where ...is/where is...

[GUEST2008]

Hi

I've been wondering why this should be: Guess where the stress is in them?
Instead of: Guess where is the stress in them?

[tedtmc]

The root question is:
Where is the stress in them? ('is' before 'stress')

When you express it as a 'reported speech', you say:
Do you know where the stress is in them ('is' after 'stress')
(not Do you know where is the stress in them?)

or
I don't know where the stress is in them.

or
Guess where the stress is in them.

or
You figure out where the stress is in them

I'm not sure what topic in grammar this comes under, but this is how it works.

not a teacher

[LeUyenHoc]

When you express it as a 'reported speech',

Hi,

I think that is "indirect question" but not "reported speech".

If that were a "reported speech", the form of "is" would be changed?

Need more discussion.

Not a teacher

[tedtmc]

direct and indirect speech, reported speech, indirect question, whatever...I'm not a English teacher after all.

[Soup]

Hi

I've been wondering why this should be: Guess where the stress is in them?
Instead of: Guess where is the stress in them?

It's elliptical for Can you guess where the stress is in them?

Can (Aux)
you (Subject)
guess (verb)
OBJECT
where the stress (subject)
is (verb)

[LeUyenHoc]

For indirect questions, you use the following structure:

S1 + V1 + (O1) + [question words = wh or if(yes/no) or How] S2+ (auxiliaries) + V2 + O2.

Ex1: I want to know if you are male or female.

Are you male or female?

EX2: I would like you to tell me where you are now.

Where are you now?

Not a teacher.

[Raymott]

The root question is:
Where is the stress in them? ('is' before 'stress')

This is all true. But I think the problem here is that "where" is being taken for a question word, whereas it's actually a subordinating conjunction.
Put simply, it's a where clause.
I'm going to where the sun is shining. Right
I'm going to where is the sun shining. Wrong
Guess where the sun is shining. Right.

[tedtmc]

If that were a "reported speech", the form of "is" would be changed?

Care to elaborate? Examples?

I prefer to use logic rather than remember grammar rules.
From direct to indirect, the order of the verb is reversed.

[GUEST2008]

This is all true. But I think the problem here is that "where" is being taken for a question word, whereas it's actually a subordinating conjunction.
Put simply, it's a where clause.
I'm going to where the sun is shining. Right
I'm going to where is the sun shining. Wrong
Guess where the sun is shining. Right.

I conclude then that my example: Guess where the stress is in them (it's not a question since there is no inversion? Right?)

thanks

[Raymott]

I conclude then that my example: Guess where the stress is in them (it's not a question since there is no inversion? Right?)

thanks

Your example uses an imperative, "guess". It could be called an indirect question.
But it doesn't matter. Here is a question with a "where-clause" with no word inversion.
"Can you tell me where the stress is in this sentence?" Right.
"Can you tell me: Where is the stress in this sentence?" Right.