San Pedro Technological Institute: MS.

CELESTIAL

Asking Questions

Asking questions is an easy way to start conversations in English. You can also use questions to keep conversations going. When you don't understand something, what should you do? Ask questions! Basically, questions are classified into three types: yes-no questions, information questions and tag questions. Yes-No Questions These are questions answerable only by either yes or no. The following rules govern the correct patterns of a yes-no questions: 1. If the verb is be, just reverse the subject and the verb of the statement pattern. Ex: She is a freshman. (statement) Is she a freshman? (question) 2. If the verb is other than the be, change it into its original form and add do, does or did before the subject. Ex: She speaks French well. (statement) Does she speak French well? (question) They live in Makati. Do they live in Makati? He disappeared in the dark. Did he disappear in the dark? 3. If the verb is assisted by a helping verb, start the question with a helping verb followed by the subject then the main verb. Ex: You can play the piano. Can you play the piano? 4. Any statement can also be made into a yes-no question by simply raising the final pitch without changing the statement pattern. Ex: You are going You are going? Information Question Question answerable by other than yes or no are called information questions because they require the giving out of certain information as an answer. This type of question uses an interrogative adverb, also referred to as question word: who, whose, whom, what, which, when, where, how, why. The basic patterns of information questions are the following: 1. For single verbs (whether be or other than be) the question word comes first followed by the verb then the complement or subject or object as the case may be. Ex: Who is the leader? (QW-V-C) How was the party last night? (QW-V-S) What will you do about it?(QW-V-O) 2. If the verb is assisted by a helping verb, the question word is followed by the helping verb then the subject, then the main verb. (QW-HV-S-V) Ex: Why did they laugh?
COMMUNICATION ARTS I

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San Pedro Technological Institute: MS. CELESTIAL

Asking Questions

Whom would you invite? 3. In some cases, the question word is preceded by a preposition. Ex: With whom do you live? On what project are you working now? To what office are you assigned? Tag Questions A short question attached or added to a statement is called a tag question. Virtually, it is one way of converting statement into a yes-no question. As a general rule, if the statement is affirmative(or positive), the tag question should be negative. If the statement is negative, the tag question should be affirmative. In forming tag questions, the following patterns should strictly be followed: 1. If the verb is be a. For an affirmative statement, the pattern of negative tag question should be V plus S plus not Ex: It is warn today, is it not? (or isnt it?) b. For a negative statement, the pattern of the affirmative tag question should be V plus S. Ex: It is not warm today, is it? 2. If the verb is other than be a. For an affirmative statement, the pattern of the negative tag question should be: do/does/did plus S plus not. Ex: He works here, does he not? (doesnt he?) 3. If the verb is assisted by a helping verb a. For an affirmative statement, the pattern of the negative tag question should be HV plus S plus not Ex: You can write, can you not? (cant you?) b. For negative statement, the pattern of the affirmative tag question should be HV plus S. Ex: He should not come, should he?

COMMUNICATION ARTS I

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