Today is our topic of discussion – Asking Questions
Asking Questions
Asking question
Learning how to ask questions properly is very important. There are different types of questions like – direct questions, indirect questions, tag questions etc.
How to ask direct questions
Direct questions are the most common type of question in English. These types of questions are asked to get yes/no answers or concrete answers.
- This formula is known as QUASM.
Question Word + Auxiliary + Subject +Main Verb + (extensions) +? d+A As-
When are you going tomorrow?
Do you like meat?
How long have you been working on this project?
Where is the boy going alone?
Would you like a cup of tea?
Yes/No questions
Yes/No questions refer to simple questions which are asked to receive either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ as a response. Yes/No questions do not use question words and always begin with the auxiliary verb.
- This formula is known as ASM.
Auxiliary + Subject + Main Verb + (extentions) + ? As-
Does he live in Dhaka?
Have you ever been to Cox’s Bazar?
Is she coming to our house?
Subject and object questions
Ritu likes playing cricket.
What does Jason like playing? (Answer: cricket) Who likes playing golf? (Answer: Ritu)
In the first question, a question has been asked about the object. When asking about the object, we use direct question construction beginning with a question word followed by the auxiliary verb.
“Wh’ + auxiliary + subject + verb?
Who does he like most among his friends?
In the second question, a question has been asked for the subject of the action. While asking subject questions, we do not use the auxiliary verb. The ‘Wh’ question word plays the role of the subject in the question.
‘Wh’ + (auxiliary) + verb + object?
Who does not understand this calculation?
Note:
- Present Indefinite Tense or past Indefinite Tense do not take the auxiliary in positive sentence structure. As-
Who enjoys watching films?
Who is coming to the field tomorrow?
- Common question forms for subject questions:
Which
Which team will win this time?
What kind of
What kind of cheese is blue?
What sort of
What sort of coffee is cheaper?
Who
Who wants to come with us?
Tag questions
Another type of common question in English is the tag question. Tag questions are used to confirm information that you already know or you think you know. This type of question is used in conversation and when checking that you have understood something or to emphasize on an issue.
A tag question is formed by making a statement followed by a comma and the opposite (positive > negative, negative> positive) form of the appropriate auxiliary verb. If the statement is positive, the tag question will be negative. If the question is negative, the tag question will be positive. As –
You’re going there, aren’t you?
He’s gone to office, hasn’t he?
You didn’t do the math by yourself, did you?
In the above written sentences, there are tag questions at the later halves of the sentences. The first two sentences are positive, that is why the tag question part in negative. And the last sentence the first half is negative and thus the later half is positive.
Indirect questions
Indirect questions are asked when we want to be more polite. They take the same formula of asking direct questions but at first some introductory phrases (do you know, can you tell, I was wondering etc.) are used and sometimes they make a positive statement rather than an actual question. The two phrases with the question word or ‘if’ is connected if there is a yes/no question. Construction Chart:
Introductory phrase + question word (or if) + positive sentence As-
I was wondering if you know the way to the nearest restaurant. Do you know when the next train leaves the platform?
- Here are some of the most common phrases used for asking indirect questions.
Do you know…
I wonder/was wondering…..
Can you tell me…
I’m not sure…
I don’t know… As-
I wonder when Priya will come.
Can you tell me where the lab is?
I’m not sure what he wants to do.
I don’t know if he is coming.