Such clauses correspond to direct questions, which are questions actually asked. The direct questions corresponding to the examples above are "What did you do? How did he manage it? Did I look that bad? Where are the files?" Notice how, in English (and in some other languages), different syntax is used in direct and indirect questions: direct questions normally use subject-verb inversion, while indirect questions do not. Reported questions (as in the last of the examples) are also subject to the tense and other changes that apply generally in indirect speech. For more information see interrogative mood and English grammar.