I Wonder How Long Will It Take/how Long It Will Take?

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. I wonder how long will it take/how long it will take?

• Thread starter Thread starter shop-englishx
• Start date Start date Apr 11, 2015

shop-englishx

Banned

Urdu Hello, members. I wonder how long it will take? (Correct) Why not say "I wonder how long will it take?". The point which I've been told that when there is a double interrogative, then we must use the auxiliary verbs directly after the question words (e.g, when, why, how long, what, how etc.), for example; Why are you so late? When will you come to me? How is your job going on? What will you recommend? Why is you knocking at the door? I'm bewildered, please explain it to me why is it so? Many many thanks.

PaulQ

Senior Member

UK English - England There are direct questions -> "How long will it take?" Direct questions invert the subject and verb and indirect questions -> "She asked me how long it would take." Indirect questions keep the normal order for subject and verb. "I wonder how long will it take." is an indirect question. It is preceded by an introductory clause ->"I wonder ..." Last edited: Apr 11, 2015

panjandrum

Senior Member

Belfast, Ireland English-Ireland (top end)

PaulQ said: There are direct questions -> "How long will it take?" Direct questions invert the subject and verb and indirect questions -> "She asked me how long it would take." Indirect questions keep the normal order for subject and verb. "I wonder how long will it take?". is an indirect question. It is preceded by an introductory clause ->"I wonder ..." Click to expand...

Wouldn't you punctuate that to indicate that you are in effect "reporting" your wondering? For example, "I wonder, how long will it take?" I ask because for me the natural sentence is "I wonder how long it will take?"

shop-englishx

Banned

Urdu

PaulQ said: There are direct questions -> "How long will it take?" Direct questions invert the subject and verb and indirect questions -> "She asked me how long it would take." Indirect questions keep the normal order for subject and verb. "I wonder how long will it take?". is an indirect question. It is preceded by an introductory clause ->"I wonder ..." Click to expand...

Thanks, could you explain what are direct and indirect questions and when to use them in different situations? Why is "I wonder how long it will take?" correct and"I wonder how long will it take?" is not?

flamboyant lad

Senior Member

India Hindi 1. I wonder how long it will take? 2. I wonder how long will it take? I think both of them are correct. Am I right?

Andygc

Senior Member

Devon British English

flamboyant lad said: 1. I wonder how long it will take? 2. I wonder how long will it take? I think both of them are correct. Am I right? Click to expand...

No. To be correct you need to punctuate them appropriately, as panjandrum posted above 1. I wonder how long it will take. That is not a question, so no question mark. 2. I wonder; how long will it take? You are reporting a question. panjandrum used a comma, I prefer a semicolon.

flamboyant lad

Senior Member

India Hindi

panjandrum said: I ask because for me the natural sentence is "I wonder how long it will take?" Click to expand...

Then, why did he use a question mark here?

PaulQ

Senior Member

UK English - England

flamboyant lad said: Then, why did he use a question mark here? Click to expand...

My apologies, that was a mistake - the question mark should not be there - I have corrected it.

panjandrum

Senior Member

Belfast, Ireland English-Ireland (top end)

PaulQ said: My apologies, that was a mistake - the question mark should not be there - I have corrected it. Click to expand...

I should not have used a question mark, to be strictly correct. However, in my own writing I would often put a question mark at the end of this kind of speculative thought - "I wonder how long it will take?" That is a personal habit, not to be emulated.

flamboyant lad

Senior Member

India Hindi An example in my oxford dictionary: I wonder what the new teacher will be like.

PaulQ

Senior Member

UK English - England I wonder what the new teacher will be like. You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Bluesky LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

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