Orange Level

Lesson Twenty

Embedded Questions

An embedded question is contained within a statement or a question. The important thing here is word order:

1. I don’t know where the library is.

2. Do you know where the library is?

compare to:

3. Where is the library?

The first two examples contain an embedded question. The word order for an embedded qustion is subject and then verb.

The third example (Where is the library?) is just a regular question in which the word order is verb and then subject. In this lesson, you will learn how to make questions and statements that have questions within them. This lesson is similar to Lesson Six in the Orange Level.

Embedded questions are often used in conversation:

Question

Embedded Question

avocado

What does an avocado taste like?

I don’t know what an avocado tastes like.

Do you know what it tastes like?

cake

Where did you buy this cake?

I can’t remember where I bought the cake.

Where did they move to?

I have no idea where they moved to.

Does anyone know where they moved to?

leaf

Why do leaves change color in the fall.

I don’t know why leaves change colors.

Is there a website that can explain why leaves change color in the fall?

hiker

How long has she been gone on her trip.

I’m not sure how long she’s been gone.

Does anyone know how long she’s been gone?

loafers

How much did you pay for those shoes?

I’m not sure how much I paid for the shoes.

Does the receipt show how much I paid for them?

trike

When did she learn how to ride a tricycle?

I can’t remember when she learned how to ride a bike.

Do you think she remembers when she learned to do that?

Are you ready for a quiz?

Next: Lesson Twenty-one