Questions and answers

Main use of questions is asking for information, but they can be used in other ways, for example to
make a request, or suggestion, offering to help, or offering something, asking permission, or simply
complaining.
e.g. Can I have some water, please? ( a request )
Can I help you? ( offering help )
What time is it? ( asking for information )

Two types of questions exist: A YES/NO QUESTION and A WH-QUESTION. As the name
suggests, a yes/no question can be answered „yes“ or „no“. Other expressions can be used to answer
such questions ( „I expect so.“, „ Certainly“. ). It begins with an auxiliary verb, such as „do“ or „will“.
Wh-questions begin with question words, which are: WHO, WHAT, WHICH, WHOSE, WHERE,
WHEN, WHY and HOW.
e.g. Do you want to go to the park? –Yes, that sounds lovely.
What did you make for lunch? –I've made us some pasta.

 INVERSION IN QUESTIONS
It's common in questions for there to be an inversion of the subject and the auxiliary.
e.g. Are you going to the cinema today?
In cases where there is more than one auxiliary verb, then only the first one comes before the subject.
e.g. Could have I reserved a seat? X Could I have reserved a seat?
The auxiliary verb „do“ is used in simple tenses.
e.g. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla cupcakes?
Did you see her today?
On its own, „be“ as an ordinary verb can come before the subject.
e.g. Was the train late?

 QUESTIONS WITHOUT INVERSION

Used in formal conversation, a question can sometimes have the same order as in a statement.
e.g. You're having a baby? –Yes.
The dog was wearing a coat? –Yes, you should have seen him.
WH-QUESTIONS
e.g. Who was in here before us?
What book did you recommend?
Which way should I go?
Whose car is parked over there?
Where can I find pants like that?
When can I come over?
Why did they move that over?
How did you break your ankle?

 WHO, WHAT, ETC AS SUJECT AND OBJECT

If „who“ or „what“ is the subject of a question, the word order is the same as in a statement.
e.g. Who sent you that letter? ( Someone sent me the letter. )
Who did you send the letter to? ( I sent a letter to someone. )

 WHOM
Instead of using „who“ when it's in place of the object, we can use „whom“ to achieve a more formal
from.
e.g. Who/ Whom did you invite to the party?

 PREPOSITIONS IN QUESTIONS
Question words can be the objects of preposition.
e.g. Where does Sarah come from? ( She comes from somewhere.)

 QUESTION WORD + NOUN

Question words such as „what“, „which“ and „whose“ can have a noun after them.
e.g. What will you do?  What action will you do?
„Which“ can come before „one/ones“ or before an of-phrase.
e.g. Which of the flowers did you like best?
I've got lots of dresses. Which ones should I take?

 THE USE OF „WHO“, „WHAT“, AND „WHICH“

We use WHO when refering to a human being. It cannot come before a noun or before an of-phrase.
e.g. Who was that blonde girl?
WHICH can be used for both human beings and something non-human. „Which“ is used when there
is a definite number of possible answers.
e.g. Which one is your boyfriend?
Which car is yours?
WHAT refers mostly to something non-human, it can be used for humans but only if it comes before a
noun. „What“ is mostly used when there is an indefinite number of possible answers.
e.g. What idiot wrote this?
What do you like to watch on TV?

 QUESTION PHRASES
Question words „what“ and „how“ can, in combination with other words, form phrases that are often
used at the begining of questions.
What can come before a noun.
e.g. What colour is your car?
To draw attention to something or make a suggestion, „how about“ or „what about“ can be used.
e.g. What about/ How about pizza for lunch?
„What....for“ is used in questions about purpose or reason.
e.g. What did you get so angry for?
„How“ can come before an adjective or an adverb.
e.g. How far did you have to travel?
„How“ can come before „many“ or „much“ as well.
e.g. How many children has she got?

 „HOW“ AND „WHAT.....LIKE“

„How“ is used in friendly enquiries about someone's well-being, enjoyment or progress.
e.g. How are you?
How are you liking the new job?
„What....like“ is used when asking about quality.
e.g. How did you like the new film?

 „WHAT EXACTLY...“? „ABOUT HOW MANY...?“

If we want to know exact information, we use „exactly“ or „precisely“ after the question word or in
the end position.
e.g. What exactly are you interested in?
What time is his shift over precisely?
If we want to know approximate information, we use „roughly“ or „approximately“. Usually, they go
in the end position, but they can go before the question word as well.
e.g. How many people did you invite approximately?
Roughly, how big will your new room be?
„About“ can also go before a question phrase such as „what time“, „how many“, „how much“, or
„how long“.
e.g. About what time does the film start?

 ELSE ( meaning other )

e.g. What else can I help you with?

 EMPHASIZING A QUESTION
Phrases „on earth“ or „ever“ can be used to emphasize a question.
e.g. What on earth were you thinking?
e.g. Who ever/Whoever left that door open?

 INDIRECT QUESTIONS
By putting a question into sub-clause, and beginning with a question word or with „if/whether“, we
can ask the question indirectly.
e.g. We need to find out who did this.

 NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
To make a question negative, one must put „n't“ after the auxiliary.
A negative yes/no question often expresses surprise.
e.g Hasn't she got her salary yet?
A negative yes/no question containing „why“ can be a complaint.
e.g. Why haven't you cleaned your room yet?
„Why don't/doesn't...“ or „Why not....“ can be used for making a suggestion.
e.g. Why don't you just tell him how you feel?
Negative questions with „who“, „what“, or „which“ usually ask for information.
e.g. Who hasn't read the book yet?
Using a negative question can also be helpful to ask the hearer to agree to something.
e.g.. Haven't we met somewhere before?

 QUESTION TAGS
 THE FORM OF A NEGATIVE TAG
The structure of a negative tag is auxiliary + n't + pronoun.
e.g. She's failed the test, hasn't she?
In simple tenses we use the auxiliary verb „do“.
e.g. She works in the factory, doesn't she?
 THE FORM OF A POSITIVE TAG
Structured just like the negative one, but without „n't“.
e.g. It isn't raining, is it?

 POSITIVE STATEMENT + NEGATIVE TAG

This type of tag asks the hearer to agree that the said statement is true.
e.g. You are Croatian, aren't you? –Yes, I am.
 NEGATIVE STATEMENT + POSITIVE TAG
The tag invites the hearer to respond.
 POSITIVE STATEMENT + POSITIVE TAG

 ECHO QUESTIONS
Used when we don't understand what someone says, or we find it hard to believe.
e.g. Did you see the naked lady? –Did I see what?
 ECHO TAGS
Ww form it like a question tag; a positive statement is followed by a positive tag, and a negative
statement is followed by a negative tag.
e.g. I am going on a trip next week. –OH, are you?
The children can't swim. –Can't they?