types of questions in English

1. Page 1
Questions
by M. Machado & Y.Sivira
Ch 4 TG

2. Page 2
Yes/No Questions
 Copular Be
Is he a teacher?
 Modal Could + verb
Could you do the homework?
 Aux is + verb (present participle)
Is she reading right now?
 Aux have + verb (past participle)
Has the professor read the essay?

3. Page 3
Yes/No Questions
 Do insertion
He runs everyday (statement)
Does he run everyday? (question)
 Positive and Negative Yes/No questions
Positive Negative
Have you been here before? Haven’t you been here before?
Are you coming? Aren’t you coming?

4. Page 4
Yes/No Questions
 Expressing Annoyance
Can’t you ever be quite?
 Positive Polarity Items (someone, somebody, already)
Didn’t somebody call him?
 Reduced yes/no questions
 Elliptical
 Declarative

5. Page 5
Yes/No Questions
 Elliptical Yes/No Questions
 Omit auxiliary verbs and copular form of Be
Are you coming to the game? ----> You coming to the game?
Has she been talking to Lily? ----> She been talking to Lily?

6. Page 6
Yes/No Questions
Declarative Yes/No questions
 To check some piece of information
A: the food there is great
B: You’ve eaten there before?
 Repeat something someone has said in order to confirm it
A: I lost my job yesterday
B: You lost your job?
 Express surprise or amazement
A: I can’t believe we lost after being up by 10 points.
B: You lost the game?!

7. Page 7
Tag Questions
 Opposite Polarity Tag Questions
 If the stem is positive then the tag is negative, and if the stem
is negative, the tag is positve.
Laura can come -----> Laura can come, can’t she?
She isn’t Venezuelan -----> She isn’t Venezuelan, is she?
 Do insertion
She likes him ------> She likes him, doesn’t she?

8. Page 8
Tag Questions
 Same Polarity Tag Questions
 Both the stem and the tag are positve.
So, that’s your little game, is it? Well, you won’t get away with it.
 Can express imperative statement expressing urgency, polite
request and suggestion.
 Hurry up, will you!!----> Imperative statement expressing urgency
 Open the window, will you? ---> Polite Request
 I think it’s time to study for the exam, shall we? ---> Suggestion

9. Page 9
Tag Questions
 Exclamations
 What a great movie that is!
Oh! What a great movie, isn’t it?
 Demand Agreement
Do you love it, or what?!

10. Page 10
Wh Questions
Question Answer Example
What Object What are you
watching?
I am watching a
movie
Who Person/subject Who did you see?
I saw someone
Who needs a lift?
Someone needs a
lift

11. Page 11
Wh Questions
Embeded Questions
Only wh movement is applied
Examples
• I have no idea how much this sandwich costs
• I want to know what she was doing
• I want to know where she is going

12. Page 12
Wh Questions
Information Questions
Question Answer Example
Whose Person Whose book was stolen?
Someone’s book…
What Object What did she want?
Where Place Where did john go?
He went somewhere
How Directions/
Feelings/process
How did they do it?
They did it somehow

13. Page 13
Wh Questions
Repeat Please Questions
Question Example
When a. When did Susan come?
b. She came this morning
a. She came when?

14. Page 14
Wh Questions
Elaborate Please Questions
It is used… Example
The asker needs more
information
a. Hey, that student over there did not do homework?
b. Which student?

15. Page 15
Wh Questions
Teaching Questions
Yes/No questions
• Twenty questions
• What’s my line
• Making Excuses
• Addressing stage 3 problems
• Role Play
Wh questions
Forming wh questions
Quiz show
What are you doing?

16. Page 16
Activity

17. Page 17
Activity
• A young man.
• Two rooms and some
simple furniture.
• Six miles.
• Yes.
• No.
• Wood.
• Some trees.
• It’s cold and windy.
• Six.
• In 1975.
Taken from
https://www.teachingenglish.org.
uk
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