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From this article:

ＮＨＫは６月〜７月、１８歳と１９歳の人に平和についてどう考えているか(*)聞きました。
Between June and July NHK asked 18 and 19 year olds what they thought about peace.
この日を知っているかと聞くと、...
When they were asked if they knew this date ...

I don't understand why と is absent in the place I marked (*) in the first sentence, but is required in the second sentence.

I thought I was happy with the idea of embedded questions with verbs like 知る that don't use と, but I'm a bit confused about when I should use と with verbs where it can be used.

How would the meanings of both sentences change with and without と?

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    my gut feeling is that it's a difference between a direct quote or not. 平和についてどう考えているか is probably a summary of the actual question not the question itself.
    – A.Ellett
    Aug 16, 2017 at 23:10

1 Answer 1

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The version without と only functions as a kind of direct indirect quote, as the comment says. On the other hand, the one with と can be either direct or indirect.

In this specific example, both seem an indirect quote. In that sense, it doesn't change either way.

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  • Maybe I misunderstand, but your answer seems to contradict itself. You say that the version without と can only be direct, but then say that both sentences seem to be indirect. Could you please clarify? Thanks.
    – user3856370
    Aug 17, 2017 at 18:17
  • Oops, you're right.
    – user4092
    Aug 17, 2017 at 21:21

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