Unit Questions 2 (do you know where … ?

/
50 he asked me where …)
A Do you know where … ? / I don’t know why … / Could you tell me what … ? etc.
We say: Where has Tom gone?

but Do you know where Tom has gone? (not has Tom gone)
When the question (Where has Tom gone?) is part of a longer sentence (Do you know … ? /
I don’t know … / Can you tell me … ? etc.), the word order changes. We say:
What time is it? but Do you know what time it is?
Who are those people? I don’t know who those people are.
Where can I find Louise? Can you tell me where I can find Louise?
How much will it cost? Do you have any idea how much it will cost?

Be careful with do/does/did questions. We say:

What time does the film start? but Do you know what time the film starts?
(not does the film start)
What do you mean? Please explain what you mean.
Why did she leave early? I wonder why she left early.

Use if or whether where there is no other question word (what, why etc.):

Did anybody see you? but I don’t know if anybody saw me.
or … whether anybody saw me.

B He asked me where …
The same changes in word order happen in questions in reported speech. Compare:
direct The police officer said to us ‘Where are you going ?’
reported The police officer asked us where we were going .
direct Clare asked ‘What time do the shops close ?’
reported Clare wanted to know what time the shops closed .
In reported speech the verb usually changes to the past (were, closed etc.). See Unit 47.
Study these examples. You had a job interview and the interviewer asked you these questions:
Are you willing to travel? Why did you apply for the job?

What do you do in your spare time? Can you speak any other languages?

How long have you been

working in your present job? Do you have a driving licence?

Later you tell a friend what the interviewer asked you. You use reported speech:
She asked if (or whether) I was willing to travel.
She wanted to know what I did in my spare time.
She asked how long I had been working in my present job.
She asked why I had applied for the job. or … why I applied …
She wanted to know if (or whether) I could speak any other languages.
She asked if (or whether) I had a driving licence.

100 Reported speech ➜ Units 47–48

 Unit
Exercises 50
50.1 Which is right? Tick (✓) the correct alternative.
1 a Do you know what time the film starts? 5 a Why you didn’t phone me yesterday?
b Do you know what time does the film start? b Why didn’t you phone me yesterday?
c Do you know what time starts the film? c Why you not phoned me yesterday?
2 a Why Amy does get up so early every day? 6 a Do you know where does Helen work?
b Why Amy gets up so early every day? b Do you know where Helen does work?
c Why does Amy get up so early every day? c Do you know where Helen works?
3 a I want to know what this word means. 7 a How much it costs to park here?
b I want to know what does this word mean. b How much does it cost to park here?
c I want to know what means this word. c How much it does cost to park here?
4 a I can’t remember where did I park the car. 8 a Tell me what you want.
b I can’t remember where I parked the car. b Tell me what you do want.
c I can’t remember where I did park the car. c Tell me what do you want.
50.2 Put the words in the correct order.
1 (it / you / what time / know / is) Do you know what time it is ?
2 (is / to the airport / far / it) How ?
3 (wonder / is / how / old / Tom) I .
4 (they / married / been / have) How long ?
5 (they / married / how long / been / have / know)
Do you ?
6 (tell / the station / you / me / is / where)
Could ?
7 (in the accident / injured / anyone / don’t / whether / know / was)
I .
8 (what / tomorrow / know / time / will / arrive / you / you)
Do ?
50.3 You were visiting London. You met a lot of people who asked you a lot of questions:

1 Where are you from? 5 Where are you staying?

How long have you How long are you

2 been in London? 6 going to stay?

Have you been to Do you think London

3 London before? 7 is expensive?

Why did you

4 Do you like London? 8 come to London?

Now you tell a friend what people asked you. Use reported speech.
1 He asked me where I was from.
2 She asked me
3 They
4
5
6
7
8

➜ Additional exercise 25 (page 316) 101

 UNIT 16
Verb inversion

In formal English the subject and verb are occasionally inverted, to give emphasis or
literary or dramatic effect. This should be avoided in spoken or informal English.
Inversion may take place in
a adverb clauses beginning with Scarcely/Hardly... when/before,
No sooner... than.
• Hardly had he raised the alarm() when the fire engine arrived.
• No sooner had she told him her address than she regretted it.
b negative adverb clauses beginning with Under no circumstances, On no
account, In vain, At no time, In no way, Never/Not for one moment,
Seldom, Rarely, Never:
• In vain did they try to persuade him.
c conditional clauses in which if is replaced by had, had... but, had... only,
should:
• Should the rope break, the dinghy will float away.
• Had Colin but informed the police, he would be safe now.
d clauses with so + adjective (or little, few, much, many) or such + noun:
• So little did he know about herQ that he was not even sure of her name.
• Such was my annoyanceQ that I tore up the letter.

A Rewrite the sentences, 1 They had seldom participated in such a fascinating ceremony.
putting the words in italics 2 I pleaded with him in vain. He was adamant.
at the beginning, and ^ Miss Weaver will not be offered the job under any circumstances.
making any other necessary
changes. 4 If the film should be a box-office success, there may be a sequel.
5 He was so surprised to be addressed by the Queen that he didn’t
answer at once.
6 If only they had confirmed by phone, the airline could have warned
them.
He had hardly entered the house when the police arrested him.
8 I never for one moment thought the consequences would be so far-
reaching.
She has rarely travelled more than fifty miles from her village.
10 You must on no account lift heavy weights like that again.
11 I had scarcely put down the phone when it rang again.
12 The defendant did not express his misgivings in any way.
13 The task was so difficult that expert assistance was required.
14 If they had accepted our offer, we would have moved house by now.

54
 U nit 16

B Match the two halves of
the sentences correctly.
1 No sooner had Karen parked
her car
2 Such was her fury that
3 Scarcely had the plane landed
4 Should you need any help,
5 Nowhere else in the world
A I’ll be available all afternoon.
B when it was surrounded by
photographers.
C than a lorry crashed into it.
D can you find palaces as fine as
these.
E she threw the book across the
room.

Inversion also takes place

a after only and as:
• Only yesterday did I hear the news.
• They live in Hollywood, as do most of the other stars.
Also note the use of Not only... but also:
• Not only did we get wet; but we also lost our passports.
b in clauses with *here and *there, and other adverbial expressions of place.
Note that do/did are not used: • Here are the answers.
• Up jumped the cat. • In the corner sat a large pig.
Note also that continuous tenses are rare:
• There goes the bus! NOT *There is going the bus!
In this case inversion does not take place if the subject is a pronoun:
• Here you are! • Down it jumped. • Round the corner she ran.
‘ Inversion after these words is normal, not just a formal use.
c in short answers with neither, nor and so, formally and informally:
• Neither do I. • Nor is he. • So are you.

C Correct the sentences if 1 Over fell I, and broke my leg.

necessary, beginning with 2 ‘I’d rather have a walk in the morning.’ ‘So I would.’
the same word. Tick any
3 Not only she twisted her ankle, but she also dropped her purse.
which are already correct.
4 Down in the valley lay a fertile-looking vineyard.
5 Only recently did scientists discover a cure for certain types of
leukaemia.
6 Charlotte Bronte died of tuberculosis, as did all her sisters.
7 Up the stairs did the plump old housekeeper puff.
8 Look, there go the children on their way to school.
9 Right through the underwater tunnel swam she.
10 Only if you pay cash will you get the car.
11 Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.
12 There is the famous statue of Admiral Lord Nelson standing.
13 Only last week found I the information I’d been looking for.
14 Here the police come! Someone must have called them.

55
U nit 16
D Complete the second
sentence so that it means
the same as the first one,
using the word given. You
must use between three
and eight words,
including the word given.
Be careful, because
inversion may not be
required in every sentence.
56
1 It isn’t worth considering his suggestion for a moment,
giving
Not for one moment_________________________ _ consideration.
2 He was so disgusted at the way she behaved that he refused to speak
to her.
her
Such ______________________________ he refused to speak to her.
3 Adele tries hard, but she doesn’t get anywhere,
hard
However______________________________ nowhere.
4 The volunteers’ efforts to avert the catastrophe were unsuccessful,
attempt
In vain______________________________ avert the catastrophe.
5 I was never shown how to operate the machine,
ever
At no time______________________________ the machine work.
6 The firm had never celebrated anything so lavishly before,
such
Never______________________________ laid on by the firm.
7 It wasn’t until last week that the minister admitted he was wrong,
error
Only last week_______________________________ of judgement.
8 Tick the box if you wish to take advantage of the offer,
accept
Should______________________________ tick in the box.
9 We may have to reject applications in a few cases,
be
In a few cases, applications______________________________ down.
10 Invitations were sent out as soon as the date was chosen,
been
Hardly______________________________ invitations were sent out.
11 In order to stay open, the charity shop needs at least four helpers,
enable
No fewer_______________________________ the charity shop to stay
open.
12 If his father hadn’t advised him against it, he might have become a
record producer.
for
Had it not_______________________________ a record producer now.
13 The employees insisted on being given a full bonus,
satisfy
Nothing but______________________________ the employees.
14 This computer data is strictly confidential,
revealed
Under no circumstances______________________________ to anyone.