Indirect Questions in Work Emails: Get the Word Order Right

After “Could you tell me…” or “Do you know…”, use statement word order in the question inside the sentence: “where the room is,” not “where is the room.” Write “Could you tell me where the room is?”

The introduction changes how you build the rest of the sentence. You cannot simply add it in front of every direct question and leave the original word order in place.

Put the subject before the verb

Compare the direct question with the question embedded after an introduction:

Direct question	With an introduction	Inner word order
Where is the room?	Could you tell me where the room is?	where + the room + is
When does the building open?	Do you know when the building opens?	when + the building + opens
When did the supplier send the samples?	Could you tell me when the supplier sent the samples?	when + the supplier + sent

The British Council’s guide to questions and negatives explains this statement order under “Other ways of asking questions.”

When do, does or did is used only to form the original question, remove it from the embedded clause. Keep the tense and agreement: “does the building open” becomes “the building opens”; “did the supplier send” becomes “the supplier sent.”

You are asking for information now. Adding “Could you tell me” does not itself require changing “opens” to “opened.” The past form in the samples example comes from the original past-time question.

Check whether the question word is already the subject

“Who opens the building?” asks which person performs the action. Here, who is already the subject. The inner order stays the same:

Do you know who opens the building?

Do not reverse words mechanically whenever you see a question word. Identify the subject and what the question asks.

Punctuate the whole sentence

The embedded clause uses statement order, but that does not make the whole sentence a statement:

Question: Could you tell me when the building opens?

Request: Please tell me when the building opens.

Both contain “when the building opens.” The first sentence is a complete question and takes a question mark. The second is an instruction softened with “please” and ends with a full stop.

Direct questions also work in professional emails. “When does the building open?” can be clear and appropriate between colleagues. Longer wording is not automatically more polite. For the verb patterns in different request openings, see could you please and would you mind.

Practice: ask for two missing arrival details

This situation is fictional. You are Priya, preparing arrival instructions for a workplace workshop on 12 November 2026. You are writing before 10 November to Felix, the colleague coordinating building arrangements.

Use these facts:

• The workshop room is confirmed as B4, and the session starts at 10 a.m. Paris time.
• You do not know where B4 is within the building or when the building opens on 12 November.
• You need Felix’s reply by noon Paris time on 10 November to finish the arrival instructions.
• No attachment, web link, entrance choice or early-access arrangement has been supplied.

Write a subject and a short email before reading the model. Ask for the two missing facts, using at least one embedded question. Explain the reply deadline without asking Felix to reconfirm the session’s known start time.

One possible email

Subject: Arrival details for the 12 November workshop

Hi Felix,

I’m preparing the arrival instructions for the workshop in B4 on 12 November 2026. The session starts at 10 a.m. Paris time.

Could you tell me where B4 is within the building and when the building opens that morning? Please reply by noon Paris time on 10 November so I can finish the instructions.

Thanks, Priya

The two inner clauses use statement order: where B4 is and when the building opens. The final question mark belongs to the whole “Could you tell me…” sentence. The next sentence supplies a genuine deadline and its reason.

The email distinguishes known facts from missing information. A 10 a.m. session start does not establish the building’s opening time.

Revise it: the room location is now known

Before sending, Priya receives confirmed information: B4 is on the third floor, in the east wing. The building’s opening time on 12 November is still unknown. The reply deadline stays the same.

Rewrite the email before reading the second model. Remove the answered location question and ask only for the opening time. Do not invent an opening time or assume that people can enter before the building opens.

One possible revised email

Subject: Building opening time for the 12 November workshop

Hi Felix,

I’m finishing the arrival instructions for the workshop on 12 November 2026. I now have B4’s location: the third floor, in the east wing. The session starts at 10 a.m. Paris time.

Could you tell me when the building opens that morning? Please reply by noon Paris time on 10 November so I can finish the instructions.

Thanks, Priya

The remaining question still uses when + the building + opens. The revision also changes the information request: Felix no longer needs to answer a question Priya has already resolved. These are alternative drafts; Priya has not sent the first email.

Check the question and the information need

Before sending, check the inner word order, the whole sentence’s punctuation and whether each requested fact is still missing.

For yes-or-no information, compare if and whether in work emails. If the problem is an unclear instruction rather than a missing fact, use the clarification-email guide.

To practise your own replies, start practicing for free. EmailBetter sends workplace scenarios tailored to your profile to your inbox. You write your reply in your usual email app, then review AI feedback in your dashboard.