In some analyses, the difference between embedded questions and indirect questions lies in their primary function: embedded questions are used for politeness or indirectness when asking a question, while indirect questions are used to report what someone else asked.
While the terms "embedded question" and "indirect question" are often used interchangeably to refer to questions nested within another sentence or clause, in some analyses, a specific distinction is made based on their function.
Understanding the Distinction
Based on some linguistic analyses, the terms are differentiated as follows:
- Embedded Question: Reserved for instances where the question is used in an oblique or more polite manner to ask a question.
- Indirect Question: Used specifically for reported questions, stating what someone else asked.
This distinction, though not universally applied, highlights different uses of questions when they are part of a larger sentence structure.
Embedded Questions (Polite/Oblique Function)
When "embedded question" is used in this specific sense, it refers to questions introduced by phrases designed to soften the query or make it more polite. The main sentence structure is a statement or another question, and the embedded clause is the core question being asked indirectly.
- Function: To ask a question more politely or indirectly.
- Structure: Often starts with phrases like "Could you tell me...", "Do you know...", "I was wondering...", followed by the question clause (which does not use question word order or a question mark at the end of the entire sentence unless the main clause is a question).
- Examples:
- Could you tell me where the nearest bank is?
- Do you know if this train goes to the city center?
- I was wondering what time the meeting starts.
In these examples, the phrases "Could you tell me," "Do you know," and "I was wondering" make the direct questions ("Where is the nearest bank?", "Does this train go...?", "What time does the meeting start?") more polite by embedding them.
Indirect Questions (Reported Speech)
When "indirect question" is used with this specific distinction, it refers to questions that report what someone previously asked. This falls under the category of reported speech.
- Function: To report a question that was asked by someone else.
- Structure: Typically follows a reporting verb like "asked," "wondered," "inquired," etc. It uses a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) or "if"/"whether" to introduce the reported question clause, and the word order is like a statement (subject + verb).
- Examples:
- She asked me where the nearest bank was.
- He wondered if this train went to the city center.
- They inquired what time the meeting started.
Here, the sentences report the questions that were previously asked directly. The tense often shifts back, and the question structure changes to statement word order.
Summary of the Distinction (In some analyses)
Based on the reference provided:
| Feature | Embedded Question (Polite/Oblique) | Indirect Question (Reported Speech) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | To ask a question politely or indirectly | To report a question previously asked |
| Typical Start | Polite phrase (e.g., "Could you tell me...") | Reporting verb (e.g., "asked," "wondered") |
| Context | Directly addressing someone to ask a question | Reporting on a past conversation or query |
It is important to remember that the terminology can vary, and these terms are often used interchangeably to mean any question nested within another sentence. The distinction described above is specific to certain analyses, as mentioned in the reference: "In some analyses, the term embedded question is reserved for the function of being oblique and more polite when asking a question and the term indirect question is used for reported questions."
