questions with who, what, where, when, why, how, and what time.
Question Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Do you know when the meeting starts?

The outer sentence is a question, but the embedded part keeps statement order.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Do you know
knowing_frame
A yes/no question frame that asks for information politely.
À apprendre comme une unité
when the meeting starts
embedded_question
After the question word, the subject comes before the verb.
Core pattern

The basic pattern

Use this pattern for information questions: frame + question word + subject + verb. Common frames include Do you know, Can you tell me, Could you tell me, I wonder, I don’t know, I’m not sure, and Please explain. Examples: Could you tell me where the station is? Can you explain how this machine works? I’m not sure why the file disappeared. The frame can be a question or a statement, but the embedded question keeps the same internal order. Do not add do, does, or did just because there is a question word inside the sentence.
Question Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Could you tell me where the station is?

This is the most common polite pattern: request frame + question word + statement order.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Could you tell me
polite_request_frame
A polite frame that introduces an embedded question.
À apprendre comme une unité
where the station is
embedded_question
The information question is inside the sentence, so it uses statement word order.
Sentence xray

Sentence X-ray

Look closely at Can you explain how this machine works? The first part, Can you explain, is the request. It uses question structure because you are asking someone to explain. The second part, how this machine works, is the embedded question. Inside it, this machine is the subject and works is the verb, just like in the statement This machine works. The question word how points to the missing information, but it does not force question word order. This X-ray helps with many sentences: Could you tell me what this button does? I don’t understand why the screen is blank.
Question Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Can you explain how this machine works?

After how, do not add does when the embedded part already has a normal subject and verb.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Can you explain
question_frame
A request frame that introduces the thing you want explained.
À apprendre comme une unité
how this machine works
embedded_question
How introduces the method; this machine works uses statement order.
Contrast

Direct vs embedded questions

The closest confusing structure is the direct question. Direct question: Where is the station? Embedded question: Do you know where the station is? The direct question stands alone, so the verb comes before the subject. The embedded question is inside another sentence, so the subject comes before the verb. This mistake is very common: Do you know where is the station? The corrected version is Do you know where the station is? If the first part already asks the question, do not ask again inside the embedded part.
Mistake Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Do you know where is the station?

This incorrectly keeps direct-question word order inside the sentence.

Corrected Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Do you know where the station is?

Only the main question uses question structure; the embedded question uses statement word order.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Do you know
knowing_frame
The real question is the main frame.
À apprendre comme une unité
where the station is
embedded_question
The embedded part is not inverted; it uses statement order.
Contrast Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

Where is the station?

This is a direct question. Because it stands alone, it uses question word order.

Contrast Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A1 Neutral

where the station is

This is not a complete question by itself here; it is the information inside another sentence.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

where the station is
embedded_question
Inside another sentence, the question becomes a noun-like information unit.
À apprendre comme une unité
Usage rules

Where embedded questions appear

Embedded questions are used after many everyday verbs and adjectives connected to information: know, remember, understand, ask, explain, tell, wonder, be sure, and be clear. They also appear in reported questions: She asked me where I lived. A negative main clause does not change the embedded order: I don’t know what he wants. A polite request often uses can or could: Can you tell me when the office opens? Could is usually a little softer than can. In writing, embedded questions are useful because they sound less abrupt than direct questions.
Negative Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

I don’t know what he wants.

The negative is in the main clause. The embedded question still has normal statement order.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

I don’t know
not_knowing_frame
A negative statement frame that introduces unknown information.
À apprendre comme une unité
what he wants
embedded_question
What introduces the missing information; he wants keeps statement order.
Core Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

She asked me where I lived.

Reported questions follow the same word-order logic as other embedded questions.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

She asked me
reporting_frame
A reporting frame for a question someone asked earlier.
À apprendre comme une unité
where I lived
embedded_question
Reported questions also use embedded question order.
Danger zone

Common traps

Do not use do, does, or did inside a wh-embedded question unless it is part of the actual verb meaning. Mistake: I don’t know what does he want. Correct: I don’t know what he wants. Also remember that some sentences look unchanged because the question word is the subject. Who called? and Do you remember who called? both have who before called, because who is the subject of the verb. This is not an exception to the rule; there is simply no extra inversion to remove.
Mistake Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

I don’t know what does he want.

Do-support is not used inside a wh-embedded question when the main verb is ordinary.

Corrected Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

I don’t know what he wants.

Use question word + subject + verb in the embedded part.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

I don’t know
not_knowing_frame
The main clause says the information is unknown.
À apprendre comme une unité
what he wants
embedded_question
No does is needed because the embedded clause has statement order.
Exception Grammaire B2 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Do you remember who called last night?

When the question word is the subject, there is no inversion even in a direct question, so the embedded form may look unchanged.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Do you remember
main_question_frame
A question frame about memory.
À apprendre comme une unité
who called last night
embedded_question
Who is the subject of called, so the order looks the same as a direct question.
Form variations

If, whether, and register

For yes/no questions inside another sentence, use if or whether, then statement order. Direct question: Does the shop open on Sundays? Embedded question: Can you tell me if the shop opens on Sundays? Whether is slightly more formal or careful: I’d like to know whether parking is available. In informal speech, the main frame is sometimes shortened: Any idea when they’ll arrive? The grammar inside the embedded question still stays normal. In formal service or workplace English, frames such as Could you confirm and I’d like to know are very useful.
Mistake Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Can you tell me does the shop open on Sundays?

This is a yes/no embedded question, so if or whether is needed.

Corrected Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Neutral

Can you tell me if the shop opens on Sundays?

For yes/no information inside another sentence, use if or whether + statement order.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Can you tell me
polite_request_frame
A common polite request frame.
À apprendre comme une unité
if the shop opens on Sundays
yes_no_embedder
If introduces an embedded yes/no question; the verb uses statement order.
Formal Grammaire B2 Vocabulaire B1 Formal

I’d like to know whether parking is available.

Whether is common in formal or careful English, especially after expressions like I’d like to know.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

I’d like to know
formal_request_frame
A polite formal/semi-formal frame for requesting information.
À apprendre comme une unité
whether parking is available
yes_no_embedder
Whether introduces a yes/no embedded question in a slightly more formal way.
Spoken Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire A2 Informal

Any idea when they’ll arrive?

In informal speech, the main frame can be shortened, but the embedded question order stays the same.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Any idea
spoken_frame
A short informal frame meaning Do you have any idea...?
À apprendre comme une unité
when they’ll arrive
embedded_question
The embedded question keeps statement order after when.
Summary

The rule to remember

Use embedded questions when a question is part of a larger sentence. Keep the question word, but change the rest to statement order: question word + subject + verb. Ask Where is the station? as a direct question, but say Do you know where the station is? as an embedded question. For yes/no information, use if or whether: Could you confirm whether the room is free? The practical rule is simple: only the main clause gets question word order. The inside question becomes a calm information unit.
Formal Grammaire B1 Vocabulaire B1 Formal

Could you confirm what time the interview begins?

Embedded questions make workplace and service requests sound more polite and less direct.

Unités de sens

Lisez la phrase par unités de sens, pas mot à mot.

Could you confirm
formal_question_frame
A formal request frame used to check information.
À apprendre comme une unité
what time the interview begins
embedded_question
What time introduces the information; the interview begins uses statement order.
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