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:
A: When do you finish college?
B: Next year.
A: Who is your favourite actor?
B: George Clooney for sure!
Forming wh-questions
With an auxiliary verb
We usually form wh-questions
with wh- + an auxiliary verb (be, do or have)
+ subject + main verb or with wh- + a modal verb + subject +
main verb:
Be: When are you
leaving?
|
Who’s been paying
the bills?
|
Do: Where do they
live?
|
Why didn’t you call
me?
|
Have: What has she
done now?
|
What have they
decided?
|
Modal: Who would she
stay with?
|
Where should I
park?
|
Without an auxiliary verb
Warning:
When what,
who, which or whose is the subject or part of the
subject, we do not use the auxiliary. We use the word order subject + verb:
What fell off the wall? Which horse
won?
Who bought this? Whose phone
rang?
Compare
Who owns this bag?
|
Who is the subject of the sentence and this bag is
the object. We use no auxiliary verb.
|
Who do you love most?
|
Who is the object of the sentence and you is
the subject. We use the auxiliary verb do.
|
Responding to wh-questions
Wh-questions ask for information and we do
not expect a yes-no answer to a wh-question.
We expect an answer which gives information:
A: Where’s the coffee machine? (We expect an answer about the
location of the coffee machine.)
B: It’s in the room next to the reception.
A: How old is your dog? (We expect an answer about the age
of the dog.)
B: She’s about five. I’m not very sure.
Adding emphasis to wh-questions
We can add
emphasis to wh-questions in speaking by stressing the auxiliary
verb do. We usually do this when we have not already received the
information that we expected from an earlier question, or to show strong
interest.
When the wh-word
is the object of the sentence, the do auxiliary is stressed to
make it more emphatic:
A: How was your weekend in Edinburgh?
B: I didn’t go to Edinburgh.
A: Really. Where did you go?
B: We decided to go to Glasgow instead.
When the wh-word
is the subject of the sentence, we can add the auxiliary do to
make it emphatic. We stress do:
A: Ronald Price lives in that house,
doesn’t he?
B: No. He moved out.
A: So who does live there? (non-emphatic
question: So who lives there?)
B: Actually, his son is living there now.
When we ask
negative wh-questions, we use the auxiliary verb do when
there is no other auxiliary or modal verb, even when the wh-word is
the subject of the clause:
Affirmative with no auxiliary
|
Negative with auxiliary do
|
Who wants an ice cream?
|
Who doesn’t want an ice cream?
|
Which door opened?
|
Which door didn’t open?
|
Adding a wh-word at the end of a statement to
make a question
Spoken English:
In speaking, we
can sometimes turn wh-questions into statement questions:
What’s today’s
date? or Today’s date is what?
We do this
especially when we are checking information that we have already been given or
when we want to quickly check a particular detail. These are less formal than
full wh-questions:
A: So we’re all going to be there at eight?
B: Right, I’m travelling with Larry.
A: You’re travelling with who? (more formal: Who are you
travelling with?)
B: With Larry. We’re actually going on our
bikes.
A: Is your sister here too or just your
mother?
B: Just my mother.
A: And she’s here until when? (more formal: And when is
she here until?or even more formal: Until when is she here?)
Intonation and wh-questions
The intonation
of wh-questions is normally falling. The falling intonation is on
the most important syllable:
Where are the
keys to the back do↘or?
Why are the
lights re↘d?
When we ask wh-questions
to check or clarify information that has already been given, we may use rising
or fall-rising intonation:
Wh↗at did you say the time was? (I know you’ve told me before but
I’ve forgotten.)
Wh↘o p↗aid for the meal?
Prepositions and particles with wh-questions
We can use wh-words
and phrases after prepositions in more formal questions:
Where will the money come from?
From where will the money
come? (formal)
Spoken English:
In informal
styles, especially in speaking, the preposition may be separated and placed at
the end of the question clause:
What will I talk to her about?
Who should we send the invitation to? (informal)
Whom should we send the invitation to? (formal)
To whom should we send the invitation? (more formal)
For what reason did she leave him? (formal: preposition + wh-phrase)
When we make
questions shorter, we usually put the preposition and its complement together:
A: We’re all meeting up tonight.
B: At what time?
Not: What
time at?
When we ask
questions using verbs consisting of a main verb + particle, e.g. get
up, set out (phrasal verbs), we do not separate the verb from the
particle or preposition:
When did you wake
up this morning?
Not: Up
when did you wake?
Yes / No questions (closed questions)
In English, there are two basic types of questions:
Yes / No questions and Wh – questions . Yes / No questions are also called
closed questions because there are only two possible responses: Yes or No. When
forming a Yes / No question, it must include one of these verbs: BE , DO , HAVE
, or a modal verb . It is impossible to ask a Yes / No question without one of
these verbs.
correct incorrect
Are elections next year? Elections next year?
Does he want to stay? He want to stay?
Have the boys eaten? The boys eaten?
Can the dog swim? The dog swim?
Use the verb BE to ask Yes / No questions about the
identity or description of a person, place, or thing.
question
response
Am I your friend? Yes. / Yes, you are.
/ Yes, you are my friend.
Is this a good restaurant? No. / No,
it is not. / No, it is not a good restaurant.
Are these islands Greek? Yes. /
Yes, they are. / Yes, these islands are Greek.
Was his idea interesting? No. / No,
it wasn’t. / No, his idea was not interesting.
Were they happy? Yes. / Yes, they
were. / Yes, they were happy.
se the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question about a
past activity or situation. This requires the past progressive : WAS / WERE +
(verb+ing).
question
response
Was it raining? Yes.
/ Yes, it was.
Were they playing? No.
/ No, they weren’t.
Use the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question with the
passive voice.
question
response
Is gold mined in Canada? Yes. / Yes it
is.
Are flowers grown here? No. / No,
they are not.
Was the book read? Yes.
/ Yes, it was.
Use the verb HAVE to ask if somebody has done
something or if some action has taken place. Note that these Yes / No questions
use the present perfect (HAVE + past participle).
question
response
Has your brother left? No. / No, he
hasn’t.
Have you driven before? Yes. / Yes, I have.
Has the party started? Yes. / Yes, it has.
Tag Questions
A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement
followed by a mini-question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They
mean something like: "Is that right?" or "Do you agree?"
They are very common in English.
The basic structure of a tag question is:
|
positive statement
|
negative tag
|
|
Snow is white,
|
isn't it?
|
|
negative statement
|
positive tag
|
|
You don't like me,
|
do you?
|
Notice that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb (or main verb when be)
from the statement and changes it to negative or positive.
Positive Statement Tag Questions
Look at these examples with positive statements. You will see
that most of the time, the auxiliary verb from the positive statement is
repeated in the tag and changed to negative.
|
(+) positive statement
|
(-) negative tag
|
|
subject
|
auxiliary
|
main verb
|
|
auxiliary
|
not
|
personal pronoun same as subject
|
|
You
|
are
|
coming,
|
|
are
|
n't
|
you?
|
|
We
|
have
|
finished,
|
|
have
|
n't
|
we?
|
|
You
|
do
|
like
|
coffee,
|
do
|
n't
|
you?
|
|
You
|
|
like
|
coffee,
|
do
|
n't
|
you?
|
|
They
|
will
|
help,
|
|
wo
|
n't
|
they?
|
|
I
|
can
|
come,
|
|
can
|
't
|
I?
|
|
We
|
must
|
go,
|
|
must
|
n't
|
we?
|
|
He
|
should
|
try
|
harder,
|
should
|
n't
|
he?
|
|
You
|
|
are
|
English,
|
are
|
n't
|
you?
|
|
John
|
|
was
|
there,
|
was
|
n't
|
he?
|
Notice:
- the use of do in
the two coffee questions. Remember that in Present Simple, do is
optional in positive statements (You like coffee/You do like coffee).
But the do must appear in the tag. The same applies to
Past Simple did.
- in last two questions, no
auxiliary for main verb be in Present Simple and Past
Simple. The tag repeats the main verb.
Negative Statement Tag Questions
Look at these examples with negative statements. Notice that
the negative verb in the original statement is changed to positive in the tag.
|
(-) negative statement
|
(+) positive tag
|
|
subject
|
auxiliary
|
|
main verb
|
|
|
auxiliary
|
personal pronoun same as subject
|
|
It
|
is
|
n't
|
raining,
|
|
|
is
|
it?
|
|
We
|
have
|
never
|
seen
|
|
that,
|
have
|
we?
|
|
You
|
do
|
n't
|
like
|
|
coffee,
|
do
|
you?
|
|
They
|
will
|
not
|
help,
|
|
|
will
|
they?
|
|
They
|
wo
|
n't
|
report
|
|
us,
|
will
|
they?
|
|
I
|
can
|
never
|
do
|
|
it right,
|
can
|
I?
|
|
We
|
must
|
n't
|
tell
|
|
her,
|
must
|
we?
|
|
He
|
should
|
n't
|
drive
|
|
so fast,
|
should
|
he?
|
|
You
|
wo
|
n't
|
be
|
|
late,
|
will
|
you?
|
|
You
|
|
|
are
|
n't
|
English,
|
are
|
you?
|
|
John
|
|
|
was
|
not
|
there,
|
was
|
he?
|
Notice:
- won't is the contracted form of will
not
- the tag repeats the auxiliary
verb, not the main verb. Except, of course, for the verb be in
Present Simple and Past Simple.
Answering Tag Questions
How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No.
Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (They don't live here, do
they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag
questions. In some languages, an opposite system of answering is used, and
non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to
a lot of confusion!
Answer a tag question
according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects
the real facts, not (necessarily) the question.
For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions,
and the correct answers:
|
tag question
|
correct answer
|
notes
|
|
Snow is white, isn't it?
|
Yes (it is).
|
Answer is same in both cases - because snow is
white!
|
But notice change of stress when
answerer does not agree with questioner.
|
|
Snow isn't white, is it?
|
Yes it is!
|
|
Snow is black, isn't it?
|
No it isn't!
|
Answer is same in both cases - because snow is
not black!
|
|
Snow isn't black, is it?
|
No (it isn't).
|
In some languages, people answer a question like "Snow isn't black, is
it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree with you").
This is the wrong answer in English!
Here are some more examples, with correct answers:
- The moon goes round the earth,
doesn't it? Yes, it does.
- The earth is bigger than the
moon, isn't it? Yes.
- The earth is bigger than the
sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!
- Asian people don't like rice,
do they? Yes, they do!
- Elephants live in Europe, don't
they? No, they don't!
- Men don't have babies, do they?
No.
- The English alphabet doesn't
have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.
Tag Question Special Cases
Negative adverbs
The adverbs never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely have
a negative sense. Even though they may be in a positive statement, the feeling
of the statement is negative. We treat statements with these words like
negative statements, so the question tag is normally positive. Look at these
examples:
|
positive statement
treated as negative statement
|
positive tag
|
|
He never came again,
|
did he?
|
|
She can rarely come
these days,
|
can she?
|
|
You hardly ever came
late,
|
did you?
|
|
I barely know you,
|
do I?
|
|
You would scarcely expect
her to know that,
|
would you?
|
Intonation
We can change the meaning of a tag question with the
musical pitch of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real
question. But if our intonation falls, it sounds more like a statement that
doesn't require a real answer:
|
|
intonation
|
|
|
You don't know where my wallet is,
|
do you?
|
/ rising
|
real question
|
|
It's a beautiful view,
|
isn't it?
|
\ falling
|
not a real question
|
Imperatives
Sometimes we use question tags with imperatives (invitations, orders), but
the sentence remains an imperative and does not require a direct answer. We use won't for
invitations. We use can, can't, will, would for orders.
|
imperative + question tag
|
notes
|
|
Take a seat, won't you?
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polite invitation
|
|
Help me, can you?
|
quite friendly
|
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Help me, can't you?
|
quite friendly (some irritation?)
|
|
Close the door, would you?
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quite polite
|
|
Do it now, will you.
|
less polite
|
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Don't forget, will you.
|
with negative imperatives only will is
possible
|
Same-way tag questions
Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or
negative-positive, it is sometimes possible to use a positive-positive or
negative-negative structure. We use same-way tag questions to express interest,
surprise, anger etc, and not to make real questions.
Look at these positive-positive tag questions:
- So you're having a baby, are
you? That's wonderful!
- She wants to marry him, does
she? Some chance!
- So you think that's funny, do
you? Think again.
Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile:
- So you don't like my looks,
don't you? (British English)
Asking for information or help
Notice that we often use tag questions to ask for information or help,
starting with a negative statement. This is quite a friendly/polite way of
making a request. For example, instead of saying "Where is the police
station?" (not very polite), or "Do you know where the police station
is?" (slightly more polite), we could say: "You wouldn't know where
the police station is, would you?" Here are some more examples:
- You don't know of any good
jobs, do you?
- You couldn't help me with my
homework, could you?
- You haven't got $10 to lend me,
have you?
Some more special cases
|
example
|
notes
|
|
I am right, aren't
I?
|
aren't I (not amn't I)
|
|
You have to go, don't
you?
|
you (do) have to go...
|
|
I have been answering, haven't
I?
|
use first auxiliary
|
|
Nothing came in the
post, did it?
|
treat statements with nothing,
nobody etc like negative statements
|
|
Let's go, shall we?
|
let's = let us
|
|
He'd better do it, hadn't
he?
|
he had better (no auxiliary)
|
Mixed Examples of Tag Questions
Here is a list of examples of tag questions in different contexts. Notice
that some are "normal" and others seem to break all the rules:
- But you don't really love her,
do you?
- This'll work, won't it?
- Oh you think so, do you?
- Well, I couldn't help it, could
I?
- But you'll tell me if she
calls, won't you?
- We'd never have known, would
we?
- Oh you do, do you?
- The weather's bad, isn't it?
- You won't be late, will you?
- Nobody knows, do they?
- You never come on time, do you?
- You couldn't help me, could
you?
- You think you're clever, do
you?
- So you don't think I can do it,
don't you? (British English)
- Shut up, will you!
- She can hardly love him after
all that, can she?
- Nothing will happen, will it?
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