"there are" vs "are there"

[Tom]

So the students try hard to study all the grammar rules of English. Do you know how many rules there are?

I would like to know if "there are" is the correct version or "are there"!

Tom

[Yankee]

.
I'll answer your question a counter-question (since I think you know the answer already ;)).

Do you know which of the following sentences are correct?

1. Can you tell me where the train station is?
2. Can you tell me where is the train station?
3. Where is the train station?
4. Where the train station is?
5. Do you know how much that piano weighs?
6. Do you know how much does that piano weigh?
7. How much does that piano weigh?
8. How much weighs that piano?
9. That piano weighs how much?!

Now tell me why. :)

Amy
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Tom]

A huge thank-you to you, Amy!

Yes, I know the answer and the correct answers! 1, 3, 5, 7 are correct! It's just that I have been slogging my guts out for the past two months. Completely on the trot! I think I should take a holiday before my machinery packs up. I won't even try to blame my silly question either on dyslexia :D or on the damp climate. As Alan once wrote:

In trying to save it, I am afraid I lost it.

Tom

[Lost_Soul]

Hi, Amy !

AFAIK, one can use both structures with link-verb "to be". i.e. it is ok to say:
Do you know who he is - Do you know who is he
Do you know how many people are there - Do you know how many people there are

Or maybe I got that rule wrong ? How would you comment on this?

thanks

[Yankee]

Hi LS

Yes, you've got the rule wrong.

- Do you know who he is? CORRECT
- Do you know who is he? INCORRECT

When you begin a sentence with an indirect question such as "Do you know", the end of the sentence should be in the same order as an affirmative sentence.

Further examples:
- Can you tell me what time it is?
- Would you show me where your house is on this map?

In the following two sentences, based on the word order, the word there has different meanings:

- Do you know how many people are there?
Rewording: Do you know how many are at the meeting?
(i.e. 'there' refers specifically to a place)

- Do you know how many people there are?
Rewording: Do you know how many people exist?
(i.e. Using the affirmative there is/there are these refer to the simple existence of something -- and the affirmative version is what you need when the question begins with 'Do you know'.)

Amy
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Lost_Soul]

Hi, Amy

I found the rule I was talking about. Here it is:

"Advanced Grammar in Use":
"...if the original question begins what, which, or who followed by be + complement, we can put the complement before or after be in the report:
• 'Who was the winner?' —> I asked who the winner was. (or ...who was the winner. )"

(Although, this rule doesnt apply to the sentences I wrote before)

[Yankee]