1.5. Question to the subject

Who / What +V_s/es / V_ed / V_II + object?

They have appointed the chief accountant. →Who has appointed the chief accountant?

Many companies maintain contacts with universities to hire staff. → Who maintains contacts with universities to hire staff?

1.6. Indirect questions / Embedded quesions

• If you want to sound more diplomatic and make your questions more acceptable you should use indirect questions.

e.g. We haven’t ascertained what the objective of this meeting is?

• To transfer a direct question into an indirect one, we should reverse the order of the subject and the verb, omit an auxiliary verb if there is any.

Could you tell us Question word+subject+predicate

e.g. Could you tell us if they will deliver this order free of charge?

NOT: Could you tell us if they will deliver this order free of charge?

Embedded questions can start with expressions as:

What would you say …? Why do you think …?

I would like to know (about) …? I would like to ask if …?

Could you tell me about …? Do you think …?

We haven’t ascertained …? We haven’t ascertained …?

Could you tell me whether or not …? The catalogue doesn’t say …?

They haven’t discovered …? I am not sure …?, etc.

Practice file

Ex. Turn the following direct questions into the embedded ones by starting them with the words given.

1. What is your main concern?

I would like to know ……………………………………………………………

2. Will this reform succeed?

Do you think…………………………….............................................................

3. What is your particular specialisation?

Please let me know ……………………………………………………………..

4. Have you decided to go ahead?

Could you tell me whether or not ……………………………………………….

5. What’s the weather like?

I wonder …………………………………………………………………………

6. Where did you buy it?

We haven’t ascertained ……………………………………………..………….

7. What is Nike’s logo called?

The catalogue doesn’t say ………………………………...…………………….

8. What is your ideal balance of work and leisure time?

They haven’t discovered ……………...…………………………………………

9. What exactly is the problem?

I am not sure …….……………………………………………………………….

10. What are the qualities required for this position?

Can I ask about ……………………………………………………… ………...

Ex. Make general questions for the next sentences:

1. He had to make them redundant. → …Had he to make them redundant?……...

2. I can call you back. → …………………………………………………..….…?

3. I am free to talk. → ……………………………………………………………?

4. There are some messages for you. → …………………………………………?

5. We will schedule a meeting on this issue in April. → ……..…………………?

Ex. Make special questions for the next sentences:

1. They often change the company’s recruitment profile.

………What do they often change……………………………………..…?

2. He works up to forty hours a week.

…………………………………………………………………………….?

3. The HR manager has prohibited any discussions of non-work related matters.

………………………………………………..……………………………?

4. They will meet in the boardroom.

………………………………………………………………………………?

5. They have got ten meetings this month.

………………………………………………………………………………?

Ex. Make alternative questions for the next sentences:

1. They pay the bills every month.

……Do they pay the bills every month or once a quarter?…………………

2. They have agreed to give us 5 days to pay off the loan.

…………………………………………...…………………………………?

3. He does several things at the same time. ……………………………………………………………………………...?

4. She tends to make decisions individually. ………………………..………….…………………………………………?

5. Employees receive low-cost warm meals in company canteen.

…………………………………………………………………………...…?

Ex. Make questions to the subject for the next sentences:

1. People have lost confidence in the government.

……Who has lost confidence in the government……………………………..?.

2. They have been working for this company for two years. ………………………………….…………………………………………?

3. We invite the best candidates to attend an interview.

…………………………………………………………………..…………?

4. They advertise with an on-line recruitment agency. ……………………………………………………………………………..?

5. Martha talked the hind leg off a donkey. …………………………………...…………………………………………?

Ex. Make disjunctive questions filling in the tags:

1. This year Bill has done a lot of business trips, …………hasn’t he ………..?

2. He works in the sales department, …………………………………………?

3. They are hardly interested in modern payment system, …………………...?

4. People should recycle all the paper they consume, ………………………..?

5. I am stating a long-term goal to capture the market, ………………………?

6. Sales reps spent a lot of time and efforts talking to their clients, ………….?

7. He used to offer consultancy services to overseas companies, …………....?

8. Alex and Jill haven’t bought the tickets, …………………………………..?

9. These applicants won’t meet our criteria, ……………….……………......?

10. Someone frequently watches the business news on TV, ……………….....?

11. There are many departments in our company, ………………………...….?

12. Staff had a good time at the party yesterday, ……………….…………….?

13. Nobody attended this conference, ………………………………………...?

14. He doesn’t need to compile an ad-hoc report, …………………………….?

15. Let them check it, …………………………………………………………?

Ex. Give the short positive or negative answers. The first word is given for you.

1. Is Dolly interested in Finance? → Yes, she is. ……………………………..….

2. Does a telecommuter work from home? → Yes, …………………………...

3. Did you get my message? → No, …………………………………………..

4. I have no idea about compulsory redundancies. → Neither ……………...…

5. We are looking to increase our customer base by 4 per cent. → So ………..

6. Do applicants have to agree to the terms of employment? → Yes, ………..

7. I have been at the AGM for the last three hours. → So, ……………………

8. We keep our staff on full-time contracts. → So,……………………………

9. There are some opportunities for promotion, aren’t there? → Yes, ………..

10. Can you take a message for me? → Yes, ………………………………..

Ex. Put these questions in the correct order.

1. he / does / full-time / work / where?

…Where does he work full-time………………………………….……………?

2. a car / you / tell / how / can / me / to / hire?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

3. independently/ you / in a team / do / work / or?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

4. your / to / know / is / opinion / would / I / like / what?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

5. a good first / impression / you / to create / do / try?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

6. work-life balance / you / what / regarding / examples / can / give?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

7. are / theirs / aren’t / they / these inkjet printers?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

8. they / their human resources / organizations / plan / don’t?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

9. or / this / company / will / go / not / bankrupt?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

10. your work / is / enjoyable / always?

…………………………………….……………………………………………?

Ex. Fill in the appropriate question words given below.

how long ago, how long, what, when, whose, which, what, how much, what type of, how, what role

1. How much do you agree with your line manager?

2. ……… fault was it?

3. ……… is your current salary?

4. ……… should bank loan be secured?

5. ……… have you been keeping the same organization structure?

6. ……… people is your target audience?

7. ……… area are you responsible for: risk management or financial controlling?

8. ……… will you get life assurance?

9. ……… company do you work for?

10. ……… did you graduate from the higher educational institution?

Ex. Correct the mistakes if there are any.

1. The presentation didn’t go very well, didn’t it.

2. There are some tickets left, are they?

3. The audience hardly spoke any German, didn’t they?

4. What do you commute to work?

5. Which company do you work?

6. He can hardly handle this situation, can’t he?

7. Please assist me, won’t you?

8. He likes to make the decisions of his own?

9. You expect a job for life, don’t you?

10. The employees follow as usual the rules of the company.

Associate Professor, Candidate of Sciences, Tamila A. Oryshechko-Bartokha

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