Indirect Questions ESL Worksheets, Activities, Role-Plays and Games

In this communicative indirect questions speaking activity, students use indirect question phrases to make polite requests. Students read their card and then move around the class, trying to persuade as many people as possible to do whatever is on their card. Students do this by explaining the situation and using indirect question phrases to make polite requests. Students only agree to do what other people ask if they genuinely think they wouldn't mind doing it. For example, a student should only agree to take someone to the airport at 6 a.m. if they have a car and like waking up early. If a student doesn't want to do something, they decline the request and explain why. Students note down the names of the classmates who agree to their request. Afterwards, students give feedback to the class on how many people agreed to their request.

Here is a comprehensive indirect questions worksheet to help students learn and practice how to ask questions politely. In the first exercise, students complete indirect questions with words and phrases from a box. Next, students put words in the correct order to make indirect questions. Students then correct mistakes in indirect questions. In the last exercise, students make direct questions into indirect questions.

In this engaging indirect questions speaking activity, students ask and answer indirect questions in a street interview. Students imagine that they are reporters for a local radio or TV station and that they are going to interview people on the street to find out public opinion on a chosen topic. Students choose a topic from the board and complete five indirect questions based on their chosen topic, e.g. 'Could you tell me how you feel about cryptocurrency?' Next, in two groups, reporters and passers-by, the passers-by walk around the class as if they are walking along the street. The reporters stop the passers-by and ask them if they would mind answering a few questions. The reporter then writes the person's name and interviews them, noting down their answers. When all the reporters have spoken to three people, students swap roles. Finally, students report back to the class on the answers they received.

In this free indirect questions speaking activity, students role-play two situations where someone politely asks for information using indirect questions. First, in pairs, one student plays the role of a ticket agent and the other is a customer. The two students then take part in a ticket office role-play where the customer politely asks for information about a flight to London using indirect questions. Afterwards, one student takes on the role of a hotel guest and the other takes on the role of a hotel receptionist. The pair then complete a hotel role-play where the guest uses indirect questions to politely ask for hotel information.

In this fun indirect questions board game, students change direct personal information questions into indirect questions and ask them to other students. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, they read the direct question, change it into an indirect question, and ask the question to another student in the group, e.g. 'Would you mind telling me who your best friend is?' Students must use a different polite phrase each time to avoid repetition. The group members listen and judge the player's question. If the question is grammatically correct and avoids repetition, the player stays on the square. If the question is wrong, the player goes back two squares. The student who was asked the question then responds. The first player to reach the finish square wins the game.

In this indirect questions role-play activity, students practice forming, asking, and answering indirect questions in celebrity interviews. First, students write the name of the celebrity they want to be for the interview. Another student then writes ten direct interview questions for the celebrity. Next, in pairs, one student acts as the interviewer and the other as the celebrity. The interviewer reads the first direct question and reforms it as an indirect question using a polite opener from the worksheet. The interviewer then ticks the polite opener. Students may only use each polite opener once. If the celebrity agrees that the indirect question is grammatically correct, they answer it. If not, the celebrity asks the interviewer to repeat the question. After that, the interviewer notes down the celebrity's answer and then reforms the second question, and so on. When the students have finished, they report back to the class on the celebrities' answers. Afterwards, students swap roles and repeat the activity.

In this enjoyable indirect questions game, students race to rewrite direct questions as indirect questions using different introductory phrases. One student from each pair runs to your desk, picks up the first question strip, and takes it back to their partner. Pairs then race to rewrite the direct question as an indirect question using the given introductory phrase. As soon as a pair has completed the indirect question, a student from the pair comes to you with their strip. If the indirect question is correct, give the student the second strip, and so on. If an indirect question is incorrect, the pair has to rewrite it. The first pair to rewrite all 20 indirect questions correctly wins the game.