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Understanding Grammar: Indirect questions

Understanding Grammar: Indirect questions

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Jack and Rich talk about being more polite in English. One way to be more polite is by using indirect questions when you are speaking to be people you don't know well. Jack and Rich focus on how we create indirect questions and how they are different from direct questions. Your task this week is to change six direct questions into indirect questions in order to be more polite. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess, too. Enjoy!

Transcript

If the listening was a bit difficult, you can listen again and read the transcript at the same time.
Read the transcript and listen at the same time.

Introduction

Rich: Do you mind?

Jack: What? I just wanted to check the football scores.

Rich: I was reading the newspaper. You can’t just snatch it off me.

Jack: Oh come on, I’ll only be a second. There. Done. You can have it back.

Rich: So rude! Have you thought about asking? You could have said ‘Could I just take a look at that for a second?’ or  ‘Would you mind if I borrowed the paper a minute?’
 
Jack: You would have said no! What were you reading about anyway?

Rich: Actually, it’s an article about politeness - being polite.

Jack: You’re joking.

Rich: Nope. It’s about how we show politeness. Here let me test you. Do you ever push in in queues?

Jack: Never. I always wait my turn.

Rich: Do you stand up on the bus for old people?

Jack: Always.

Rich: Do you ever snatch things without asking?

Jack: Never!

Welcome - Indirect Questions

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re going to help you with some grammar and at the same time help you be more polite in English.

Jack: That’s right. We’re going to focus on indirect questions. These types of questions are really common especially when we are talking to strangers or people we don’t know very well.

Rich: We use them a lot with people we do know as well, especially if we are asking for something.

Jack: Apart from the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ which people use a lot in English indirect questions are one of the most important things to learn if you want to be polite in English.

Rich: So, we’re going to do two roleplays for you and include lots of indirect questions then look at how they differ from direct questions.

Jack: After that, we have a task for you to do to show us what you’ve learned.

Rich: Don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have this week’s football phrase for you to guess, too.

Topic Focus

Jack: Here is the first roleplay. While you are listening, we would like you to answer these three questions.

Rich: Question one: Who is Jack speaking to? Don’t say me! Question two: Which city is Jack in? And question three: Which Premier League club is he going to watch?

Jack: That last question is difficult. Let’s see if anybody can work it out!

Roleplay one

Jack: Hi, I’ve just checked in and I wonder if you could help me.

Rich:  I’d be happy to help if I can.

Jack: I’m here for the match tomorrow but I have a few hours to see the sights this afternoon. Do you know if we are anywhere near Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament? Could you tell me how long it takes to get there?

Rich: Yes, we’re very close. It’s about a 10-minute walk from here.

Jack: Great … and could you tell me if there is anywhere nearby to go shopping?

Rich: I’d try Oxford Street or Camden Market. You can easily get everywhere on the tube.

Jack: What about food? Sorry for all the questions. Could you tell me whether there are any good restaurants near the hotel?

Rich: Yes, there are lots of good restaurants within easy walking distance. I’d recommend the Olive Tree that’s just across the road. They have the football and live music later on, too.

Jack: Sorry, just one more thing. Could you let me know where the closest underground station is?

Rich: Yes, of course. Go out of the hotel and turn right. It’s about a 100 metres down the road. It’s a two-minute walk.

Jack: Sorry for all the questions but there is just one more thing, I need to get to Stratford tube station for the match tomorrow. Have you any idea how I would get there? Could you tell me if I need to change?

Rich: Ahh, yes of course. Let me have a look. No you don’t need to change. Stay on the Central line for about eight stops. 

Jack: Thank you ever so much.

Rich: Have a nice day.

Language focus

Jack: In the roleplay, you just listened to I was very polite and I used lots of indirect questions to be polite. Let’s start by showing how we create indirect questions.

Rich: The first thing to remember is that after the question word we use the same word order as positive sentences. One of Jack’s indirect questions was Could you tell me how long it takes to get there?

Jack: The question word is ‘how long’ after this it’s the same as a positive sentence … it takes 10/20/30 minutes to get there. We use the third person ‘s’ with the main verb.

Rich: This is different to a direct question where we use an auxiliary verb. How long does it take to get there? We don’t use the auxiliary. verbs ‘does’, ‘do’ and ‘did’ in indirect questions.

Jack: We are sure you all know how to create direct questions so we’re going to compare direct questions with indirect questions and look at how they are different.

Rich: Many direct questions follow a QASM pattern which is question word, auxiliary verb, subject, main verb. Listen to these direct questions:

Jack: What time does the match start?, How much does this shirt cost?, When do the shops close?

Rich: All of them follow the same pattern. The indirect versions might be, ‘Could you tell me what time the football match starts?’, ‘I was wondering how much this shirt costs?’, or ‘Would you mind telling me when the shops close?’.

Jack: So, in indirect questions, we don’t use the auxiliary verbs ’do’, ‘does’ and ‘did’ and the main verb may need the third person ‘s’.

Rich: But there are a couple of other things to remember when using indirect questions. The first is when we’re using the verb ‘to be’. Listen to this example that Jack said earlier.

Jack:  ‘Could you let me know where the closest underground station is?’

Rich: The direct question is ‘Where is the closest underground station?’. It doesn’t follow the QASM pattern. We move the verb to be. This is called inversion which is when we put the verb before the subject.

Jack: In indirect questions, we don’t use inversion, we say, ‘Do you know where the football stadium is?’.

Rich: The verb to be in indirect questions follows the same pattern as other verbs. A common mistake is, ‘Could you tell me where is the football stadium?’ 

Jack: A second thing to remember is when we use the words ‘if’ and ‘whether’ with indirect questions.

Rich: In the roleplay, Jack said these two questions: ‘Could you tell me if there is anywhere nearby to go shopping?’ and ‘Could you tell me whether there are any good restaurants near the hotel?’

Jack: The direct questions are: ‘Is there anywhere to go shopping near here?’ and ‘Are there any good restaurants near the hotel?’

Rich: These are yes/no questions, they don’t have a question word. When we make these questions indirect we add if or whether. 

Jack: And the rest of the question is like a positive sentence; remember, we don’t move the verb ‘to be’  like in direct questions.

Rich: Finally, when we use indirect questions we begin the question with a polite phrase. 

Jack: One of the most common ones is ‘Could you tell me …’

Rich: But, there are plenty of others such as: ‘Do you know …’, ‘I was wondering if…’ ‘Do you have any idea …’, ‘I’d like to know …, ‘Would it be possible…’ and ‘Is there any chance …’

Jack: We look at these phrases a little more on the website below this podcast. You can find activities, explanations and tasks for you to do for all of our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Task one

Rich: You are now going to listen to a second roleplay. This time Jack isn’t so polite. He uses direct questions rather than indirect questions. 

Jack: Your task is to identify the direct questions and change them to indirect questions.

Rich: There are six for you to spot and change.

Roleplay

Rich: Thanks ever so much for coming today. Before we finish, do you have any questions about the job?

Jack: What’s the salary?

Rich: Err … sorry?

Jack: The salary. How much money do I get?

Rich: Yes, well, that is something that depends on your qualifications and experience. We did send the salary scales in the email we sent to you.

Jack: Ah yes, of course. And holidays. How many days holiday do I get?

Rich: Again this was in the email. In the first year you will get twenty days plus public holidays. Your holiday entitlement will increase the longer you stay with the firm.

Jack: I see. Mmm …and hours. What time do we start work? Do you have flexitime?

Rich: The working day is seven and a half hours. You can start at any time between eight and ten.

Jack: Right, I see, and one more question. When do I start?

Rich: yes. Er ...We will be in contact later this week.

Task two

Jack: I’m not sure if I would get that job.

Rich: I doubt it. You could have asked a few more questions about the job not just about what you are going to get.

Jack: And if you do ask questions like this you should try to ask them in a much more indirect way.

Rich: We asked you to identify six questions in the roleplay that could be made more indirect and your task this week is to make these direct questions more indirect.

Jack: The questions are:

Rich: Number one: What’s the salary?

Jack: Number two: How much money do I get?

Rich: Number three: How many days’ holiday do I get?

Jack: Number four: What time do we start work? 

Rich: Number five: Do you have flexitime?

Jack: Number six: When do I start?

Rich: Remember to start each indirect question with a polite phrase like ‘I was wondering if ..’ or ‘Could you tell me …’

Jack: Remember that we don’t use auxiliary verbs like ‘do’ and ‘does’.

Rich: Remember that if the direct question is a yes/no question you should use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ in the indirect question. 

Jack: Remember that the structure of indirect questions is the same as positive sentences after the question word, for example, Could you tell me what time he gets up is the same as he gets up at seven o’ clock.

Rich: Write your six indirect questions in the comments section at the bottom of the page. 

Football Phrase

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us this week? 

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, last week’s football phrase. The phrase was offside trap. This is a tactic that football teams play in defence. The idea is that the defenders move up the field at the same time so that the attackers are in an illegal position when the ball is passed to them.

Rich: Well done to Lakerwang from China, Rafael Robson from Brazil, Liubomyr and Sabanoleg from Ukraine, Milos from Serbia, Zaid from India, Kwesimanifest from Ghana and Ahmed Adam from Sudan. All of you got it right! What’s this week’s phrase, Jack?

Jack: This week’s football phrase is to be given your ******** ******. The phrase means the same as to be given a red card or to be sent off. The player was given his ******** ****** by the referee. The phrase can also be used to mean to be sacked or fired from your job. The phrase was originally used in the army and described the instructions soldiers were given to walk from one place to another.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to the task in the comments section below.

Jack: And make a guess at our football phrase. Bye for now and enjoy your football!

Vocabulary

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words in bold?

I was reading the newspaper. You can’t just snatch it off me.

Do you ever push in in queues?

I need to get to Stratford tube station for the match tomorrow. 

There were a few more tricky words and phrases in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words. This can really help your understanding.

Activity 1

Activity 1: In this activity, try to match the words and phrases to their definitions. All of the words were in this week's podcast.
Can you match the words to their definitions?

Do you think Jack will stop at Gareth Southgate station while he is in London?

Language

Language

Indirect Questions

In this week's podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about indirect questions. They talked about how we can use them to be more polite when we are speaking to people that we don't know or when we want to ask questions in more formal situations. Let's take a look at how we create indirect questions.

Indirect questions follow the same pattern as positive sentences:

Could you tell me how long it takes to get there?

Could you tell me when the match starts?

In an indirect question, the question word (how long and when in the examples above) is followed by the subject (it and the match) and then the verb. This is the same as positive sentences:

It takes 20 miutes to get there.

The match starts at three 'o' clock.

Indirect questions don't use the auxiliary verbs 'do', 'does and 'did':

Look at these questions. Which questions are direct and which questions are indirect?

When do the shops close?

Would you mind telling me when the shops close?

How much does this shirt cost?

I was wondering how much this shirt costs.

When we use indirect questions you may need to add the third person 's' to the verb as in the final example above.

Indirect yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether':

If a question doesn't have a question word (what, when, how, where etc.) you need to add either 'if' or 'whether' to an indirect question. Look at the questions below. Which are direct questions and which are indirect questions?

Are there any good restaurants near the hotel?

Could you tell me whether there are any good restaurants near the hotel?

Is there anywhere to shopping near here?

Could you tell me if there is anywhere nearby to go shopping? 

Take a look at the following activity that includes more indirect expressions. Can you write the right answer?

Activity 2

Activity 2: In this activity, look at the direct question and try to write the correct indirect question.
Can you write the right answer?

Jack wants to visit Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Vocabulary

Polite Phrases

When we use indirect question we usually begin the question with a polite phrase. One of the most common polite phrases used with indirect questions is 'Could you tell me ...'. Look at some of the indirect questions Rich and Jack used in the podcast. What are the polite phrases at the beginning of each question?

Would you mind telling me when the shops close?

Could you let me know where the closest underground station is?

Have you any idea how I would get there?

Do you know if we are anywhere near Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament?

Indirect questions often start with 'I wonder' or 'I was wondering'. These don't need a question mark (?) because they are written as statements rather than questions. Here's an example from the podcast:

I wonder if you could help me.

I was wondering how much this shirt costs. 

Take a look at the next activity. Can you choose the right words for each gap?

Activity 3

Activity 3: In this activity, choose the correct word to complete each question.
Do you know the answers?

This is where Jack needs to go. Do you know which Premier League team play here?

Quiz

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Task

Direct Questions > Indirect Questions

In the second roleplay, you heard Rich interviewing Jack for a job. Jack used a few too many direct questions in the interview. This meant that he sounded rude and not polite; he probably won't get the job. Your task is to change the six direct questions into indirect questions. Here are the six direct questions:

  1. What’s the salary?
  2. How much money do I get?
  3. How many holidays do I get?
  4. What time do we start work? 
  5. Do you have flexitime?
  6. When do I start?

When you write the indirect questions remember these three things:

  • Start each indirect question with a polite phrase such as 'Do you know ...' or 'Could you tell me ...'.
  • We don't use auxiliary verbs 'do', 'does' and 'did' in indirect questions. 
  • Use 'if' or 'whether' in indirect questions if there is no question word.

Write your answers in the comments section below.

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Comentários

RuslanIv
10/03/2024
UA
7
points

1) Could you tell me what the salary is?
2) I'd like to know how much money I get?
3) Do you know how many holidays I get?
4) Do you have any idea what time we start working?
5) I wonder if you you have flexitime?
6) I'd like to ask you when I start?


RuslanIv
10/03/2024 10:30
Ukraine
Aston Villa
7

1) Could you tell me what the salary is?
2) I'd like to know how much money I get?
3) Do you know how many holidays I get?
4) Do you have any idea what time we start working?
5) I wonder if you you have flexitime?
6) I'd like to ask you when I start?

Lignumnyelvsikola's picture
Lignumnyelvsikola
13/10/2022
HU
6
points

Hello, I was wondering if you could help me. When I was filling in the quiz, my last answer was: too many indirect questions. It was not correct. Could you tell me why? Maybe too many rude or impolite questions?
Thank you. Best regards, Szilvia from Hungary


Lignumnyelvsikola's picture
Lignumnyelvsikola
13/10/2022 09:32
Hungary
Arsenal
6

Hello, I was wondering if you could help me. When I was filling in the quiz, my last answer was: too many indirect questions. It was not correct. Could you tell me why? Maybe too many rude or impolite questions?
Thank you. Best regards, Szilvia from Hungary

Jack Radford's picture
Jack Radford
13/10/2022
GB
22
points

Hi Szilvia

I think that the problem was that I asked too many direct questions at the job interview and came across as rude or too demanding. However, it's not a very good question as in the podcast we both asked a lot of indirect questions. 

Thanks

Jack

 

 


Jack Radford's picture
Jack Radford
13/10/2022 13:30
United Kingdom
Arsenal
22

Hi Szilvia

I think that the problem was that I asked too many direct questions at the job interview and came across as rude or too demanding. However, it's not a very good question as in the podcast we both asked a lot of indirect questions. 

Thanks

Jack

 

 

Daniel Gap's picture
Daniel Gap
15/09/2021
MX
1
points

1. I'd like to know what the salary is.

2. Could you tell me how much money I get?

3. Do you have any idea how many holidays I get?

4. Would you mind telling me what time we start work?

5. Could you tell me if you have flextime?

6. I'd like to know when I start.


Daniel Gap's picture
Daniel Gap
15/09/2021 04:18
Mexico
Chelsea
1

1. I'd like to know what the salary is.

2. Could you tell me how much money I get?

3. Do you have any idea how many holidays I get?

4. Would you mind telling me what time we start work?

5. Could you tell me if you have flextime?

6. I'd like to know when I start.

hsn's picture
hsn
23/03/2021
TR
5560
points

1. What’s the salary? Would you mind telling me what the salary is.

2. How much money do I get? I was wondering how much money I get.
3. How many holidays do I get? Could you let me know how many holidays I get.

4. What time do we start work? Could you tell me what time we start work.

5. Do you have flexitime? Could you tell me ( if / whether) you have flexitime.

6. When do I start? Could you let me know when I start.

PHRASES;

• In dry season wild animals were fighting for prey one of them snatch it off and run away.

• Standing on the bus, in the tube or in the "Dolmuş" (A type of vehicle for transporting passengers in my country) for old or disabled people is my habit. I like to help them.

P.S.
In our culture it’s impolite to ask someone’s salary or to ask a lady her age-:)


hsn's picture
hsn
23/03/2021 18:29
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

1. What’s the salary? Would you mind telling me what the salary is.

2. How much money do I get? I was wondering how much money I get.
3. How many holidays do I get? Could you let me know how many holidays I get.

4. What time do we start work? Could you tell me what time we start work.

5. Do you have flexitime? Could you tell me ( if / whether) you have flexitime.

6. When do I start? Could you let me know when I start.

PHRASES;

• In dry season wild animals were fighting for prey one of them snatch it off and run away.

• Standing on the bus, in the tube or in the "Dolmuş" (A type of vehicle for transporting passengers in my country) for old or disabled people is my habit. I like to help them.

P.S.
In our culture it’s impolite to ask someone’s salary or to ask a lady her age-:)

Niv's picture
Niv
11/02/2021
MX
97
points

What’s the salary?
Would you mind telling me what the salary is?
How much money do I get?
Could you let me know how much money I get?
How many holidays do I get?
I was wondering how many holidays I get
What time do we start work?
Do you have idea what time we start work?
Do you have flexitime?
Do you know if you have flextime
When do I start?
Could you tell me when I start?


Niv's picture
Niv
11/02/2021 15:00
Mexico
Chelsea
97

What’s the salary?
Would you mind telling me what the salary is?
How much money do I get?
Could you let me know how much money I get?
How many holidays do I get?
I was wondering how many holidays I get
What time do we start work?
Do you have idea what time we start work?
Do you have flexitime?
Do you know if you have flextime
When do I start?
Could you tell me when I start?

nelsondressler's picture
nelsondressler
02/02/2021
BR
6
points

1. What’s the salary?
Could you tell me what the salary is?

2. How much money do I get?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?

3. How many holidays do I get?
Do you know how many holidays I get?

4. What time do we start work?
Could you let me know what time we start work?

5. Do you have flexitime?
I wonder if you have flextime.

6. When do I start?
Have you any idea when I start?


nelsondressler's picture
nelsondressler
02/02/2021 14:30
Brazil
Tottenham Hotspur
6

1. What’s the salary?
Could you tell me what the salary is?

2. How much money do I get?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?

3. How many holidays do I get?
Do you know how many holidays I get?

4. What time do we start work?
Could you let me know what time we start work?

5. Do you have flexitime?
I wonder if you have flextime.

6. When do I start?
Have you any idea when I start?

kate mendoza
29/09/2020
MX
3
points

What is the salary?
Yes, it is a good salary
How much money do I receive?
I received a good salary
How many vacations do I have?
I don't have a vacation from this job
What time do we start working?
No, they haven't told me the time yet
Do you have flexible hours?
I got it
When I start?
If I start this Monday


kate mendoza
29/09/2020 23:45
Mexico
Leeds United
3

What is the salary?
Yes, it is a good salary
How much money do I receive?
I received a good salary
How many vacations do I have?
I don't have a vacation from this job
What time do we start working?
No, they haven't told me the time yet
Do you have flexible hours?
I got it
When I start?
If I start this Monday

water1999's picture
water1999
25/09/2020
RU
1
points

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Do you know how much holidays I get ?
Do you know what time we start work ?
Would you mind telling me if you have flexitime ?
Could tell me when I start ?


water1999's picture
water1999
25/09/2020 08:37
Russia
Chelsea
1

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Do you know how much holidays I get ?
Do you know what time we start work ?
Would you mind telling me if you have flexitime ?
Could tell me when I start ?

Hiba's picture
Hiba
23/08/2020
TN
6
points

Do you know what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Could you tell me how much holidays I get ?
Would you mind telling me what time we start work ?
Do you know if I have flexitime ?
Could tell me when I start ?


Hiba's picture
Hiba
23/08/2020 15:12
Tunisia
Manchester United
6

Do you know what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Could you tell me how much holidays I get ?
Would you mind telling me what time we start work ?
Do you know if I have flexitime ?
Could tell me when I start ?

Ran Gao
04/08/2020
CN
5
points

What’s the salary? ---Could you let me know what the salary is?
How much money do I get? ---Would you mind telling me how much money i could get?
How many holidays do I get? ---I wonder how many holidays i could get?
What time do we start work? --- Do you have any idea what time we start work?
Do you have flexitime? ---would it be possible to let me know wether you have flexitime?
When do I start?


Ran Gao
04/08/2020 04:24
China
Chelsea
5

What’s the salary? ---Could you let me know what the salary is?
How much money do I get? ---Would you mind telling me how much money i could get?
How many holidays do I get? ---I wonder how many holidays i could get?
What time do we start work? --- Do you have any idea what time we start work?
Do you have flexitime? ---would it be possible to let me know wether you have flexitime?
When do I start?

Joss
18/06/2020
MX
5
points

Taks:
1.- What’s the salary? --> I was wondering what the salary is?
2.- How much money do I get? --> Could you tell me how much money I get?
3.- How many holidays do I get? --> I'd like to know how many holidays I get.
4.- What time do we start work? --> Do you have any idea what time we start to work?
5.- Do you have flexitime? --> Do you know if you have flexitime?
6.- When do I start? --> Could you let me know when I start?


Joss
18/06/2020 17:55
Mexico
Chelsea
5

Taks:
1.- What’s the salary? --> I was wondering what the salary is?
2.- How much money do I get? --> Could you tell me how much money I get?
3.- How many holidays do I get? --> I'd like to know how many holidays I get.
4.- What time do we start work? --> Do you have any idea what time we start to work?
5.- Do you have flexitime? --> Do you know if you have flexitime?
6.- When do I start? --> Could you let me know when I start?

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
30/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I think this week's football phrase is ( to be given the boot )


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
30/05/2020 16:39
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I think this week's football phrase is ( to be given the boot )

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
30/05/2020
TR
6539
points

Task :
What’s the salary?
* Do you have any idea what the salary is ?
How much money do I get?
* I was wondering how much money I will get.
How many holidays do I get?
* Could you tell me how many holidays I get ?
What time do we start work?
* Could you tell me what time we start work ?
Do you have flexitime?
* I wonder whether we have a flexitime.
When do I start?
* Do you know when I start ?


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
30/05/2020 16:32
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

Task :
What’s the salary?
* Do you have any idea what the salary is ?
How much money do I get?
* I was wondering how much money I will get.
How many holidays do I get?
* Could you tell me how many holidays I get ?
What time do we start work?
* Could you tell me what time we start work ?
Do you have flexitime?
* I wonder whether we have a flexitime.
When do I start?
* Do you know when I start ?

Oleg Gordiienko
26/04/2020
PL
7
points

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Do you know how much money I get?
Could you tell me how many holidays I get?
Do you know what time we start work?
Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
Do you know when I start?


Oleg Gordiienko
26/04/2020 17:54
Poland
Arsenal
7

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Do you know how much money I get?
Could you tell me how many holidays I get?
Do you know what time we start work?
Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
Do you know when I start?

jenn_goux
12/11/2019
FR
1
points

1. Could you tell me what the salary is?
2. Do you know how much money I will get?
3. Do you know how many holidays I will get?
4. Do you know when do we start the work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when do I start?


jenn_goux
12/11/2019 11:10
France
Arsenal
1

1. Could you tell me what the salary is?
2. Do you know how much money I will get?
3. Do you know how many holidays I will get?
4. Do you know when do we start the work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when do I start?

JimenaSanchezAraujo
15/05/2019
PE
7
points

What’s the salary? / Could you tell me what's the salary like?
How much money do I get? / Would you mind telling me if how much money do I get?
How many holidays do I get? / Is there any chance you can tell me how many holidays do I get?
What time do we start work? / Do you know when the time do we start?
Do you have flexitime? /Is there a chance you have flexitime?
When do I start?/ Do you mind telling when do I start?

Phrase: To be given the boot


JimenaSanchezAraujo
15/05/2019 23:41
Peru
Liverpool
7

What’s the salary? / Could you tell me what's the salary like?
How much money do I get? / Would you mind telling me if how much money do I get?
How many holidays do I get? / Is there any chance you can tell me how many holidays do I get?
What time do we start work? / Do you know when the time do we start?
Do you have flexitime? /Is there a chance you have flexitime?
When do I start?/ Do you mind telling when do I start?

Phrase: To be given the boot

Rich's picture
Rich
16/05/2019
ES
594
points

Thanks for your answers, Jimena.

Your guess at the phrase is a good one and 'to be given the boot' is a useful informal phrase to know, bt it's not the one we are looking for. The phrase we are looking for has the same meaning though :)

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
16/05/2019 08:02
Spain
Liverpool
594

Thanks for your answers, Jimena.

Your guess at the phrase is a good one and 'to be given the boot' is a useful informal phrase to know, bt it's not the one we are looking for. The phrase we are looking for has the same meaning though :)

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

JimenaSanchezAraujo
15/05/2019
PE
7
points

To be given a boot in


JimenaSanchezAraujo
15/05/2019 23:15
Peru
Liverpool
7

To be given a boot in

maveme
20/09/2018
CO
75
points

1. I was wondering what the salary is.
2. Could you tell me how much money I get?
3. I wonder how many holidays I get?
4. Could you tell me what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when I start?


maveme
20/09/2018 21:08
Colombia
West Ham United
75

1. I was wondering what the salary is.
2. Could you tell me how much money I get?
3. I wonder how many holidays I get?
4. Could you tell me what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when I start?

Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
13/09/2018
UA
4417
points

I think that the phrase is '******** ******'


Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
13/09/2018 14:27
Ukraine
Watford
4417

I think that the phrase is '******** ******'

Rafael Robson's picture
Rafael Robson
11/09/2018
BR
615
points

Let me write the indirect questions.

1. Could you let me know what the salary is?
2. Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
3. I was wondering how many holidays I get.
4. Do you have any idea what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when I start?


Rafael Robson's picture
Rafael Robson
11/09/2018 04:29
Brazil
Tottenham Hotspur
615

Let me write the indirect questions.

1. Could you let me know what the salary is?
2. Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
3. I was wondering how many holidays I get.
4. Do you have any idea what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Do you know when I start?

Richard J's picture
Richard J
11/09/2018
EC
2846
points

Hello everyone,
Could you tell me what the salary is?
I'd like to know how much money I get?
Would you mind telling me how many holidays I get?
I was wondering what time we start to work?
I wonder you have flexitime?
Do you know when I start?


Richard J's picture
Richard J
11/09/2018 02:20
Ecuador
Liverpool
2846

Hello everyone,
Could you tell me what the salary is?
I'd like to know how much money I get?
Would you mind telling me how many holidays I get?
I was wondering what time we start to work?
I wonder you have flexitime?
Do you know when I start?

acicala's picture
acicala
10/09/2018
ES
1646
points

-What’s the salary? --> I’d like to know what the salary is?
-How much money do I get? --> Could you tell me how much money I get?
-How many days’ holiday do I get? --> Would it be possible to know how many days’ holiday I get?
-What time do we start work? --> Do you know what time we start work?
-Do you have flexitime? --> I was wondering if you have flexitime?
-When do I start? --> Could you let me know when I start?

This week’s football phrase is “******** ******”.


acicala's picture
acicala
10/09/2018 17:23
Spain
Chelsea
1646

-What’s the salary? --> I’d like to know what the salary is?
-How much money do I get? --> Could you tell me how much money I get?
-How many days’ holiday do I get? --> Would it be possible to know how many days’ holiday I get?
-What time do we start work? --> Do you know what time we start work?
-Do you have flexitime? --> I was wondering if you have flexitime?
-When do I start? --> Could you let me know when I start?

This week’s football phrase is “******** ******”.

elghoul's picture
elghoul
10/09/2018
DZ
3988
points

Could you tell me what the salary is?

Do you mind telling me how much money I get?

Do you know how many holidays I get?

Would you mind telling me what time we start work?

Could you tell me if you have flexytime?

Do you know when I start?

football phrase, moving away order.

Role play : Jack is speaking to Rich. He is in London. He is going to the Wembley football stadium to see Tottenham.

 


elghoul's picture
elghoul
10/09/2018 13:40
Algeria
Manchester City
3988

Could you tell me what the salary is?

Do you mind telling me how much money I get?

Do you know how many holidays I get?

Would you mind telling me what time we start work?

Could you tell me if you have flexytime?

Do you know when I start?

football phrase, moving away order.

Role play : Jack is speaking to Rich. He is in London. He is going to the Wembley football stadium to see Tottenham.

 

milos
10/09/2018
RS
2663
points

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Could you let me know how many holidays I get?
I was wondering what time we start work.
I wonder if you have flexitime.
Could you let me know when I start?


milos
10/09/2018 07:37
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

Could you tell me what the salary is?
Would you mind telling me how much money I get?
Could you let me know how many holidays I get?
I was wondering what time we start work.
I wonder if you have flexitime.
Could you let me know when I start?

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
10/09/2018
GH
4779
points

This week's phrase is ******** ******. Rashford suffered this fate in our last league game against Burnley.


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
10/09/2018 04:22
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

This week's phrase is ******** ******. Rashford suffered this fate in our last league game against Burnley.

RafaelRC's picture
RafaelRC
10/09/2018
BR
663
points

Hi! Would you mind correct me, please?

I think that Jack is going to West Ham's stadium, the Olympic Stadium of London.

1)What’s the salary?
I would like to know what the salary if I'm hired.
2)How much money do I get?
I was wondering how much money I'll receive.
3)How many holidays do I get?
Could you tell me how many holidays I'll get?
4)What time do we start work?
Could you let me know what time we start work?
5)Do you have flexitime?
Do you know if you have flexitime?
6)When do I start?
Have you any idea about when I start?


RafaelRC's picture
RafaelRC
10/09/2018 03:04
Brazil
Arsenal
663

Hi! Would you mind correct me, please?

I think that Jack is going to West Ham's stadium, the Olympic Stadium of London.

1)What’s the salary?
I would like to know what the salary if I'm hired.
2)How much money do I get?
I was wondering how much money I'll receive.
3)How many holidays do I get?
Could you tell me how many holidays I'll get?
4)What time do we start work?
Could you let me know what time we start work?
5)Do you have flexitime?
Do you know if you have flexitime?
6)When do I start?
Have you any idea about when I start?

Rich's picture
Rich
24/09/2018
ES
594
points

Hi RafaelRC,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Here are a couple of things to change:

  • Use would not will because it is more polite e.g. I was wondering how much money I would receive.
  • Questons 5 & 6 would be better with 'Could you tell me ...' because the person you are speaking would definitely have this information.

Hope that helps,

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
24/09/2018 16:10
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi RafaelRC,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Here are a couple of things to change:

  • Use would not will because it is more polite e.g. I was wondering how much money I would receive.
  • Questons 5 & 6 would be better with 'Could you tell me ...' because the person you are speaking would definitely have this information.

Hope that helps,

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

Zaid
09/09/2018
IN
63
points

Another interesting podcast and a very good topic. Completed the quiz and I guess this week's phrase is ******** ******.


Zaid
09/09/2018 13:28
India
Manchester United
63

Another interesting podcast and a very good topic. Completed the quiz and I guess this week's phrase is ******** ******.

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
09/09/2018
SD
2903
points

I wonder if that station, Gareth Southgate station, has something to do with the England national team manager?

I guess that stadium shown in the picture could be the London Stadium, it could also be Wembley Stadium, but I don't think it's the iconic landmark because I can't see that giant, famous arc although the stands and the overview look like that of Wembley.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
09/09/2018 11:51
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

I wonder if that station, Gareth Southgate station, has something to do with the England national team manager?

I guess that stadium shown in the picture could be the London Stadium, it could also be Wembley Stadium, but I don't think it's the iconic landmark because I can't see that giant, famous arc although the stands and the overview look like that of Wembley.

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
09/09/2018
SD
2903
points

Correct me.

▶TASK
A1. What’s the salary?
B1. Could you please let me know what the salary is?

A2. How much money do I get?
B2. Would you mind telling me how much money I get?

A3. How many holidays do I get?
B3. Do you know how many holidays I get?

A4. What time do we start work?
B4. I wonder what time we start work?

A5. Do you have flexitime?
B5. I was wondering if you have flexitime?

A6. When do I start?
B6. Have you any idea when I start?


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
09/09/2018 10:51
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Correct me.

▶TASK
A1. What’s the salary?
B1. Could you please let me know what the salary is?

A2. How much money do I get?
B2. Would you mind telling me how much money I get?

A3. How many holidays do I get?
B3. Do you know how many holidays I get?

A4. What time do we start work?
B4. I wonder what time we start work?

A5. Do you have flexitime?
B5. I was wondering if you have flexitime?

A6. When do I start?
B6. Have you any idea when I start?

Rich's picture
Rich
24/09/2018
ES
594
points

Hi Ahmed Adam,

I'm going to try to catch up with some comments today. Sorry for the delay.

Just a couple of things here. When you say, 'I was wondering if ...', we actually write this as a sentence rather than a question so you don't need a question mark. Also, B4 should be written with 'I was wondering ...' otherwise it sounds like you are speaking (wondering) to yourself.

The only other thing to think about is the context. B3 and B6 would work better with 'Could you tell me ...' because the employer would know the number of holidays and the starting date.

Hope that helps.

Rich - Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
24/09/2018 12:33
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Ahmed Adam,

I'm going to try to catch up with some comments today. Sorry for the delay.

Just a couple of things here. When you say, 'I was wondering if ...', we actually write this as a sentence rather than a question so you don't need a question mark. Also, B4 should be written with 'I was wondering ...' otherwise it sounds like you are speaking (wondering) to yourself.

The only other thing to think about is the context. B3 and B6 would work better with 'Could you tell me ...' because the employer would know the number of holidays and the starting date.

Hope that helps.

Rich - Premier Skills English Team

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
25/09/2018
SD
2903
points

No problem at all. Sure you'd come back when you got time for that.

Alright teacher. lots of thanks.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
25/09/2018 09:32
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

No problem at all. Sure you'd come back when you got time for that.

Alright teacher. lots of thanks.

lakerwang
08/09/2018
CN
337
points

1. Could you let me know what the salary is?
2. I was wondering how much money I get.
3. I'd like to know how many holidays I get.
4. Do you know what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Is there any chance that I know when I start?

The football phrase is "******** ******"


lakerwang
08/09/2018 17:01
China
Chelsea
337

1. Could you let me know what the salary is?
2. I was wondering how much money I get.
3. I'd like to know how many holidays I get.
4. Do you know what time we start work?
5. Could you tell me if you have flexitime?
6. Is there any chance that I know when I start?

The football phrase is "******** ******"

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
07/09/2018
SD
2903
points

The football phrase is to be given your '******** ******'! I still haven't downloaded the podcast yet, but as soon as I saw the words (to be given your....) on the transcript at the first glance, my mind automatically threw the rest of the sentence at me! Love this phrase!


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
07/09/2018 16:27
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

The football phrase is to be given your '******** ******'! I still haven't downloaded the podcast yet, but as soon as I saw the words (to be given your....) on the transcript at the first glance, my mind automatically threw the rest of the sentence at me! Love this phrase!

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
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Club ranking
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1Manchester United147000
2Liverpool111527
3Chelsea90265
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10Crystal Palace4568

Level

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Goals

Skills: Listening

Language: Indirect Questions

Task: Change six direct questions to indirect questions to be more polite