📄️ Questions
A question is anything we write or say which requires a response. In writing, questions are usually followed by a question mark:
📄️ Questions: alternative questions (Is it black or grey?)
An alternative question gives a choice of two or more answers in the question and includes or:
📄️ Questions: statement questions (you’re over 18?)
We can use statements (declaratives) to ask yes-no questions. In writing we know they are questions because they have question marks. In speaking we know they are questions because of the context, and often because of their intonation:
📄️ Questions: two-step questions
In speaking, we sometimes ask two questions together. The first question is just an introduction for the listener. We use these especially when we don’t want to be too direct:
📄️ Questions: wh-questions
Wh-questions begin with what, when, where, who, whom, which, whose, why and how. We use them to ask for information. The answer cannot be yes or no:
📄️ Questions: interrogative pronouns (what, who)
We use interrogative pronouns to ask questions. They are
📄️ Questions: yes-no questions (Are you feeling cold?)
Questions that need either a yes or a no answer are called yes-no questions:
📄️ Question: follow-up questions
Spoken English:
📄️ Questions: echo and checking questions
Spoken English:
📄️ Questions: short forms
In informal situations, especially in speaking, we can reduce questions rather than using complete clauses. Short questions can be clauses, phrases or even single words:
📄️ Questions: typical errors
In wh-questions, the word order changes from subject + (auxiliary/modal) + main verb to wh-word + auxiliary/modal verb + subject + main verb:
📄️ How
The adverb how most commonly means ‘in what way’ or ‘to what extent’.
📄️ What
What is a wh\-word. We use what to ask questions and as a pronoun and determiner.
📄️ When
When is a wh\-word. We use when to ask questions, as a conjunction and to introduce relative clauses.
📄️ Where
Where is a wh\-word. We use where to ask questions, as a conjunction and to introduce relative clauses.
📄️ Which
Which is a wh\-word. We use which to ask questions and to introduce relative clauses.
📄️ Who, whom
Who and whom are wh\-words. We use them to ask questions and to introduce relative clauses.
📄️ Whose
Whose is a wh\-word. We use whose to ask questions and to introduce relative clauses.
📄️ Why
Why is a wh\-word. We use why to talk about reasons and explanations.