How to Express Problems in English Basic English Phrases

to our weekly live stream my name is

Alisha and today we’re going to talk

about how to express problems

the focus grammar point is going to be

embedded questions embedded questions an

embedded question is like a question

inside another question or inside a

statement so I’m going to talk about how

you can use these and how to make these

to ask for help and to explain problems

so a good grammar review lesson I think

for today Wow we wait a couple of

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can find today’s lesson today I’m going

to talk about expressing problems with

embedded questions so I’m going to share

the video actually and then I’m going to

begin today’s topic sooo there it goes I

have shared the video then I’m going to

begin today by explaining first what is

an embedded question part 2 I’m going to

talk about how to make embedded

questions embedded questions have kind

of special grammar they’re a little bit

different from a basic question so I’m

going to explain how to make them and

then third I’m going to talk about some

common patterns that we use with

embedded questions so let us begin

okay all right let’s get started then so

first what is an embedded question why

do why should we care about this

I mentioned embedded embedded questions

are questions inside another question

the word embedded means something put

inside something else so for example

online you might see like an embedded

video in a blog post so that means the

video is inside a blog post an embedded

question therefore an embedded question

in grammar is a question inside a

statement or inside a question so we use

embedded questions to make ourself sound

a little bit softer or when we want to

kind of ask two questions at the same

time this is what we use embedded

questions to do oh you don’t

so let’s take a look at some examples of

statements and questions that use this

grammar and then I’m going to talk about

how we make these so some examples these

are

embedded questions the embedded question

in each of these is underlined I’ve

underlined the question inside the

statement or inside the question so

first first example is do you know who

stole my coffee so this part who stole

my coffee this is like the basic thing

that like the original question we have

the thing we want to know is who stole

my coffee we put it inside this other

question to ask that person if they know

something so here you can kind of

clearly I hope see this question inside

another one but let’s compare this then

to the next example this one’s not a

question but it’s actually a statement

so this example is I can’t remember what

my password is I can’t remember what my

password is so here what my password is

this is the part that’s like the

embedded question or the problem that we

need to solve and we state kind of the

bigger issue with this I can’t remember

I can’t remember so I’m going to talk

about why this part of this sentence

looks like this like why isn’t it what

is my password why I’m going to talk

about that in part two there’s some

special grammar rules happening here and

here actually third example sentence for

this grammar is I wonder when my parents

are going to arrive I wonder when my

parents are going to arrive so again the

underlined part here is the embedded

question so when my parents are going to

arrive again you’ll notice this is

different from a basic question when we

want to ask this question we would say

when are my parents going to arrive but

again we have some special grammar to

consider here I’ll talk about this also

in part two fourth example can you tell

me where I submit this form can you tell

me where I submit this form so to submit

means like to turn something in can

tell me where I submit this form where I

turn in this form so these are all

examples of embedded questions so

there’s some question inside the

sentence or inside another question this

will be today’s focus grammar okay yeah

some people are sending some examples

like do you know where something is but

I noticed there are some mistakes that I

see in the chat already so I’m going to

talk in part two about how we make these

correctly of course correctly so please

send us your example sentences in the

chat in part two I’m going to try to

check them live there so this is an

embedded questions this is today’s

grammar point we’re going to use them to

express problems to express problems so

let’s take one quick freaken I will show

you a couple things I will show you a

couple things I did not show you earlier

uh shall I stand here these are just a

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cannot see your comments live Oh No okay

so with that said let’s continue to part

two for today’s lesson then I’m going to

talk about how to make embedded

questions if you have not already please

make sure to like and share the video

so other people can find today’s lesson

alrighty let’s continue on it cell hello

from Mexico welcome on Facebook okay

let’s go to part two so part two let’s

look at grammar rules array grammar

rules how to make embedded questions so

I mentioned this grammar has like

there’s kind of special grammar when we

when we make these kinds of sentences

and we make these kinds of questions so

I’ve broken it into kind of two steps so

if you think okay I want to try to make

this style question or I want to I want

to use this grammar what should you do

so step one what is the information that

you want so what is the problem you want

to solve some example so this is like

your original question what do you need

to know or what are you looking for so

for example who stole my coffee like I

want to know who stole my coffee this is

my basic question maybe or what is my

password this isn’t maybe that’s my

problem I’m thinking to myself what is

my password this is my original question

or when are my parents going to arrive

or where do I submit this form so first

step is to think about your problem what

is the information you need to get what

is the information you’re looking for

that’s one second then second step is to

look at the verb in your question so

remember the verb is like the action or

in these examples we need to focus on a

couple of helping verbs do and be so is

the verb in your question a form of do

or B this is a really important point

for this grammar so let’s take a look at

the first sentence for example in this

sentence

who stole my copy my verb is stole stole

so stole is the past tense form of steal

yeah so I can answer no to this question

is the verb a form of do or be its stole

so no it’s not if no there’s no change

to your question you don’t need to

change this question you can put it in

your sentence or you can put it in your

new question with no change so you get

to say so you get this sentence do you

know who stole my coffee so when I say

no change I mean this part of the

sentence does not change who stole my

coffee is the same as the original

sentence yeah that’s because this verb

is not do and it’s not to be so that’s

that’s easy enough right but let’s now

talk about the next couple actually what

is my password let’s take a look at this

one so in this sentence what is my

password my verb is is is is is a form

of B right so I need to look at a

different rule my verb here is is and

it’s a form of B so yes the verb being

used is B if your verb is a be verb a

form of the verb to be move that verb

after the subject so what is my password

here’s my verb my subject here is my

password my password so in this type of

grammar

this is moves to the end of the sentence

what my password is so when I say this

question the original question is just

what is my password that’s a basic

direct question if however you want to

make an embedded question you have to

move this verb to the position after

your subject

thus you create this sentence I can’t

remember what my password is so that

means your change is just to move this

verb is to the end or rather after your

subject and then put it in your full

sentence in

this case I can’t remember what my

password is this is the correct sentence

here so again this is with the verb to

be let’s look at another example that

uses this to be verb though this one

when are my parents going to arrive when

are my parents going to arrive in this

sentence again are this is a form of the

verb to be I’m using R because my

subject is my parents my parents so here

again I need to follow this pattern I

need to follow this rule my verb used is

a form of B so I need to move the verb

after the subject in this case it’s our

my subject is my parents my parents so

the final sentence looks like this I

wonder when my parents are going to

arrive so again my verb my B verb here

moves after my subject this is the rule

for embedded questions

hello Buzzard welcome okay finally let’s

look at the last example here the last

example has a different rule so I said

there are two verbs we need to be

careful of with this grammar one is do

what is B so we talked about the B rule

let’s look at the last example where do

I submit this form where do I submit

this form if the verb is a form of do so

we have this helping verb do if you’re

using that helping verb do you need to

follow a different rule in this case if

the verb is do drop it

so about when you don’t have to move it

at all just drop the dew in the question

and put it in the sentence so where I

submit this form can you tell me where I

submit this form so not can you tell me

where do I submit this form but can you

tell me where drop the do I submit this

form so here the change is this

where I submit this form again if you

want to ask a basic question don’t

change any of this don’t change this if

you want to put this question inside

another statement or inside another

question these are the rules to follow

to do that yeah so some people yeah

awesome I said I didn’t know what

embedded questions were yeah lots of

people I see lots of people make

mistakes with this rule the B rule like

I don’t know what is my password make

sure you move your B verb to the end of

this to after the subject after the

subject yes if you have questions please

feel free to ask of course at any time

let’s try to keep them on topic please

let’s see I don’t see any example as

here yet now but if you have some please

feel free to send them along so this is

how we make embedded questions again the

verb thinking about the verb is very

important if the verb is not do or be no

change if the verb is B move the verb

after the subject if you’re using do

that helping verb just drop it okay good

good alright we’ll take one more break

and then I’m going to talk a lot about

some patterns that you can use I’m gonna

talk about these on this side of the

board so I hope that you can send some

examples using today’s grammar but this

Oh okey so I’ll show you a couple things

I didn’t show you earlier did I stand in

the right spot earlier okay um I’ll show

you a couple more PDF sorry this one is

the business English one I tried to

share this from time to time on the back

our expressions to use I know you can’t

see it sorry for a business meeting take

a look at this if you’re working on

English for your for your career or even

for like job interview related stuff

this is kind of a nice one for more

polite language so take a look at this

one

there are lots and lots of other

different topics

those of you who are travelers as well

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video if you are watching on facebook

instagram watchers please check YouTube

or Facebook okay I see some examples are

coming in nice kids second language says

let me show you where the guest room is

perfect

nice next one next one Muhammad on

Facebook says can you tell me what time

it is nice yeah don’t forget your me can

you tell me what time it is can I say I

don’t know who he is

yes that is correct I don’t know who he

is is correct okay ah I don’t see other

ones okay I will continue on to the last

point then so I want to finish this

lesson today by introducing some common

expressions we use at the beginning of

embedded questions so you can’t well

it’s we have like a couple of kind of a

group of words or a group of expressions

and phrases that we commonly use at the

beginning of these embedded questions so

let’s take a look common patterns to

express problems and ask for help so

when you want to explain a problem as

we’ve done here and when we want to ask

for help you can start your sentence or

your question with one of these so for

example I don’t know I don’t know like I

don’t know what my password is so that’s

a very common way to express a problem

something we we are looking for I don’t

know this thing a second I’m not sure

I’m not sure so again we can use that

same thing I’m not sure what my password

is I’m not sure when my parents are

going to arrive and so on this is

another common one do you know do you

know please note this one is a question

these first two I don’t know and I’m not

sure are just statements this is just a

statement do you know is a question

and we commonly use do you know with if

or whether I’m going to talk about this

in just a moment how to make sentences

with if and whether in this pattern

specifically but just to finish off this

group I wonder is another one this is

not a question but I wonder you’re just

kind of thinking but you’re thinking out

loud you can use I wonder to describe

that and finally can you or could you so

this is a very common request pattern

like I used it here can you tell me

where I submit this form so you’re

making a request for something let’s

backtrack though let’s go back to this

one do you know if or whether lots of

people ask about if and weather patterns

so to use this this do you know if or do

you know weather pattern your original

question use this you can use this

pattern this do you know if your

original question begins with do for

example example do we have to go to the

meeting tomorrow if this is your

original question you’re thinking to

yours up do we have to go to the meeting

tomorrow and you want to ask someone

else like you don’t know do we have to

go you need to ask someone else you can

use this do you know if pattern or do

you know whether I personally would use

if here so for example this would be do

you know if we have to go to the meeting

tomorrow so to make this kind of pattern

replace the do the original do with if

or whether so here do you know if so

originally this was do we have to in the

embedded question its do you know if we

have to so this is something you can use

again when your sentence when your

question begins with do or does so

please keep this in your

okay I saw a bunch of questions or a

bunch of examples come in and I missed

them because I was explaining I’m very

sorry

let’s see Facebook the Internet has a

problem Alicia I’m getting reports that

the Internet has a problem I don’t know

I hope I hope it’s okay I hope you can

see YouTube YouTube is okay it seems

that YouTube is okay I’m very sorry

Facebook

I hope Instagram is okay mmm some people

are reporting problems on Facebook

YouTube is okay if you’re having trouble

you might shift over to YouTube I saw a

bunch of example sentences Gertrudis

says I wonder how long the corona virus

epidemic will be nice one nice example

nice example do you know if we have to

learn English from Alicia from Alicia T

with other ones Elbon says I wonder

where my cat is perfect perfect

Jory says do you know if I can study

every day okay that’s it

grammatically okay grammatically okay uh

Romano can you run that back for me the

last part which part do you mean the if

part the if part perhaps because it’s

the last last thing again if yours if

you want to make a question an embedded

statement or an embedded question and

your original question starts with do

like do we have to go to the meeting

tomorrow and you want to ask if you want

to use this pattern do you know like

asking someone else for information do

you know if to use that pattern just

drop do in your original question that

was it ah Ronnie says hello I’m enrolled

at English class 101 is a premium plus

student cool thank you very much that’s

awesome mmm other examples Facebook I

don’t see any other ones people are

saying hello on Facebook there okay uh

let’s see I missed a bunch on on YouTube

earlier bad I don’t know sing to us no

that would not be very educational would

it okay sorry oh yeah can you scroll

back on YouTube there’s a bunch I miss

I missed a bunch on YouTube earlier I

can you keep going please swell as well

let’s go up on YouTube yeah right there

there’s a bunch okay sorry I scrolled

back we scrolled back a little on

YouTube I missed a bunch someone yeah I

saw the cat one earlier ah

Videl yeah I saw yours earlier you said

can you please tell me where the

Lufthansa counter is perfect nice

example nice example there okay and then

same one said who who knows where I

parked my car who knows where I parked

my car so we don’t use the progressive

form so much with this I guess there are

some cases where you might see like a

progressive thing like if your original

question it’s like where is he going

you might say like do you know where he

is going I suppose but it’s not as

common perhaps okay other points can do

be used with do - as in like a response

like I do - I’m not sure I understand

the question like I do too

to mean I also do that thing if that’s

what you mean yes other examples that’s

about it okay I don’t see anything else

coming in right now so I will my gosh

end on time this week what’s gotten into

me

okay let’s uh we’ll wrap it up there for

today then so I hope that this was

helpful for you a little bit more

intermediate level grammar for today yes

these are called embedded questions if

you want to know more about this grammar

point sue I will wrap it up there next

week we’ll be back same time same

Channel what no yes okay okay next week

we’ll be back a save time same channel

next week what will be the date next

week I what is he what is even today

it’ll be Wednesday March 18th March 18th

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mm-hmm

oh it’s Facebook okay I’m just

mysterious happened on Facebook so

please join us again next week next week

well next week’s topic what is

everything okay on our life Oh

something interesting is happening sorry

everybody I was going to mention next

week’s live topic and then something

mysterious happened next week’s topic is

going to be explaining your strengths

and your weaknesses your strengths and

weaknesses so this is a good skill for

job interviews for like School

interviews College interviews and so on

so please join us next week March 18th

for strengths and weakness expressions

maybe not so much

grammar next week we’ll probably do lots

of vocabulary and set phrases that you

can use so we will do that and it’s

everything okay I’m always so early I

have a couple I have a couple extra

minutes amazingly today I’m not sure

what happened I’m always I always have

way too much to say so I answer a couple

questions to finish up for today oh and

I forgot to tell you I forgot to remind

you as well as always don’t forget to

download all of the free stuff from the

link below the video if you’re watching

on YouTube or above the video if you are

watching on Facebook thank you for

liking and sharing the video as well as

always so i sorry facebook if there’s a

little bit of weird network trouble if

you experience network trouble I hope

that you check the video on YouTube

YouTube seems to be okay so Facebook is

not very cooperative today for some

reason sorry about that

and I hope Instagram is okay maybe you

can see the behind-the-scenes version on

Instagram

you know uh anyway I guess wow I have a

whole minute my gosh I never have this

much time left

mmm I don’t see any example sentences

either so what can we do for a minute

hmm let’s see

I can talk to YouTube yeah give us some

minutes yeah let’s see what can we

discuss together for a minute a YouTube

mmm let’s see I’ve talked about this

point so talk about some problems well

we could talk about problems Oh the one

problem that I mentioned if you have one

point to take away from this lesson

today it’s this be this one right here

the B pattern when you’re a embedded

question use the verb to be this is a

huge of well a very very common problem

that I see a lot of people make is they

forget to move this verb this beaver

after the subject so this if there’s one

point you take away from today’s lesson

I hope it’s the rule about moving your

is or was or were when you’re making

embedded questions yeah all righty

um I guess then we will continue next

week so I’ll finish up there so thank

you to everybody who joined us this week

always appreciate it thank you very much

for liking and sharing the video I hope

you found something good in here we’ll

be back next week

so enjoy your week enjoy your weekend

and I will see you again next time bye

bye

you