Interrogative
Sentence
We know that sentences are of five types based on meaning: assertive, interrogative, imperative optative, and exclamatory. In the previous chapter, I talked about the assertive sentence. Now you know what an assertive sentence is. What is an assertive sentence? An assertive sentence describes anything. If you want to describe your opinion, you use an assertive sentence; if you want to describe your feelings, you use an assertive sentence; if you want to describe any event or incident or anything, you use an assertive sentence. So, in the simplest sense, an assertive sentence describes anything. But, is our life limited to the description of someone or something? You can surely say, ‘no’. We are to ask questions for many purposes; we are to give commands or advice or make requests or wishes or we are to release sudden emotion in our daily life. These five types of sentences will help you express all the above-mentioned expressions. As the author has talked about the assertive sentences in the previous chapter, he has intended to talk about the interrogative sentence in this chapter. Learning interrogative sentences will help you ask questions properly.
If you examine the sources, you will see that there are four types of interrogative sentences: closed questions, open questions, choice questions, and tag questions. In addition to these four types of questions, there are other three types of questions—statement questions, indirect questions, and rhetorical questions. But, these three types of questions are not considered interrogative sentences because they do not ask questions directly. That is why they are not considered interrogative sentences. However, this chapter will help you learn all these ways of asking questions.
1. Closed Questions
They are called closed questions because you are not open or free to answer this type of question. Your answer is limited to ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Answer of a closed question is limited to 'yes' or 'not.'
Question: Do you play the piano?
Answer: No, I don’t.
Question: Do you write books?
Answer: Yes, I do.
Closed questions follow two structures:
First Structure of Closed Question
Main verb + subject + remainder (if any)
Let’s talk about the first structure. You will come across the first structure when a sentence is present simple or past simple and when an auxiliary verb functions as a main verb.
Present Simple:
He is happy.
First Structure of Closed Question:
Is he happy?
Past Simple:
They were sad.
First Structure of Closed Question:
Were they sad?
Here ‘is’ and ‘were’ in present and past simple are functioning as the main verb. So, when you come across this type of situation when your sentence is present simple or past simple and auxiliary verb functions as the main verb, you should use the first structure of closed question: Main verb + subject + remainder (if any).
Another thing you should remember is that interrogative sentence also has positive and negative form.
Interrogative sentence also has positive and negative form.
Present simple: He is happy.
A positive form of Interrogative: Is he happy?
A negative form of an interrogative closed question: Is he not happy?
A negative form of interrogative: Isn’t he happy?
If you separate ‘not’ from the contracted form, ‘not’ should come after the subject. On the other hand, the contracted form should come first.
Second Structure of Closed Question
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + remainder (if any)
Present continuous:
He is playing the piano.
Is he playing the piano? (Positive form)
Isn’t he playing the piano? (Negative form)
Present perfect:
I have broken the glass.
Have I broken the glass? (Positive form)
Haven’t I broken the glass? (Negative form)
Present perfect continuous:
It’s been raining since morning.
Has it been raining since morning?
Hasn’t it been raining since morning?
Past Indefinite:
I played football.
Did I play football?
Didn’t I play football?
Past continuous:
I was playing cricket.
Was I playing cricket?
Wasn’t I playing cricket?
Past perfect:
I had done it.
Had I done it?
Hadn’t I done it?
Past perfect continuous:
He had been doing it.
Had he been doing it?
Hadn’t he been doing it?
Future indefinite:
He will go there.
Will he go there?
Won’t he go there?
Future continuous:
They will be working there.
Will they be working there?
Won’t they be working there?
Future Perfect:
I will have bought a car.
Will I have bought a car?
Won’t I have bought a car?
Future perfect continuous:
You will have been doing it.
Will you have been doing it?
Won’t you have been doing it?
Keep in mind that when you have two auxiliaries you should revert the first auxiliary verb with the subject.
You should also be aware of the fact that present and past simple tenses do not show auxiliary verbs. So, there is no opportunity to switch the positions of the auxiliary verb and the subject here. You have to bring ‘do’ ‘does’, and ‘did’ to form questions. ‘Does’ and ‘did’ are used for present simple and ‘did’ is used
Present and past simple tenses do not show auxiliary verbs.
He works hard.
Does he work hard?
Doesn’t he work hard?
They know it.
Do they know it?
Don’t they know it?
They knew it.
Did they know it?
Didn’t they know it?
Now, you have understood what a closed question is. The closed questions are answered with either ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and closed questions follow two structures:
2. Open Question
They are called open questions because you can answer them openly. It means, unlike closed questions, your answers are not limited to ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They require detailed answers. So, open questions require detailed answers. Open questions follow three structures:
You will come across the first structure when your sentence is present simple or past simple and the auxiliary verb is functioning as the main verb.
They are happy.
How are they?
This is a pen.
What is it?
I was there in the morning.
When was I there?
So, when you come across present simple or past simple and your auxiliary verb is functioning as the main verb, you should follow the first structure. Now go to the second structure: W/H word or W/H phrase + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + remainder (if any.)
What are you doing?
Why have you broken it?
How long have you been working on this project?
When did you go there?
Where did you live?
When will you buy this car?
How long have you been working on this project?
How much money will you earn?
Structure three begins with ‘who’ followed by an (auxiliary) verb, main verb
Who has done it?
Who are you?
Who did it?
Who will talk to you?
Who knows him?
3. Choice Question
In a choice question, an answer is found within the sentence and you have to choose the answer from the sentence.
Do you want to eat a burger or pizza?
Here your answer should be either burger or pizza.
Will you go to Singapore or New York?
Again, your answer should be either Singapore or New York.
Do you want to have Coffee or Tea?
So, in a choice question, the answer just lies within the sentence. You just choose the answer from the given options.
Tag question is another form of an interrogative sentence. They are called interrogative sentences because there is an interrogative tag after any declarative or imperative statement. But some scholars say that tag questions are not interrogative sentences because they do not ask questions directly. They are used only for confirmation and that is why tag questions are not interrogative sentences. By the way, we need to learn tag questions. So, let’s study tag questions. Question tags can replace simple yes / no questions but they can also reinforce the statement that you make. What is a question tag?
A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement to change it into a yes/no question.
It’s dinner time, isn’t it?
It’s not lunchtime, is it?
Notice when the statement is positive, the tag is negative; and, when the statement is negative, the tag is positive. Notice that the negative tag is in contracted form. It is possible to use a full form such as ‘is it not’. But it will sound too formal. So, keep it to the contraction.
Question tags can replace simple yes / no questions but they can also reinforce the statement that you make.
Formulation of question tag
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement: verb ‘to be’, Present and Past Continuous Tenses
She’s working, isn’t she?
She isn’t working, is she?
We’re late, aren’t we?
We aren’t late, are we?
He wasn’t angry, was he?
They were lying, weren’t they?
They weren’t lying, were they?
Formulation of question tag
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement: verb ‘to be’, Present and Past Continuous Tenses
‘Will’ & Modal verbs
You’ll be there, won’t you?
You won’t be there, will you?
I can go, can’t I?
I can’t go, can I?
It could happen, couldn’t it?
It couldn’t happen, could it?
We should stay, shouldn’t we?
We shouldn’t stay, should we?
He must exercise, mustn’t he?
He mustn’t exercise, must he?
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement (Present and Past Perfect Tenses)
They’ve finished, haven’t they?
They haven’t finished, have they?
She’s done it, hasn’t she?
She hasn’t done it, has she?
You’d seen him, hadn’t you?
You’d not seen him, had you?
You hadn’t seen him, had you?
Auxiliaries that you can’t see in the positive statement (Present and Past Simple Tenses)
They live in Spain, don’t they?
They don’t live in Spain, do they?
She always smiles, doesn’t she?
She never smiles, does she?
It snowed, didn’t it?
It didn’t snow, did it?
Verbs ‘to have’ and ‘to have to’
They have a car, don’t they?
They don’t have a car, do they?
They’ve got a car, haven’t they?
They haven’t got a car, have they?
He has to work, doesn’t he?
He doesn’t have to work, does he?
He’s got to work, hasn’t he?
Special Tags (Suggesting with Let’s):
Let’s go for a walk, shall we?
Let’s not go out, shall we?
Giving an order / making a request:
Do me a favor (please), will you?
Don’t forget the letter (please), will you?
Verb ‘to be’ with the pronoun ‘I’:
I’m right, aren’t I? (or formal: am I not?)
I’m not right, am I?
Usage (Formulate a yes / no question rising intonation)
You haven’t seen my key, have you? = have you seen my key? No, I haven’t. Or, yes, I have. It’s over there.
She’s coming, isn’t she? = Is she coming? Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
He works in a hospital, doesn’t he Does he work in a hospital? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Reinforce a statement and get agreement from the listener (falling intonation)
You haven’t slept very well, have you? No, I had a terrible night.
She is friendly, isn’t she? Yes, she is so nice to everyone.
He drives too fast, doesn’t he? Yes, he is a dangerous driver.
Common Mistakes (Using ‘No?’ or ‘Isn’t it?’ as a general tag.)
It’s cold, no? (wrong) It’s cold, isn’t it? (correct)
You have a car, isn’t it? (wrong) You have a car, don’t you?
Formulation of question tag
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement (Verb ‘to be’, Present and Past Continuous Tenses)
She’s working, isn’t she?
She isn’t working, is she?
We’re late, aren’t we?
Aren’t late, are we?
He was angry, wasn’t he?
He wasn’t angry, was he?
They were lying, weren’t they?
They weren’t lying, were they?
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement (‘Will’ & Modal verbs)
You’ll be there, won’t you?
You won’t be there, will you?
I can go, can’t I?
I can’t go, can I?
It could happen, couldn’t it?
It couldn’t happen, could it?
We should stay, shouldn’t we?
We shouldn’t stay, should we?
He must exercise, mustn’t he?
He mustn’t exercise, must he?
Auxiliaries that you can see in the statement (Present and Past Perfect Tenses)
They’ve finished, haven’t they?
They haven’t finished, have they?
She’s done it, hasn’t she?
She hasn’t done it, has she?
You’d seen him, hadn’t you?
You’d not seen him, had you?
You hadn’t seen him, had you?
Auxiliaries that you can’t see in the positive statement (Present and Past Simple Tenses)
They live in Spain, don’t they?
They don’t live in Spain, do they?
She always smiles, doesn’t she?
She never smiles, does she?
It snowed, didn’t it?
It didn’t snow, did it?
Verbs ‘to have’ and ‘to have to’
They have a car, don’t they?
They don’t have a car, do they?
They’ve got a car, haven’t they?
They haven’t got a car, have they?
He has to work, doesn’t he?
He doesn’t have to work, does he?
He’s got to work, hasn’t he?
He hasn’t got to work, has he?
Special Tags (Suggesting with ‘Let’s’):
Let’s go for a walk, shall we?
Let’s not go out, shall we?
Giving an order / making a request:
Do me a favor (please), will you?
Don’t forget the letter (please), will you?
Verb ‘to be’ with the pronoun ‘I’:
I’m right, aren’t I? (or formal: am I not?)
I’m not right, am I?
Usage (Formulate a yes / no question rising intonation)
You haven’t seen my key, have you? = have you seen my key? No, I haven’t. Or Yes, I have. It’s over there.
She’s coming, isn’t she? = Is she coming? Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
He works in a hospital, doesn’t he Does he work in a hospital? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Reinforce a statement and get agreement from the listener (falling intonation)
You haven’t slept very well, have you? No, I had a terrible night last night.
She is friendly, isn’t she? Yes, she is so nice to everyone.
He drives too fast, doesn’t he? Yes, he is a dangerous driver.
Common Mistakes (Using ‘No?’ or ‘Isn’t it?’ as a general tag.)
It’s cold, no? (wrong) It’s cold, isn’t it? (correct)
You have a car, isn’t it? (wrong) You have a car, don’t you?
In conclusion, we can say that if the statement is positive, the tag will be negative. If the statement is negative, the tag will be positive. In the case of an imperative sentence, we should use ‘shall’ or ‘will.’ If your subject is an indefinite pronoun, the verb should be in its plural form. This is all about tag questions. These are the four types of interrogative sentences: closed questions, open questions, choice questions, and tag questions.
Besides these four types of questions, we have three other types of questions. But they are not considered interrogative sentences because they do not ask questions directly. Statement question is one of these three types of questions. Statement question does not have any grammatical structure or recognition.
5. Statement Question
I am happy?
It is a statement, but we use our intonation to make others understand that it is a question. In the written form you can put a question mark after the statement sentence, but it does not have any grammatical rule. But we use them in our real life. In the speech, we are to raise our voice at the end of the sentence to make these questions.
You are happy?
You are disappointed?
We need to use our intonation to make this type of question.
6. Indirect Question
After the statement questions come to the indirect question. An indirect question is a statement but through this type of statement, we can generate questions indirectly. For example:
He asked me if I did it.
I asked him whether he has finished this work.
So, it is a statement. But, through this type of statement, we can indirectly generate questions. That is why it is also called an indirect question.
7. Rhetorical Question
Finally, we have the rhetorical question. A rhetorical question looks like an open question. It starts with a W/H word followed by an auxiliary verb, subject plus main verb plus remainder (if any). But still, it is not considered an interrogative sentence because it does not ask questions directly. It is a type of question through which we talk about ourselves. For example:
How could I do it?
Here, I am not asking anyone any question; I am talking to myself. Let’s have some other examples:
How foolishly did I do it?
This type of question is called a rhetorical question. Though they resemble open questions, they are not interrogative sentences because they do not ask questions directly.
Exercise:
1. What is an interrogative sentence?
2. Which one is the example of an Interrogative sentence?
3. Choose the structure of the Interrogative sentence.
Thank You