Types of questions in English

Answering and asking questions is an important part of learning. We ask questions in order to learn more information about something and we answer questions to provide more information.

We cannot do without questions. When we ask questions and get answers to them, we become smarter. By asking questions we learn.

There are a lot of other reasons why people ask questions. For example, they do that…

To solve a problem

To make someone feel special and important

To understand other people better

To attract someone’s attention

To avoid confusion

To guide a conversation in the necessary direction and so on.

So, today in the lesson we will:

● learn the definition of the term “a question”;

● talk about different types of questions in English;

● discuss how to ask questions correctly;

And

● put the knowledge into practice.

First, let’s learn the definition of the term “a question”.

A question is a sentence or phrase that asks for information. As a rule, every question requires an answer.

If we talk about the basic questions, then we can easily identify these sentences as they have a question mark in the end.

For example:

The students are visiting the museum now, aren’t they?

(A question mark is one of the easiest ways to recognize the questions.)

There are 5 main types of questions in the English language. And they are:

General questions

For example:

Did Megan wash the dishes yesterday?

Special questions

For instance:

How many days a week do you work?

Alternative questions

For example:

Did Kate decide to buy a green car or a blue bicycle?

Disjunctive questions

For instance:

My grandmother sent him a present, didn’t she?

Subject questions

For example:

Who broke the window two days ago?

(Now let’s talk about each one of these types in detail.)

Let’s start with general questions.

A general question (or Yes/No question) is one of the most popular and frequently used ways to get information. The answer to this question can be either “Yes” or “No”. That’s why it’s the simplest type of questions in the English language. We ask a general question when we don’t need more information.

How do we form general questions?

To form general questions we put the auxiliary or modal verb at the beginning of the sentence. We put the subject in the second place. Then we put the main verb. After that we can add the rest of the sentence.

For instance:

Do you want us to have dinner at a restaurant?

May I help you to clean your room?

Can you invite my sister to your birthday party?

When we form a general question with the verb “to be”, we don’t need to use auxiliary verbs. The verb “to be” forms questions on its own.

In such questions we put the verb “to be” in the first place. Then we put the subject. After that we can add the rest of the sentence.

For example:

Were the children playing with their new toys?

Are you happy with your current job?

Is he saying something behind my back?

The following type of questions is called:

Special questions

A special question is a type of questions that we ask in order to get additional information. The answer to this question will be more detailed than the answer to a general question. A special question uses a question word or a question phrase at the beginning of the sentence to ask for specific information.

For instance:

“What” is used to ask about the things.

“Where” is used to ask about the place or location of something.

We use “who” to ask about someone.

“When” is used to ask about the time.

We use “why” to ask about the reason.

“How” can be used to represent the way in which things are happening or done.

We use “how many” or “how much” when we want to know the quantity of something.

And so on.

How do we form special questions?

To form special questions we put the question word or phrase in the first place. Then we use the auxiliary, modal or “to be” verb. We put the subject in the third place. Then we put the main verb. After that we can add the rest of the sentence.

For example:

How often do you go to the cinema?

What is Elizabeth cooking for dinner?

Where did you go while you were in China?

The third type of questions is:

Alternative questions

An alternative question is a type of questions that asks the other person to choose between two or more presented options. These options are connected to each other using the conjunction “or”. Alternative questions are often called “choice questions”.

How do we form alternative questions?

We form alternative questions almost in the same way as general questions. We put the auxiliary verb in the first place. Then we use the subject. After that we use the main verb. Then we need to add the first answer option, the conjunction “or” and the second answer option.

For example:

Do you prefer to go skating or skiing?

Are you going to swim in the pool or in the river?

Did Liam go to the theatre or the museum yesterday?

The following type of questions is:

Disjunctive questions

A disjunctive question is a type of questions that is used to check or confirm that you’ve understood something correctly. This type of questions is made up of two parts, where the first part is a positive statement and the second part is negative or vice versa.

For instance:

You’re going to see your grandmother, aren’t you?

(In this sentence the first part is positive, therefore the second part is negative.)

He doesn’t want to talk to me, does he?

(In this sentence the first part is negative, therefore the second part is positive.)

The main feature of disjunctive questions is in the ending. The end of this type of questions is called the tag. That’s why disjunctive questions are often called “tag questions”.

How do we form disjunctive questions?

When we form disjunctive questions, we need to put the affirmative or negative sentence first. Then we need to put a comma. After that we use the opposite form of the auxiliary or modal verb and the subject pronoun.

For example:

She has been studying English for two years, hasn’t she?

Justin doesn’t want to go to school anymore, does he?

Kimberly sent him an invitation, didn’t she?

The fifth type of questions is:

Subject questions

A subject question is a type of questions that we ask when we want to know who is performing the action. The main feature of subject questions is that they do not require an auxiliary verb. We just need to replace the subject with the question word “who” or “what”.

How do we form subject questions?

To form subject questions we put the question word “who” or “what” in the first place. Then we use the main verb. After that we can add the rest of the sentence.

Pay attention! If we ask a question to the subject in the Present Simple, then we add the ending -s to the main verb.

Look at the examples:

Who wants a slice of delicious pie?

What is on Benjamin’s kitchen table?

Who is playing football in the park?

Guys, we’ve talked about 5 main types of questions in English. Now…

Make up questions using the words below. Name the type of each question!

Let’s check the right answers!

How many eggs do we need for this cake? (It’s a special question.)

Jane and Steve aren’t getting married, are they? (It’s a disjunctive question.)

Has Katelyn already watched this cartoon? (It’s a general question.)

Do you prefer to read books or magazines? (It’s an alternative question.)

Who made a mess in my room yesterday? (It’s a subject question.)

When will you introduce me to your parents? (It’s a special question.)

She left without saying goodbye, didn’t she? (It’s a disjunctive question.)

Now…

Translate the following questions from Russian into English!

1. Тебе нравится вишнёвое мороженое?

2. Ты обычно читаешь поэзию или прозу?

3. Когда ты навестишь своих родителей?

4. Кто любит играть в компьютерные игры?

5. Они пошли в ночной клуб, не так ли?

6. Куда ты путешествовал в последний раз?

7. Они уже завершили свой проект?

8. Дженнифер не была занята, не правда ли?

Let’s check the right answers!

1. Do you like cherry ice cream?

2. Do you usually read poetry or prose?

3. When will you visit your parents?

4. Who likes to play computer games?

5. They went to the nightclub, didn’t they?

6. Where did you travel last time?

7. Have they already finished their project?

8. Jennifer wasn’t busy, was she?

That’s all for now! In conclusion, I would like to say that asking and answering questions is not only a part of how we learn, but it is also a part of our social skills. We ask and answer questions to be polite and build or maintain relationships. That’s why it is really important to know how to form questions correctly.