Alternative word for answer

Alternative question in English — examples and exercises

The essence of the alternative questions is clear from the name itself. And in Russian «alternative», and in English «alternative» means — «choice». That is, alternative questions in English contain a choice. In other words, alternative question is always a choice… And this choice is denoted by the union or (or).

Are Lima and Rebecca sisters or friends? — Are Lima and Rebecca sisters or girlfriends?

The answer to the alternate question (alternative question) contains one of the proposed options, or a negation of both. An affirmative or negative answer is not suitable for such a question.

Did the kids break a mug or a vase? They broke a mug. — Did the children break a mug or vase? They broke the mug.

Most often, alternative questions in English are drawn up on the basis of general questions. That is, they begin with an auxiliary verb corresponding to the time needed in meaning.

Have your ex colleagues had lunch or not yet? — Have your former colleagues dined or not yet?

Types of choice in alternative questions

An alternative (choice) can be added to any member of the proposal.

Alternative to definition

Do you prefer green tear or fruit tea? — Do you prefer green tea or fruit tea?

In this case, green and fruit are definitions for tea. It is these definitions that are offered to choose from in the question.

Alternative to circumstance

An example of an alternative question to a circumstance can be of several types:

Alternative to the circumstance of time (when, what time):

Did Ron recover yesterday or two days ago? — Ron recovered yesterday or two days ago?

Alternative to the circumstance of place (where, where):

Did the assistant show you to the office or to the conference room? — Did the assistant take you to the office or to the conference room?

Alternative to the circumstance of the image (method) of action (how):

Are they dividing the land well or badly? — Do they divide the land good or bad?

These are just a few of the types of circumstance that can be used in alternative questions.

Alternative to supplement

Can one see a pond or a lake from the window of that villa? — Can you see the pond or lake from the window of that villa?

Alternative to the predicate

Consider two options when choosing a predicate.

To the predicate — the verb.

Does Lima usually write or call her granny? — Does Lima usually text or call her grandmother?

To its nominal part, expressed by a noun.

Is your pet a rabbit or a chinchilla? — Is your pet a rabbit or chinchilla?

Alternative to the subject

When composing an alternative question to the subject, it must be borne in mind that the auxiliary verb will have to be repeated twice — with each variant of the subject.

Can your cousin or can you repair the tap in the bath? — Maybe your cousin or you fix the bathroom faucet?

Does Selesta play banjo so well or does Enyo? «Is Celeste that good at the banjo or Enio?»

In addition, the answer to such questions has a special form — it consists of a subject selected from a question and an auxiliary verb to it.

Source: https://lim-english.com/pravila-anglijskogo-yazyka/alternativnyj-vopros-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Types of questions in English

There are 4 types of interrogative sentences in English: general (general or yes / no questions), special (special or wh-questions), alternative (alternative) and separating (disjunctive or tail / tag-questions).

I propose to consider each of these types in more detail.

General or Yes / no questions

Common questions are those that can be answered «yes» or «no», hence the name «yes / no questions».

As a rule, this kind of question refers to the whole proposal, and not to a separate element of it.

For example:

• Do you this country? — Do you like this country?
• Does Jane know about your new job? «Does Jane know about your new job?»
• Can I call my sister? — Can I call my sister?
• Is it cold outside? — It’s cold outside?
• Are they ready for the trip? — Are they ready for the trip?
• Are you hungry? — Are you hungry?

General questions should be pronounced with a corresponding increasing intonation.

You can answer as briefly “Yes./No. «, And more fully -«Yes, I do./No, I donation‘t this country.»These answers depend on which verb is in the question.

Try to remember the following diagram: as they ask, so we answer.

If the question starts with a verb form to be = am, is, are; then answer: Yes, I am / he is / they are; or No, I am not / he isn’t / they aren’t.

Likewise with auxiliary verbs (of/does, did, will, Have/has):

• Did she clean the room? — Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.
• Have you done your homework? — Yes, I have / No, I haven’t.
• Will you buy that dress? — Yes, I will / No, I won’t.

Special or Wh-questions

Special questions, as you might guess, are posed to a specific word, a member of the sentence. For this, question words are used: who (Who), what (what), Where (where, where), When (when), why (why, why) how (as), how many (how much), etc., which are placed at the beginning of the sentence.

For example:

• Where is he from? — Where is he from?
• When did you come here? — When did you come here?
• How did you meet her? — How did you meet her?
• How many eggs do we need for this cake? — How many eggs do we need for this cake?
• Whose children are playing in the yard? — Whose children are playing in the yard?

Please note that questions for the subject (who? What?) Have their own special structure: they do not require an auxiliary verb, we simply replace the subject with a question word.

For example:

• We go to the cinema. — Who goes to the cinema?
• The glass is on the table. — What is on the table?
• most girls here wear skirts. — Who wears skirts here?

That is, after the question words who / what verbs are used as for the 3rd person singular.

We use special questions to get specific information. This implies a detailed answer.

alternative questions

Alternative interrogative sentences are suggestions for choosing one of the options. They consist of two parts connected by a union or (or).

Alternative questions can be of both general and special (specific) nature. If the question does not concern the subject, a complete answer is required.

For example:

• Does she ice-cream or sweets? — She s ice-cream.
• Where would you go: to the cinema or to the theater? — I would go to the cinema.
• Is he a teacher or a student? — He is a student.

But when the question is about the subject, then the auxiliary verb is used before the second option, and the answer will be short:

• Does she make it or do you? — She does.
• Did they buy that house or did she? — They did.

Disjunctive or Tag-questions

Separating or «questions with a tail» in English have their equivalent in Russian: The tea is too sweet, isn’t it? Very sweet tea, isn’t it / isn’t it?

This type of interrogative sentences also consists of two parts, where the first goes in the affirmative, and the second (short) in the negative, and vice versa.

Basically, the first part of the sentence defines the expected response: affirmation is a positive answer, denial is a negative answer.

For example:

• She sent him an invitation didn’t she? — Yes, she did.
• You aren’t getting married, are you? — No, I am not.
• Jane isn’t in France, is she? — No, she isn’t.
• Our dad will come soon won’t he? — Yes, he will.

And also as an exception:

I am going with you aren’t I? — Yes, you are.

You cannot say: I am a great person, am not I? It won’t be right. Just remember that for the pronoun I (i) the ponytail uses the shape are / aren’t.

Ponytail questions are used exclusively in colloquial speech to clarify information, confirm or deny this information, if in doubt.

Good luck in learning English!

Source: https://preply.com/blog/2020/05/26/tipy-voprosov-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

What is an alternate question in English. Alternative Questions in English: How to Ask and Answer

It seems that this is very simple, but beginners do not always cope with this task. The fact is that it is not enough to understand what you need to ask about, you still need to do it correctly from the point of view of grammar. In fact, it is not so difficult if you understand the general principles of constructing interrogative sentences.

Classification

In English, there are traditionally several

• General. The answer will be consent or refusal. Reverse word order: Do you work in the office?
• Special. This uses interrogative wh-words. Where do you work?
• Separating. In this case, the proposal is divided into two parts: statement + question. Sometimes it is also called «with a tail». When translating, the ending, as a rule, is rendered with the phrase «isn’t it?»: You work in the office, don »t you?
• Indirect. This type has a special structure. It has a direct word order, and it itself is considered a more polite and formal form of communication: I wonder if you work in the office.
• Alternative. Finally, this type implies a choice between two or more, usually mutually exclusive possibilities: Do you work in the office or at home?

It is the alternative type of question that will be considered in more detail today. In school, attention is rarely focused on it, and even in such a seemingly simple design, it is not so difficult to make mistakes. And although this does not happen so often, it is interesting and useful to know some of the subtleties of foreign speech — in the future it increases the level of proficiency in the language, which allows you to speak it as well as native speakers do.

Features of an alternative type

We often have to make choices or present them to others. As their name implies, alternative questions in English carry this function. As a rule, they contain two components, that is, there are two approximately equivalent options to choose from.

Like almost all other questions, this type is inherent in the reverse word order, that is, the subject comes after the predicate or verb-link. By the way,
sometimes there are constructions that combine features of several types. What do you: tea or coffee?

Both additions and complex grammatical constructions with a predicate can bind in English: Do you prefer playing the piano or reading books?In any case, the proposal will contain the union or.

The unequivocal answer «yes» or «no» is not applicable in this case. This is the difference between this type. The response should be grammatically complete. In colloquial speech, it is possible to simply say «Reading books», although this would not be correct.

As for the use of the construction in oral speech, then alternative questions in English have a fairly well-established scheme of intonation coloring. Traditionally before or the voice is raised, sometimes emphasizing the union itself and the second part, and at the end of the sentence, and especially on the last stressed syllable, the tone goes down.

Education

As it has already become clear, alternative questions in the English language are built according to general principles, but they connect several options, one of which will serve as a possible answer. As a rule, the second part is incomplete, since a complex construction with a common predicate is omitted.

Its scheme is something like this:

Connecting verb + subject + predicate + variant 1 or variant 2?

As a response, you can apply the proposal as follows:

Subject + predicate + variant 1 (2).

If both of the suggested options are not suitable, then the reaction will be like this:

None of it + subject + predicate + variant 3.

You can also build in English for the subject. This option sounds a little strange, but grammatically remains correct:

Link + subject 1 + predicate + or + predicate 2?

Do you drive the car or does your husband?

Is Ann here or is Jenny?

The main thing in this case is not to forget about the auxiliary verb before the second subject. The answer to the question of such a construction can be short:

My husband does.

Researching theory can be extremely fun, but learning a language is impossible without constant and varied practice. The same applies to mastering the topic «alternative questions». English offers a large number of options for conveying a particular thought, but what about Russian? Translators are primarily interested in adequacy and semantic equality. So what is the best way to reproduce this type of question so that the meaning is not lost?

Broadcast in Russian

Usually there is no problem with this. Despite the fact that alternative questions in English, unlike Russian, use reverse word order in their construction, translation is rarely difficult. Union or successfully replaces «or»:

Do you work in an office or at home?

What do you like: tea or coffee?

Do you prefer to play the piano or read books?

Do you drive or your husband?

Is there Anne or Jenny?

Obviously, the constructions of such questions are similar both in Russian and in English, with the exception of the absence of linking verbs in the latter in such an explicit form. By the way, here they are of the same type — they are also called alternative. So the idea that all languages ​​are in some way related may make sense.

Every day we are faced with a question that offers a choice of answer options. What will you eat for breakfast: pancakes or porridge? Are we going shopping today or are we staying at home? Have you refueled your car or not?

Source: https://belikebee.ru/flower-garden/chto-takoe-alternativnyi-vopros-v-angliiskom-alternativnye.html

5 types of questions in English. Examples!

Details Karina Galchenko Category: BEGINNER — ELEMENTARY

: 01 March 2016

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: 4/5

Today we will consider 5 types of questions in English And, of course, Examples with them. In order not to be mistaken, the main thing is to understand three things: 1) what question you will have, 2) at what time you need to ask it, and 3) what should be the order of words in the interrogative sentence. In this article we will deal with the first point.

5 types of questions in English and examples with them

Usually allocate 5 types of questions in English… We will briefly dwell on each of them and consider Examples.

1. General question. You don’t even need question words here, as the type of question itself does not imply their use. When asking a general question, the interviewee expects to hear a short positive or negative answer from you.

examples:

Are you doing your homework now? — Are you doing your homework now?

Do they go to the cinema every Friday? — Do they go to the movies every Friday?

Was he reading a newspaper when I phoned? — He read the newspaper when I called?

Will you give me a couple of recommendations? — Will you give me a couple of recommendations?

Is your brother at work? — Is your brother at work?

2. Special question. Here you will already need a question word or even a phrase. From this point on, a special question should begin. Next, you should adhere to the standard structure of the question.

examples:

How much do these books cost? — How much do these books cost?

What is he doing here? — What is he doing here?

Where were you yesterday? — Where were you yesterday?

What city did he visit last week? — Which city did he visit last week?

Whose beg was stolen? — Whose bag was stolen?

3. Alternative question. This type of question implies the presence OR… Before or, everything looks the same as in the general question, and then a complement that is appropriate in meaning follows.

examples:

Would you a cup of tea or coffee? — Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?

Is he doing his homework or playing computer games? — Does he do his homework or play computer games?

Will they go on a business trip on Tuesday or Wednesday?

Does Bob speak Spanish or Italian? — Does Bob speak Spanish or Italian?

Were they in Egypt or Turkey last summer? — Were they in Egypt or Turkey last summer?

4. The dividing question.

5. Question to the subject.

The last two types of questions require special attention, so we will consider them separately.

How to ask a separation question in English? Examples of

If you do not know how to ask dividing question in english, then it is worth brushing up on the knowledge of auxiliary verbs, as you will definitely need them. Pay attention to the structure of the question and Examples.

Declarative sentence +, + auxiliary verb + not + face

Negative sentence +, + auxiliary verb + face

He is doing his homework now, isn’t he? — He does his homework, right?

Miranda was in Germany last week, wasn’t she? “Miranda was in Germany last week, wasn’t she?

They speak Russian, don’t they? — They speak Russian, don’t they?

You haven’t forgotten to phone her, have you? “You didn’t forget to call her, did you?

They won’t leave for Prague, will they? — They won’t go to Prague, will they?

As you can see, the second part of the question (tail) depends on where you started. One of the parts (not two at the same time) must be negative.

How to ask a question about a subject in English? Examples of

Now see how to ask a question to the subject in english. Examples and explanations will help you avoid mistakes.

The good news for this type of question is that you don’t need an auxiliary verb. But you need to be 100% sure that you will have a question specifically for the subject.

Most often, these questions begin with who and are addressed to the person who is performing the action. That is, we will answer with the very person we are asking about.

examples:

Who is singing over there? — Mark.

Who sings over there? — Mark.

How many people (= who) came to the meeting? — Seven people came.

How many people came to the meeting? — Seven people came.

Who speaks in the living room? — Your aunt.

Who is speaking in the living room? — Your aunt.

We really hope that our article on the topic “5 types of questions in English«and Examples helped you figure it out. And if you need practice, sign up for our courses!

Source: http://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/412-5-tipov-voprosov-v-anglijskom-yazyke-primery.html

Alternative question in English: general definition, rules and examples of use in speech, exercises to consolidate the theory

Probably many of you have heard the following phrase: «English is very easy to learn to speak it, and very difficult to learn to speak it well.» But we want to reassure you: this is just a joke.

Is there even a grain of truth in it? Is it difficult to learn English? The coin has two sides, so we invite you to find out why English is considered easy and why it is also difficult.

At the end of the article, we will give some interesting facts about the language and tell you how to cope with the difficulties that arise.

Why is English so easy

Everything is learned by comparison, isn’t it? If we compare English with some other languages, we will see that it is quite easy. Admire the Chinese or Japanese characters, and the Arabic script is not worth it, compared to them, English is definitely a very simple language!

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard”, I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”.

When someone sighs, «Life is hard,» I always want to ask, «Compared to what?»

Now let’s get down to the details. Why we find English easy:

• English is one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world. And this is no coincidence, because it is considered one of the simplest and most logical in terms of grammar among European languages.
• Relatively simple outline of letters, there are only 26 of them in the English alphabet. For comparison: in the Chinese language there are more than 80 hieroglyphs, and the number of strokes in one character can reach 000!
• Quite a lot of words “migrated” from English to Russian. Even non-English learners automatically memorize several hundred words that are common in life. For example, we are all familiar with the concepts of «businessman», «bestseller», «management», «price list», «office». Some words even seem to us «ours», Russian.
• Nouns do not agree with adjectives in gender, number, case. For example: «tall girl» — «tall girl», «tall girls» — «tall girls», «tall boy» — «tall boy». As you can see, the adjective “tall” does not change despite the change in the number or gender of the object.
• The noun has only singular and plural and two cases. That is, you can say “girl” and “girls” — this is one case that names an object. The second case is used when you need to say that something belongs to someone, for example: “girl’s doll” ( doll girl). And if something belongs to many girls, then move the apostrophe behind the letter «s»: «girls ‘dolls» (girls’ dolls). In all other cases, the word «girl» does not change. For example, you can give a girl her doll: give a GIRL her doll. You can talk to a girl: talk to the GIRL. As you can see, dealing with cases in English is much easier than in Russian.

Why is English so difficult

There is also the opposite point of view: English is difficult, in order to master it well, you need to learn it for a long time. You probably have a question: how long to learn it and can it be «learned»? We advise you to read the article «», it will answer your questions.

English, like any other language, is constantly changing: new idioms, slang expressions, words borrowed from other languages ​​appear, and part of the vocabulary is becoming obsolete and disappearing from the spoken language. However, this is not the worst thing for students. Most students are afraid of grammar. What’s so hard about it?

• Time. It seems that there are a lot of them: as many as 3 tenses and each of them has 4 aspects, and if you also remember the passive voice. Nevertheless, it is believed that the grammar of English is one of the most logical and simple. Do you know what is the hardest part of learning all these subtleties? Stop being afraid of them!
• Articles. It is not always easy for a Russian to understand why this cat is both «a cat» and «the cat». There are no such difficulties in our native language. But nothing, and you can handle it!
• Control of verbs. Verbs in English are used with different prepositions and different meanings. Since the control of verbs in Russian and English does not coincide, students have to memorize them. For example, borrow smth FROM smb — borrow, borrow something У anyone. How about such mismatches: to approve OF smth — approve of something, to depend ON smb / smth — depend FROM someone / something, to be popular WITH smb — be popular У anyone.
• The English language is full of paradoxes, you can read about some of them in the article “Paradoxes of the English language. Do you think English is easy? «.

And to make it easier for you to cope with the most common «difficulties» of English, use our article-life hack «», from it you will learn how to easily get around all the «slippery spots» in English grammar.

How to overcome difficulties in learning English. A few simple tips

• Let go of fears and doubts. It is the fear of failure that stops us. Millions of people are learning English, most often they are not geniuses, not linguists, they have average skills in languages. Do not be intimidated by mistakes, even native speakers make them. We also do not always write or speak Russian correctly. However, this does not prevent us from communicating with people and understanding each other. Experience is the son of difficult mistakes, so do not be afraid to have this experience.
• Try to find similarities in Russian and English. This will not only help you learn new vocabulary, but also broaden your horizons. For example, the word “talk” is very similar to the old Russian “interpret”, the word “child” is similar in sound to “child”, and the word “brave” is consonant with our “brave”. And the word «humor» — «humor», does it not come from the good old word «scream»? And «skate» — «skate», this is from the word «skate»! You must admit that learning English is much easier this way.
• Study not only the textbook, but also fascinating auxiliary materials: videos, audio lessons, songs, films in English. On the social network, you can subscribe to news from communities of English lovers. We advise you to pay attention to the blogs of language teachers and linguists, where you can find useful tips and subtleties of learning English.
• If you have difficulties with any section of grammar, devote as much time as possible to it, use the studied material in communication with a teacher, classmates, and foreigners. Bring your skills to automatism.

The most interesting «difficulties» of the English language

Summing up, we cannot tell you that English is very simple and easy to learn in 1-2 months. But it is not at all as complicated as it seems at first glance. Yes, it has its own characteristics and «pitfalls», but these barriers can be overcome, there would be a desire. Good luck with your learning!

In the study of foreign languages, the main thing is practical communication skills. It is speaking practice that helps to understand all the subtleties of the language being studied. If you are learning the language on your own or even in special courses, as a rule, you do not have many opportunities for the practical application of your knowledge.

If you are studying a foreign language, for example, English, for work and business, then you doubly need to understand some of the nuances in the use of certain phrases.

Despite the fact that there are fewer letters in English than in Russian, everything is in order with a set of words. One and the same concept in Russian can be expressed in two or three or even more words or even phrases in English. At the same time, one English word / phrase can have a completely different interpretation — depending on the context in which it is used.

So, for example, Russian excuse me or excuse me. It is clear that in Russian we use these two words depending on situations, but just think about it:

The English «sorry» can mean, both I’m sorry, and I’m very sorry. Still, you say, there are few letters, so one word is used in different meanings. All this is so and not entirely.

«Excuse me» — familiar? What does it mean? Quite right — sorry, sorry.

There are also words of apology in English — forgive me, I apologize. Sounds familiar too, doesn’t it? And it means all the same notorious — sorry, I’m sorry.

What is the difference?

The difference is in the circumstances under which you have to apologize.

Some people think that they say “sorry” when they are only going to do something dirty and apologize in advance. Whereas «sorry» is used after this dirty trick has already been done.

In English, about the same.

Excuse me
this is exactly the notorious “preforgiveness”. Usually used when you want to make a request or question to a stranger and apologize for distracting.

Excuse me, could you please help me? — Sorry, could you help me?

Excuse me, this is my seat. — Sorry, this is my place.

I ‘ m sorry
or simply Sorry
— this is already sorry or sorry that I did what I did.

Sorry (sorry), I didn’t mean to offend you. — I am sorry, never meant to hurt you.

Sorry, I let you down.

I’m sorry I’m late. — Sorry for being late.

I’m sorry that everything turned out like this. — Sorry that all this happened.

It is quite appropriate to use «sorry» in a situation where you either did not hear the question, or did not understand what exactly they were saying to you:

Source: https://tutorblog.ru/drugoe/alternativnyj-vopros-v-anglijskom-yazyke-primery-osobennosti-tonkosti-ispolzovaniya.html

Alternative questions in English

They simplify and shorten pronunciation. They have a simple, easily formed structure that is easy to understand even for beginners. We are talking about alternative questions in English that exist in any language in the world.

Let us analyze practical cases when it is required to set alternative question in English, examples to them and application details with different parts of the proposal.

Alternative question: what is it?

From the definition itself, it becomes clear what alternative questions are in English. These are sentences with a question that give the interlocutor the right to choose, variability in the answer.

It is easy to distinguish such constructions from others: it is enough to note the presence of the words “or”, “or” in the sentence. Let’s see clearly what an alternative question is in English:

• Your choice fell on a pencil or pen when writing a text? — did you choose a pencil or a pen when writing the text?;
• Do you to read books in electronic or paper form? — do you like to read in electronic or paper version of books ?;
• Does your phone number end at 15 or 34? — does your phone number end with 15 or 34?

As you can see from the structure of sentences, an alternative question in English is built on the basis of a general question, only with the addition of «or». There are certain rules for the formulation of such proposals, which are described in more detail below.

How to formulate correctly?

As in almost all, alternative questions in English ask the subject or predicate. Hence the inversion, that is, such a form of transformation, when the members of the sentence with the question are simply rearranged.

It is important to note! The order of wording is extremely simple: you just need to add the word «or» and options to the end of the sentence.

Examples of alternative questions in English:

1. Have you been to Rome? — have you visited Rome?
   Have you visited Rome or Milan? — have you visited Rome or Milan?
2. Is this a task for novice users? — is this a task for novice users?
   Is this a task for beginners or advanced users? Is this a task for beginners or advanced users?
3. Your holiday is the eighteenth day? — your holiday on the eighteenth?
   Holiday is the eighteenth day or nineteenth? — a holiday on the eighteenth or nineteenth?

As it becomes clear, the alternative question in English is an independent kind of questioning. Therefore, he has individual characteristics, namely:

• The presence of a choice emanating from the word «or» — «either», «or»;
• The presence of a ready-made answer in the question, it remains only to choose;
• The inability to answer simply «yes» or «no»;
• Can be assigned to any stand-alone sentence unit;
• Inverse form of education (in more detail — below).

Separately, the alternative can be included in the very end of the sentence as a clarification. In such cases, there is a question word at the very beginning.

Alternative question in English examples education from a pointing (clarifying) question:

• When my wishes finally come: this or next week? — when will my wishes finally come: this week or next?;
• Where is Belarus located: in the center or in the east of Europe? — Where is Belarus located: in the very center or in the Eastern part of Europe?
• How many remains to wait: two or three hours? — how long to wait: two or three hours?

Note! As a general rule, such questions are pronounced with an increase in intonation in the first part of a sentence and a sharp decline in the second.

Special attention deserves alternate question in english, formed together with the complementary and modal verb, as well as the to be form. There are features of the construction of a sentence and application in speech, about which in more detail — below.

Use with an auxiliary verb

A complementary verb or a verb indicating the details of the question is recognized as an auxiliary. He is able to indicate the details of the event, including the place or the number of participants in any action. Its role as an auxiliary is its use together with the main one, for its detailed disclosure.

Interrogation with an auxiliary verb is organized as follows: the qualifying verb is set at the very beginning, followed by the acting participant, the base verb and the proposed variation with “or“.

Alternative question in English examples with an auxiliary verb:

• Does he want to drink tomorrow or after the weekend? — does he want a drink tomorrow or after the weekend ?;
• Do you deliver the medicine on time or should we send it by air? — will you deliver the medicine on time or is it better for us to send it by plane ?;
• Does he want a clean victory by knockout or stand all rounds? — does he want a clear victory by knockout or to survive all the rounds?;
• Did it happen in the evening or at night? — did it happen in the evening or at night?

Note! Each tense has its own auxiliary verbs. In the present — do, does; in the past — did; in the future — will.

Use with the verb to be

To be is a special verb, the purpose of which is to indicate the location, status or characteristics of someone or something.

It changes depending on the time of use: the present — is, are, am; in the past — was (used with he, it and she) or were (used with we, you, they); in the future — will be.

The order of formalizing alternative questions in English together with to be does not differ from the previous case: in the first place to be, then the active participant, the basic verb and the variation with the word “or“.

Alternative questions in English — examples with to be:

• It will not be easy, but we will cope or die — it will not be easy, but we will cope or die;
• Is that machine red or gray? Is that car red or gray?
• Was it intentional or accidental? — was it intentional or accidental?

Use with modal verbs

Modal verbs are additional members of a sentence that indicate not the action itself, but the possibility, desire or ability to perform it.

The modal verbs include: can (form could), may (form might), must, as well as ought and need. This kind of verbs is used with alternative question in English as well as auxiliary. That is, first of all, a modal verb is used, and after an active participant, a semantic verb and a variation with “or“.

Important information! Can and may are a priori past and present verbs, while can, may, must, need and ought are only present.

Also, they are not used with additional qualifying verbs and do not have impersonal forms of application, for example, a gerund or an infinitive.

Alternative questions in English — examples with modal verbs:

• May I explain this rule orally or show it on a written example? — can I explain this rule to you orally or show it to you by a written example ?;
• Should he learn to remain silent or can I teach him? — should he learn to be silent himself or should I teach him ?;
• I must to find out how to correctly use an alternative question in English or will it come with time itself? — I have to find out how to correctly use the alternative question in English or will it come by itself over time?

How to answer correctly?

Alternative questions can be answered both in detail and briefly, simply by referring to one of the already existing answers in the interrogative sentence.

However, to answer simply “yes” or “no” will not work, because such a construction of an answer to open is incorrect.

What the answer to the alternate question looks like in English:

1. To give you a soft toy or a designer? — I want a designer
   Can I give you a soft toy or a construction set? — I want a constructor;
2. Do you strong or beautiful people? — Strong
   Do you like strong or beautiful people? — Strong;
3. Do they eat a lot or a few? They eat very few
   Do they eat a lot or a little? — They eat very little.

Conclusion

Alternative questions make our speech simple and rational. Thanks to them, we need to formulate large or cumbersome questions. Just substitute the word «or», and the sentence becomes short, concise and understandable for your interlocutor.

If you want to improve your communication skills, put these rules into practice and you will see the results of your work.

Source: https://enjoyenglish-blog.com/angliyskiy-dlya-nachinaushih/alternativnye-voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke.html

What are alternative questions. Alternative questions based on specific questions. How to ask an alternate question

The essence of the alternative questions is clear from the name itself. And in Russian «alternative», and in English «alternative» means — «choice». That is, alternative questions in English contain a choice. In other words, alternative question is always a choice… And this choice is denoted by the union or (or).

Are Lima and Rebecca sisters or friends? — Are Lima and Rebecca sisters or girlfriends?

The answer to the alternate question (alternative question) contains one of the proposed options, or a negation of both. An affirmative or negative answer is not suitable for such a question.

Did the kids break a mug or a vase? They broke a mug. — Did the children break a mug or vase? They broke the mug.

Most often, alternative questions in English are drawn up on the basis of general questions. That is, they begin with an auxiliary verb corresponding to the time needed in meaning.

Have your ex colleagues had lunch or not yet? — Have your former colleagues dined or not yet?

An alternative question in English is how to ask correctly?

Alternative Question is one of the five basic types of questions in English, which involves a choice between two or more mutually exclusive possibilities. Alternative questions in English almost exactly repeat the structure of the general and special question.

Types of questions in English

In English, several types of questions are traditionally distinguished.

• Common. The answer will be consent or refusal. Reverse word order: Do you work in the office?
• Special. This uses interrogative wh-words. Where do you work?
• Separating. In this case, the proposal is divided into two parts: statement + question. Sometimes this type is also called «with a tail». When translating, the ending, as a rule, is rendered with the phrase «isn’t it?»: You work in the office, don’t you?
• Indirect. This type has a special structure. It has direct word order and is considered a more polite and formal form of communication: I wonder, if you work in the office.
• Alternative. Finally, this type involves a choice between two or more, usually mutually exclusive options: Do you work in the office or at home?

Below we will consider how to construct an alternative question.

What are alternative questions for?

Very often we are forced to make a choice and offer it to others. As you already understood from the name, alternative questions in English perform exactly this function.

Alternative questions are questions that ask you to choose from two or more items, qualities, persons, actions, etc.

In alternative questions, there is always the conjunction «or» (or), which connects the proposed options. Another feature is the presence of an answer in the question itself. The respondent only needs to select one of the options provided. Unambiguous short answers «yes» and «no» in such questions are unacceptable in their meaning. An alternative question can be asked to any member of the proposal. Consider the following examples:

• Do you apples or pears? — Do you like apples or pears?
• Is she from USA or Canada? — Is she from the USA or from Canada?
• Is this your room or mine? «Is this room yours or mine?»

Alternative questions have a well-established intonation coloring. In the first part of the question, before the conjunction or, the intonation rises, after the conjunction, it decreases.

Intonation scheme of alternative questions

Construction of alternative sentences

To build a structure, it is common to use inversion, that is, a change in the order of words in a sentence. The presence of inversion is observed in all types of questions, except for the special one (to its definition and subject). How is the proposal built in such cases? We put in the first place (one of your choice):

• modal verb;
• auxiliary;
• question word.

One option is selected. It depends on the nature of the proposal. What is important — the presence of a union or , with the help of which a choice of several proposed options is provided. To better understand the construction of a build, consider an example on general questions.

We take two general questions and connect them with the union or:

• Are they knitting or are they sewing? => Do they knit or sew?
• Is she going to school or is she going to cinema? => Is she going to school or to the movies?
• Does he solve a problem or does he watch TV? => Is he solving a problem or watching TV?

Now, in order to form the correct alternative question, we remove the second part of the question, which is repeated, and leave only its alternative. The result is the following sentences:

• Are they knitting or sewing? => Do they knit or sew?
• Is she going to school or to cinema? => Is she going to school or to the movies?
• Does he solve a problem or watch TV? => Is he solving a problem or watching TV?

Conclusion : an alternative question in English is formed on the basis of general questions, which serve as a kind of foundation for the formation of alternative ones. The main task is to link several alternatives, among which one is a possible answer.

How to correctly answer alternative questions

There is no way to answer with simple Yes / No. The information is being clarified, which means that the answer must be exhaustive. Although in colloquial speech, short forms are allowed in relation to the subject, addition and circumstance. But the predicate requires a detailed answer.

• Are you a pupil or a student? — I am a student (a student). — Are you a student or a student?
• Did you choose this sweater, or did your friend? — My friend chose this sweater (my friend). — Did you choose this sweater or your friend?
• Is he going by bus or flying? — He is flying. — Does he take the bus or fly?

And finally, a little phonetics. Yes Yes. In order for your listener to focus on the alternative, it is necessary to correctly pronounce the question. In the first part, the voice rises, the intonation goes up, or is the peak, and falls on the choice.

An alternative question in English can be found quite often — this is a natural part of all dialogues. Now we know how to compose them, and most importantly how to answer correctly. Good luck with your learning!

Source: https://englandlearn.com/grammatika/alternativnyj-vopros

Examples of alternative sentences in English. Alternative question in English

In English, there are five types of interrogative sentences: separation, general, special and alternative questions, as well as questions to the subject. All of these species are almost equally complex and occur at roughly the same frequency. The alternative question is neither the most difficult nor the easiest, but it certainly can rightfully be called irreplaceable. It is about him that will be discussed in this article.

General definition

An alternative question is a question containing a certain choice that is offered to the respondent. By asking such a question, the speaker, as it were, implies that the listener will have to independently make a decision by choosing one of the options offered to him.

A characteristic distinguishing feature of such questions is the presence of the conjunction «or» — «or». Grammatically, examples of alternative questions differ little from other types of questions: they also use an auxiliary verb, which is placed at the beginning of a sentence and standing in front of the subject.

How do you ask such a question?

Easier than it might seem at first glance. It is best to consider the use of alternative questions in English with examples. For example, here’s a fairly simple sentence:

• Yesterday my boyfriend bought a new blue car. — Yesterday my boyfriend bought a new blue car.

And here is a whole list of alternative questions to ask about this proposal:

Question	Transfer
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday or the day before yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday or the day before yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue or red car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new blue or red car?
Did your boyfriend buy an old or a new blue car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new or old blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy or borrow a new blue car?	Did your boyfriend buy or borrow a new blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday, or your brother did?	Did your brother or boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car or bicycle yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new car or a blue bike yesterday?
Did your or your sister »s boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend or your sister’s boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?

As the examples show, all alternative questions contain several answer options, from which the speaker offers to choose his interlocutor. To formulate such a question, it is necessary to imagine possible options and voice them to the interlocutor through the already mentioned earlier «or».

It is logical that a question that offers multiple answers cannot be answered with a simple «yes» or «no.» The answer should be complete, most often a full sentence. For example, to a question like this:

• Did he arrive a week or two ago? — He arrived a week or two ago?

Maybe the following answer:

• He arrived two weeks ago. — He arrived two weeks ago.

Sometimes the word «one» is used to avoid tautology. For example, in response to an alternative question like this:

• Would you to put on the black or the gray suit? — Would you prefer to wear a black or gray suit?

You can answer like this:

• I think, I ”ll better choose the black one. — I think I will most likely choose black.

In colloquial speech, short, monosyllabic answers are also acceptable. For example, to such an everyday question as:

• Would you some tea or coffee? — Would you like to have some tea or coffee?

You can answer briefly:

• A cup of coffee, please. — I’d like a cup of coffee.

The decisive factors in the choice between a complete and incomplete answer are such factors as the social status of the interlocutor, relations with him, as well as the formality or informality of the situation in general.

Alternative questions with interrogative word

The question word may well be used when using this type of question. To understand how this works, it is better to use a simple sentence again, which can be used as an example to ask the usual alternative questions, which can then be easily rearranged into questions with a question word. Here’s a simple sentence:

• We will go to Spain by car. — We will go to Spain by car.

And here is how you can put an alternative question to it:

As the examples of questions with interrogative word show, alternative questions of this type look and form the same as special ones, with the only difference that they use a colon and the conjunction «or».

Questions to the subject

They have already been used as examples in this article, but have not been dealt with separately. To ask a question to a subject, it is necessary to formulate a special question for the first subject, and then, separated by commas, write down the similarity of the second half of the dividing question for the second subject. In theory, this seems complicated, but in practice it looks rather succinct and simple:

Where are these questions used?

Examples of alternative questions, of course, can be found not only on the pages of English textbooks. If that were the case, there would be no point in studying them. In fact, these questions are used in almost all styles of speaking and writing.

In addition, alternative questions are a manipulative tool, a favored technique for marketers and traders who are well trained to inspire shoppers to buy something they never need in their life. It works as follows: by providing the listener with answer options, the speaker limits the range of possible actions to them. For example:

• Alright, sir, would you prefer us to box it or you will do it buy yourself? — So, sir, would you prefer us to pack the goods, or will you do it yourself?

Perhaps the «sir» mentioned in this phrase did not dare to buy the product at all, but was only thinking about it, inadvertently mentioning that theoretically he might like it. So, when you hear an alternate question from a service worker, you should be very careful.

Alternative question in English implies a choice between two or more options, it always includes a union or (or). For example:

Do you prefer coffee or tea? — Do you prefer coffee or tea?

I prefer tea. — I prefer tea.

How an alternative question is constructed in English

An alternative question might start with:

1. Question word (what, who, where, why, etc.)

1. Alternative question with an auxiliary or modal verb

This kind of question is built in much the same way as the general one: we isolate an auxiliary or modal verb from the predicate and put it in front of the subject.For example:

• Claim: This dog is smart. — This dog is smart.
• Question: Is this dog smart or stupid? — Is this dog smart or stupid?

The difference is that an alternative question can be asked to any member of the proposal (as a special one), and a general question is asked for the proposal as a whole. In the question, the member of the proposal to which the question is asked will appear in two or more copies, connected by a union or (or).

1. Question to supplement

Let’s take a sentence and ask a question for the add-on.

Michelle is baking a Cake. — Michelle bakes a pie.

Is Michelle baking a cake or cookies? — Michelle bakes cake or cookies?

We got a question with two homogeneous add-ons: cake and cookies.

Let’s take another example. In the sentence with cake and cookies, we isolated the auxiliary verb to be from the predicate is baking and put it in front of the subject. If the predicate does not contain an auxiliary verb, it is probably expressed by a verb in or (other tenses include auxiliary verbs). In this case, the subject is preceded by a verb in the appropriate form (do, does, or did).

I cats. — I like cats.

Do i cats or dogs? — Do I like cats or dogs?

2. Question to the circumstance

Consider an example of a sentence where the predicate consists of a modal verb (should) and a semantic verb (swim). The modal verb goes to the beginning of the sentence. Auxiliaries are not needed here — at the beginning of the question there is either a modal verb or an auxiliary.

The athlete should swim slowly. — The athlete should swim slowly.

Source: https://ik-ptz.ru/matematika/primery-alternativnyh-predlozhenii-v-angliiskom-yazyke-alternativnyi.html

Alternative question in English: examples, how to ask, compose and how they are formed, what does this mean

Every day we are faced with a question that offers a choice of answer options. What will you eat for breakfast: pancakes or porridge? Are we going shopping today or are we staying at home? Have you refueled your car or not?

What is an alternate question

In English, this type of question called Alternative Question. There are five types in English. Alternative questions in English involve a choice between two or more answers.

In an alternative question, the questioner focuses the interlocutor’s attention on possible or acceptable solutions. It is understood that this simplifies the selection process, and saves time on independent thinking about the answer.

In order to understand how the Alternative Question is constructed, it is necessary to study the structure of the general and special question. Like the general type of question, the alternative begins with an action, but the very suggestion of answer options does not make it possible to answer in the affirmative or negative. Answer options are connected by the union or (or). It connects homogeneous members of the sentence.

Important! Alternative Questions are asked to any member of the proposal. Ex .: Do you football or basketball? — Do you like football or basketball. — Homogeneous add-ons. Where are you from, the USA or the UK? — Where are you from, the USA or the United Kingdom? — Homogeneous circumstances. Is it your bag or mine? — Is this your bag or mine? — Homogeneous definitions. Five types of questions in English

The part of the sentence that stands before the conjunction or is pronounced with an ascending intonation, and the part after the conjunction — with a descending one. Ex .: Will you go to the opera ↗ or to the concert to-night ↘? — Are you going to the opera or to a concert today?

How Alternative Questions are formed

Almost all types of interrogative constructions are characterized by word inversion (with the exception of the dividing one). Alternative questions in English also contain signs of inversion.

The sentence begins with auxiliary or modal verb. If we are talking about Wh-constructions (special type), then an auxiliary or modal verb will appear after the question word. Ex.

: Can you jump or swim? — Can you jump or run? Who can jump or swim? — Who can run or jump?

Answers to Alternative Questions short ones are given. Ex .: Do you cola or sprite? — I cola. — Do you like cola or sprite? — I like cola.

Important! If Alternative Question refers to a group of a subject, then an auxiliary or modal verb must be present before the second specified subject. Ex .: Can you or can Mike wash the dishes? — Can you or Mike do the dishes? — Mike can. — Mike can (wash the dishes). Did you read book or did your brother? — Have you or your brother read the book? — I did.

How to ask an alternate question with an auxiliary verb

Auxiliary verbs in English perform a number of functions:

• Helps to form grammatical tenses.
• Indicate the number of characters in the syntactic structure.

Each category of tenses has its own auxiliary verb:

• Do or does for Present Simple.

Source: https://tvercult.ru/polezno-znat/chto-znachit-alternativnyiy-vopros-v-angliyskom-yazyike

Alternative question in English

Every day of our lives, we are forced to make decisions. Often we have to make a choice in favor of one or another option: «Learn English or watch an interesting movie?», «Wear a warm sweater or shirt?», And sometimes we ourselves offer a choice to other people. In English, such questions are assigned to a separate group and are called alternative questions.

In this article, we will cover everything about the alternative question type, namely:

• What is an alternate question;
• How to write a proposal with an alternative question type;
• Types of alternative questions in English;
• The answer to the alternate question.

How to write a sentence with an alternative question type

Along with other types of questions in English (the exception is a special question to the subject or its definition), an alternative type is constructed using inversion, in other words, by changing the order of words.

The first place in such a sentence can be occupied by a modal or auxiliary verb (structure of a general question) or an interrogative word (structure of a special question).

And, as you can already see from the examples, the union or (or) is an indispensable component: as in the Russian language, this union allows us to put the proposed options in one row and make a choice between them.

One way to construct an alternative question is to use a generic question type as a basis. Below is an algorithm for constructing an alternative type based on general questions.

• Step 1. Make up two general questions, connecting them with the union or (or):

Is your favorite subject in school mathematics or is your favorite subject in school chemistry?

Does your father drive bus or does your father drive truck?

• Step 2. Remove the repeated expression in the second part of the sentence and leave the remaining second option. A diagram of such a construction principle is presented below using the example of the first sentence.

1. Is your favorite subject in school mathematics or is your favorite subject in school chemistry?
2. Is your favorite subject in school mathematics or is your favorite subject in school chemistry?
3.  Is your favorite subject in school mathematics or chemistry?

Thus, we learned how to ask an alternate question. Try to make a grammatically correct alternate question out of the second sentence, and then see below what you should get!

Does your father drive bus or does your father drive truck? -> Does your father drive bus or truck?

There is another algorithm for constructing an alternative question in English:

1. Step 1. Create a general question
2. Step 2. Add the union or (or) and the second option

An example of such a method:

Do they visit their grandparents often? + or + not -> Do they visit their grandparents often or not?

As you can see from the last example, the second choice is sometimes the negation of the first. In other words, when using this type of question, the speaker is wondering if something is something or not? Will something happen or not? Etc. In such cases, the second part of the question is the negative particle not.

Examples of such questions:

Does he speak Italian or not? — Does she speak Italian or not?

Is he sleeping now or not? — Is he sleeping now or not?

The following example in sales illustrates the essence of the alternative question well:

Source: https://englishfun.ru/raznoe/alternativnyj-vopros

Types of utterances in English

Like Russian, English has three main types of utterances: conviction, negation и question… Each of these types, of course, has different subtypes.

Since, unlike Russian, in English the word order is fixed, these types are easy to distinguish from each other, and most importantly, they are always built according to certain formulas.

If you figure out how to correctly build each of the types of utterance, then you will not experience difficulties in expressing your thoughts at any time in the English language.

Let’s consider each of the types of utterances.

1. Approval

The purpose of an assertion is to communicate that something is happening, that something exists, that someone is doing something.
In English, a statement always starts with subject (actor or object) answering the question «Who? What?».
It is always followed by predicate (action).

It can be a semantic verb denoting an action, but for some tenses and constructions, the predicate includes auxiliary (am / is / are for Present Continuous, have / has for Present Perfect, etc.), or modal verb (can, may, must, etc.). Without a verb, statements in English are almost never found. The predicate may not be translated into Russian, but it must be in the sentence.

The verb in the statement is followed by minor proposal membersthat answer questions «To whom? Whom? Where? When?»  etc.

Subject (who acts)	Predictable (action)	Minor members («When? Where? Whom? What?» Etc.)
I Я	am	to teacher. teacher.
She It	works works	in an office. in the office.
He He	wake up wakes up	at 7 o’clock. seven in the morning.
They They	phoned called	their friends. to my friends.
Tom Tom	is reading is reading	a book. a book.
We Мы	will go let’s go to	to the cinema. to the cinema.

2. Negation

The purpose of a negative sentence is to communicate that something is not true.  
The negation must contain a negative particle not, which cannot be inserted by itself, it can be inserted after the auxiliary verb.
In colloquial speech, the negative particle not forms an abbreviated form with an auxiliary verb. Examples of abbreviated forms are shown in the last column.

Subject (Who?)	Auxiliary	Negative particle	Main verb	Secondary members of the proposal	Abbreviated form
I	do	Note	go	to school	(don’t)
He	does	read	books	(doesn’t)
She	is	watching	TV at the moment	(isn’t)
We	are	playing	Football	(aren’t)
They	did	visit	her friends	(didn’t)
I	will	go	to the cinema.	(won’t)

In colloquial speech, an abbreviated form is used.

Sometimes a negative sentence is formed using a word with a negative meaning. As a rule, such words contain No.: nobody, nothing, and others.

The word never also makes a sentence negative without the help of the not particle, because in English a sentence can only contain one negative element.

In the case when the negation is formed by a negative word, there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, and in its structure it resembles a statement.

Subject (who acts)	Predictable (action)	Minor members («When? Where? Whom? What?», Etc.)
Nobody No one	works does not work	on Sundays. on Sundays.
Nothing Nothing	Happened Did not happen	yesterday. yesterday.

3. Interrogative sentences

There are four main types of questions in English:

A. General question.
B. Alternative question.
C. Special question.
D. Separated question.

Unlike the Russian language (where it is enough to simply change the intonation to ask a question), in English it is necessary to change the word order (in general, alternative, special question), or add an additional part of the sentence (dividing question).

A. General question

The purpose of the general question: to get an answer Yes or no.
At the beginning of a general question is always verb, but not subject. It can be a verb to be (am, is, are), an auxiliary verb (do, does, did, have, etc.), a modal verb (can, must, may, etc.).
 

Are you a manager? — Are you the manager? Do you study English? — Do you study English? Does he live in Russia? — He lives in Russia? Can you dance? — Can you dance?

Did he go to the USA? — He went to the USA?

B. Alternative question (choice question)

The beginning of the alternative question is the same as the general one, but the question offers two options for the answer. The second option is introduced using the word OR (or):

Are you a manager or a waiter? — I am a manager. Are you a manager or a waiter? — I’m the manager. Does he live in Russia or Poland? — He lives in Russia. Does he live in Russia or Poland? — He lives in Russia. Do you study English or German? — I study English. Are you studying English or German? — I study English. Did he go to the USA or Canada? — He went to the USA. Did he go to the USA or Canada? — He went to the USA. Can you dance or sing? — I can dance.

Can you dance or sing? — I can dance.

The alternative question cannot be answered yes or no, you need to choose the appropriate option, perhaps both, or reject both.

C. Special issue

The special question is again based on the general question with an auxiliary verb in front of the subject. The difference is that when asking a special question, we want to know the details, so we put a question word before the auxiliary verb (What? Where? When? How many? Etc.).

What (language) do you study? — I study English. What language are you learning? — I study English. Where does he live? — He lives in Russia. Where does he live? — He lives in Russia. When did you meet him? — I met him yesterday. When did you meet him? — I met him yesterday. Where did he go? — He went to the USA. Where did he go? — He went to the USA. What can you do? — I can dance.

What can you do? — I can dance.

The answer to the ad hoc question is a statement that provides the information you need.

D. Separation issues

The purpose of such questions: to ask again, to confirm the available information, to be convinced of something.
They do not change the word order. At the heart of the statement or negation, to which an additional part (tag) is added, which turns the sentence into a question. Any affirmation or denial can be transformed into a dividing question.

Tag is usually translated «Is not it?»  or «Truth?»… The tricky part is that the tag changes depending on the main body. If the basis conviction — tag is negative if based on negation — tag is positive. The tag usually contains an auxiliary verb (in the appropriate tense) and a subject.

Source: https://enginform.com/article/tipy-viskazyvaniy