Indirect questions are questions that are embedded in a statement (e.g., “I wonder who will win this year;” “She asked Max where he was”).
Indirect questions often begin with an interrogative word (e.g., “where,” “when”), but they can also begin with “if” or “whether” (e.g., “My mom asked whether you want to stay for dinner”).
An indirect question is a special type of noun clause, often referred to as an interrogative clause. It is typically embedded within a declarative sentence, so it is not followed by a question mark. Additionally, the word order is the same as a declarative sentence (i.e., subject followed by verb).
Read this FAQ: What is an indirect question?
When used as an interrogative to form a question, “what” refers to an (essentially) unlimited set of options, while “which” refers to a narrower or limited set. For example:
- What are you wearing to the concert?
- Which shirt will you wear: the blue or the green?
- What is your favorite song?
- Which song should I play for the recital?
The choice of “what” or “which” often depends on the context of the sentence.
Read this FAQ: What is the difference between “which” and “what”?
Yes, a sentence can end with “for” (e.g., “I don’t know what this tool is for”). In the past, writers were encouraged not to end a sentence with a preposition (e.g., “for,” “to,” “about”), but this guidance is outdated.
Sentences and clauses frequently end with a preposition when the object of the preposition is a relative pronoun (e.g., “whom,” “what”).
Read this FAQ: Can you end a sentence with “for”?
Yes, a sentence can end with with (e.g., “What can I pair this wine with?”). In the past, writers were encouraged not to end a sentence with a preposition (e.g., “with,” “for,” “to”), but this guidance is outdated.
Sentences and clauses frequently end with a preposition when the object of the preposition is a relative pronoun (e.g., “whom,” “what”).
Read this FAQ: Can you end a sentence with “with”?
Yes, a sentence can end with to (e.g., “Whom are you talking to?”). In the past, writers were encouraged not to end a sentence with a preposition (e.g., “to,” “for,” “about”), but this guidance is outdated.
Sentences and clauses frequently end with a preposition when the object of the preposition is a relative pronoun (e.g., “whom,” “what”).
Read this FAQ: Can you end a sentence with “to”?
Yes, an object of a preposition is considered compound if it consists of two or more nouns or pronouns (e.g., “I’m going hiking with Vera and Jonas”).
Read this FAQ: Can there be a compound object of a preposition?
Yes, since it functions as a noun, a gerund (e.g., “reading,” “thinking”) can be the object of a preposition in a sentence (e.g., “I’ve thought about leaving”).
Read this FAQ: Can a gerund be the object of a preposition?
In a compound predicate, two (or more) verbs share one subject (e.g., “Tan sings and dances very well”).
A compound sentence has two (or more) separate subjects that act on two (or more) separate verbs (e.g., “Tan sings, and Lina dances”).
Read this FAQ: What is the difference between a compound predicate and a compound sentence?
A compound predicate with only two verbs does not use a comma (e.g., “I made my bed and took a shower”).
For a compound predicate with more than two verbs, a comma is used to separate the verbs or verb phrases, and the coordinating conjunction (e.g., “and”) is placed before the last verb.
- If you use the Oxford comma (or serial comma), you place a comma before the conjunction (e.g., “I cooked, cleaned, and did laundry all day”).
- If you do not use the Oxford comma, you do not place a comma before the conjunction (e.g., “I cooked, cleaned and did laundry all day”).
Read this FAQ: Do compound predicates need commas?
A compound subject refers to the group of nouns or pronouns that perform the action of the verb or are described by the verb (e.g., “Elle and Miriam are going to the store,” “She and Miriam are tall”).
A compound predicate occurs when two or more verbs share the same subject (e.g., “Beck walks and runs daily”).
Compound subjects and compound predicates can be used together (e.g., “The fans and the team cheered and shouted to celebrate the win”), or a compound subject can be used with a simple predicate and vice versa.
Read this FAQ: What is the difference between a compound subject and a compound predicate?
