[Grammar] Can you tell me what are they doing?

[jiaruchan]

Can you tell me what are they doing?----I know it should be:

Can you tell me what they are doing? However, is it acceptable as informal English? Thank you.

 

[kfredson]

Can you tell me what are they doing?----I know it should be:

Can you tell me what they are doing? However, is it acceptable as informal English? Thank you.

No, it doesn't sound correct to me, even as a colloquial expression. I could imagine that you might hear it if someone were speaking in a hurry and effectively said it as two different sentences:

"Can you tell me... What are they doing?"

But clearly this is not grammatically correct.