English as an Additional Language/Questions and Compounds
Interrogatives
editQuestions in English often start with an interrogative which describes the type of information being asked for. Some examples are:
Interrogative | Example question | Example answer |
---|---|---|
what | What is this? | This is an apple |
who | Who is that? | That is my teacher. |
where | Where is the restroom? | The restroom is down-stairs. |
when | When does class start? | Class starts at six o'clock. |
why | Why are you studying English? | I'm studying English because of my work. |
how | How does my dress look? | Your dress looks great! |
Note how the word order changes between the question and the answer.
Yes-no questions
editIn yes-no questions (so-called polar questions) the word order is usually the same, but instead of the interrogative comes a verb to make a Verb-Subject-Object sentence. Below are some examples of yes-no questions:
Verb | Example question | Positive answer | Negative answer | Negative answer with positive explanation |
---|---|---|---|---|
do | Do you like apples? | Yes, I like apples. | No, I don't like apples. | No, I like/prefer oranges. |
be | Is this red? | Yes, this is red. | No, this isn't red. | No, this is blue. |
be | Are you studying English? | Yes, I'm studying English. | No, I'm not studying English. | No, I'm studying French. |
be | Will you sing a song? | Yes, I'll sing a song. | No, I won't sing a song. | No, I will read a story. |
Usually, simple positive or negative answers will be shorter. It is enough to say: "Yes, I do.", "No, I don't.", "Yes, it is.", "No, it isn't", etc.