1.
QUESTIONS
(A) ENGLISH
ENGLISH HAS THREE MAJOR TYPES
OF QUESTIONS: YES-NO
QUESTIONS (INCLUDING TAG
QUESTIONS), WH-QUESTIONS AND
ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS, AND
TWO MINOR TYPES: EXCLAMATORY
AND RHETORICAL QUESTIONS.
(I) YES-NO QUESTIONS
THIS TYPE OF QUESTION EXPECTS
A POSITIVE (YES) OR A NEGATIVE
(NO) ANSWER AND HAS A RISING
INTONATION
● ARE YOU COMING?
● YES, I AM.
● NO, I AM NOT.
THE SUBJECT MUST BE PRECEDED
BY A TENSED AUXILIARY VERB.
DECLARATIVE SENTENCES WITH RISING
INTONATION HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION AS
YES-NO QUESTIONS.
THEY DO NOT SEEK SPECIFIC
INFORMATION BUT RATHER ASK FOR
DENIAL OR CONFIRMATION OF THE
SUPPOSITION EXPRESSED IN THE
DECLARATIVE SENTENCE.
● HE LEFT EARLY?(POSITIVE
ORIENTATION)
● HE DIDN'T LEAVE? (NEGATIVE
ORIENTATION)
AFFIRMATIVE YES-NO QUESTIONS
ARE FORMED BY A SUBJECT-
AUXILIARY INVERSION RULE THAT
PLACES THE AUXILIARY IN INITIAL
POSITION FOLLOWED BY THE
SUBJECT:
● HE HAS LEFT. HAS HE LEFT?
● THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
DO THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY?
IF THE DECLARATIVE
SENTENCE HAS MORE THAN
ONE AUXILIARY, ONLY THE
FIRST IS ADVANCED TO INITIAL
POSITION.
● HE MAY HAVE LEFT EARLIER.
● MAY HE HAVE LEFT EARLIER?
HOWEVER, IF THE DECLARATIVE
SENTENCE HAS NO AUXILIARY, DO-
SUPPORT IS INTRODUCED. (DO)
CARRIES THE TENSE MARKER OF
THE SENTENCE (DO, DOES, DID).
● HE LIKES MUSIC.
● DOES HE LIKE MUSIC?
● DO YOU HAVE SOME/ANY
MONEY?
NEGATIVE YES-NO QUESTIONS,
UNLIKE AFFIRMATIVE ONES,
TYPICALLY HAVE NEGATIVE
EXPECTATION.
THEY ARE FORMED BY A SUBJECT-
AUXILIARY INVERSION RULE AND
(NOT) ATTACHMENT.
● CAN'T HE SWIM? NO, HE CAN'T.
● DON'T YOU HAVE A PEN? YES, I
DO.
1. TAG QUESTIONS CONSIST OF AN AUXILIARY PLUS SUBJECT.
2. THEY DO NOT USUALLY EXPECT A RESPONSE OR AN
ANSWER.
3. IF THE STATEMENT IS POSITIVE, THE TAG IS NEGATIVE AND
VICE VERSA.
4. IF THE SENTENCE HAS NO AUXILIARY, DO-SUPPORT IS
INTRODUCED.
IN IMPERATIVE SENTENCES, DIFFERENT
TYPES OF TAGS MAY OCCUR, EACH
CONVEYING A DIFFERENT DEGREE OF
POLITENESS OR INSISTENCE.
● OPEN THE DOOR,
WILL/WOULD/COULD/CAN'T/WON'T
YOU?
● DON'T LEAVE, WILL YOU?
● LET'S GO, SHALL WE?
IF THE SENTENCE HAS INDEFINITE
HUMAN SINGULAR PRONOUNS SUCH
AS "SOMEBODY, NOBODY, EVERYBODY",
"THEY" IS THE PRONOUN USED IN THE
TAG.
NOBODY CAME EARLY, DID THEY?
SOMEBODY CAME EARLY, DIDN’T THEY?
WHEN THE TAG IS THE SAME AS
THE MAIN CLAUSE, IT IS
EXPRESSING POSITIVE
ORIENTATION OR IRONY.
SO, YOU AGREE WITH ME, DO
YOU?
YOU WILL COME TONIGHT, WILL
YOU?
OH, I'M LAZY, AM I?
2. WH-QUESTIONS
1. THIS TYPE OF QUESTION SEEKS
SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM THE
ADDRESSEE.
2. IT HAS A FALLING INTONATION.
3. THEY BEGIN WITH ONE OF THE
INTERROGATIVE WORDS: (WHERE,
WHEN, WHO, WHAT, WHICH,
WHOSE, WHY, AND HOW)
IF THE WH-ELEMENT ASKS ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF
THE STATEMENT, NO AUXILIARY INVERSION IS
REQUIRED:
● JOHN CAN TYPE. WHO CAN TYPE?
BUT, IF THE WH-ELEMENT ASKS ABOUT THE
PREDICATE, THERE MUST BE AUXILIARY-SUBJECT
INVERSION:
● SHE IS SEWING. WHAT IS SHE DOING?
5. IF THE STATEMENT HAS NO AUXILIARY, THE
AUXILIARY (DO) IS INTRODUCED:
● HE BOUGHT A HOUSE. WHAT DID HE BUY?
BESIDES OBTAINING
INFORMATION, QUESTIONS
PERFORM OTHER ILLOCUTIONARY
ACTS, SUCH AS:
● REQUEST: CAN YOU PASS ME
THE SALT?
● SUGGESTION: WHY DON'T YOU
COME EARLIER?
NEGATIVE WH-QUESTIONS:
WHY DID HE NOT/DIDN'T HE COME
TO THE MEETING?
3. ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS
THIS TYPE OF QUESTION PROVIDES THE
ADDRESSEE WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF
ALTERNATIVES. THE ADDRESSEE IS IN A
WAY FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO
OR MORE ALTERNATIVES.
● WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE CHOCOLATE,
VANILLA, OR STRAWBERRY?
● ARE YOU COMING OR NOT? ARE YOU
COMING, OR AREN'T YOU?
● DID JOHN WIN THE FINAL OR MARY?
MINOR TYPES OF QUESTIONS
A- EXCLAMATORY QUESTION
THIS MINOR TYPE OF QUESTION IS SIMILAR TO A
YES-NO QUESTION IN ITS FORM BUT HAS THE
MEANING AND FORCE OF AN EXCLAMATION (ITS
FUNCTION IS LIKE AN EXCLAMATION).
● HASN'T HE GROWN!
● ISN’T SHE A BIG GIRL!
● WASN’T IT AN AMAZING PARTY!
B- RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
THIS MINOR TYPE OF QUESTION CARRIES A
STRONG ASSERTION AND SEEKS NO
RESPONSE FROM THE ADDRESSEE.
● IS THAT A REASON FOR DESPAIR?
{IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A REASON FOR
DESPAIR}
● CAN ANYONE DOUBT THE WISDOM OF THIS
ACTION?
{SURELY NO ONE DOUBT THE WISDOM OF
THIS ACTION}
● IS NO ONE GOING TO DEFEND ME?
{SURELY SOMEONE IS GOING TO DEFEND ME}
WHO KNOWS?
{NOBODY KNOWS}
● WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT
MAKE?
{IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE}
● ISN'T THE REASON OBVIOUS?
{THE REASON IS DEFINITELY
OBVIOUS}