[Grammar] May I know how old are you/you are?

[Checkmate]

"May I know how old are you/you are?"

When I was at school, my teacher said the correct one was "May I know how old are you" but I don't think so. Was my teacher right?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I disagree with your teacher, but I am not a teacher.

 

[tedmc]

May I know what level of English [STRIKE]does your teacher teach[/STRIKE] your teacher teaches?
That is a very common mistake in Malaysia.

not a teacher

 

[MikeNewYork]

Checkmate, please do not start two threads with the same question. You should know better than that.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think Checkmate double-clicked on the 'Submit' button inadvertently. To err is human.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

No, your teacher was wrong.

It must be either "May I know how old you are?" or "How old are you?"

 

[Checkmate]

May I know what level of English [STRIKE]does your teacher teach[/STRIKE] your teacher teaches?
That is a very common mistake in Malaysia.

not a teacher

She is a secondary school teacher. I told her how it works but my teacher still disagreed with me.

 

[MikeNewYork]

That is very frustrating. But it shows how much you have learned.

 

[Matthew Wai]

my teacher still disagreed

Tell her to read this thread.

Not a teacher.

 

[tedmc]

How do you explain using rules of grammar to convince someone that the original statement is not correct?

The order of the subject and verb is reversed in an indirect question?

not a teacher

 

[MikeNewYork]

No. There is no subject-verb inversion in "how old you are". There is an inversion in the question "How old are you?"

 

[tedmc]

Do you call the question, "May I know how...." an indirect question?
And "How old are you" a direct question?

 

[tedmc]

No. There is no subject-verb inversion in "how old you are". There is an inversion in the question "How old are you?"

I didn't say subject-verb inversion, I said 'the order of the subject and the verb is reversed'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

That is what subject-verb inversion means.