Embedded Questions

Embedded questions are found within statements and questions. The important thing to pay attention to here is word order. Understanding this will help make your English sound much better.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ESL

[learnamericanenglish]

Swytek,

Consider this example: Someone asks, "What is it?" "It" is the subject. What would you say is the subject?

"I don't know what it is." This is in two parts. The first part, "I don't know..." The second part, "What it is."

Two clauses are put together. Perhaps that's what's causing the confusion.

Paul

[learnamericanenglish]

You're welcome. Someone requested it, so I put it together.

Paul

[DeMarkieSade]

Like the other day a lady threw this question out on the plate, "Does anyone know if Tom has a car?" Now the conjunction "if" usually introduces conditionals or adverbial clauses, But in the sense of a question the If clause would have to be a "noun clause" would it not? Does anyone know {if tom has a car} Does anyone know {that} {this} {it} etc. Please someone clear up such confusions. Foreigners and novices, especially, are going to be bewildered by this when they encounter it in writing.

[DeMarkieSade]

By logic, then, questions will more often than not, or always, involve a noun clause? is that correct Paul? or anyone? Since everyone seems to have acquired lock-jaw or swallowed alum. No one answers anyone's questions on here anymore. People, just because the videos are older, that does not mean any thing has changed in the English language; lets keep this ship sailing and learn, ok? Questions are confusing.

[MMAKSA2011]

When is their baby due? does it mean when he/she arrive?

is it correct to say how long has she been going to wait ?

thanks in advance

[magblue13]

When should i use embedded questions in questions?

to make the question sound more polite?

[asmaaegypt]

GREAT !

[Swytek]

i'm thinking I is the subject and KNOW is the verb. it's confusing because it's a statement not a question.

the subject is at the beginning in a statement. the subject is at the end in a question.

is that right?

[Swytek]

IT comes after the verb, so IT should be the Object. why is IT the Subject in those sentences?

[LiveSensei]

Thanks for posting this useful video.