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Choose the correct answer :
Could you tell me why (you applied / did you apply) for this job?
personally , i would go for "did you apply"
however my textbook's answer is "you applied"
and it would be nice if someone can explain the difference between them
thanks in advance.
The phrase is not a question so doesn't have question order.
Compare a question:
What is this?
with the request
Tell me what this is.
The phrase "what this is" isn't a question clause. It is a noun phrase. In your example the question
Why did you apply for this job?
is compared to the request
Tell me why you applied for this job.
