Breakdown of Они спрашивают, помогут ли все эти инновации реформе.
они
they
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
спрашивать
to ask
помочь
to help (perfective)
весь
all, the whole, everything, everyone (весь, вся, всё, все)
ли
whether / if (in indirect questions)
реформа
the reform
инновация
the innovation
Questions & Answers about Они спрашивают, помогут ли все эти инновации реформе.
Why do we use ли here to mean "whether", and why is it placed right after the verb помогут?
When reporting a yes/no question (asking "if" or "whether"), Russian uses the particle ли, never если (which is only for conditional "if" statements). In these indirect questions, the word in doubt—usually the verb—comes first in the dependent clause, immediately followed by ли.
Why is the word реформа in the dative case (реформе)?
The verb помогать / помочь (to help) always requires the person or thing being helped to take the dative case.
Could we say Они спрашивают, все эти инновации помогут ли реформе instead?
You can, but it changes the emphasis. In a neutral indirect yes/no question, the verb typically comes first (помогут ли). Putting the subject (все эти инновации) before the verb and ли shifts the focus, making it sound more like "Is it these innovations that will help?".
Is the comma after спрашивают strictly necessary?
Yes! Unlike English, which often skips commas before "whether" or "if" in reported speech, Russian grammar strictly requires a comma to separate the main reporting clause (Они спрашивают) from the subordinate clause.
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