Word order in special questions

How to ask questions in English?

There are the following types of sentences in English: affirmative, negative and interrogative. Today we will focus on the last of them. It is an integral part of oral and written speech, without studying this issue, subsequent immersion in the world of a foreign language is impossible.

Some students encounter problems in this topic, but we can safely assure you: it is enough just to carefully study the theoretical material and consolidate it by solving practical problems. 

The first thing worth noting is the change in the structure of affirmative sentences to transform them into interrogative ones. This is a fairly common procedure, but it is not always required. So, the auxiliary verb in this case is placed before the subject, and the main one after it. 

5 types of questions in English 

Now it is necessary to consider in more detail each of the existing interrogative types. They have their own characteristics and structure. 

General question

As a rule, it assumes a monosyllabic «yes» or «no» answer. 

For example: 

— Do you love flowers? — Do you flowers?

— Yes — Yes, I do.

As you can see from the example, in order to form it, you need to do the above procedure: place the subject between the auxiliary and main verbs. If you need to use a modal verb (for example, could or may), you need to put it in the place of an auxiliary. 

For example:

— May I come in?

It should be noted that in questions with the verb «to be» the use of the auxiliary question is not required.

For example:

— Is she a doctor?

To form a negative interrogative sentence, it is enough to add the particle «not» after the subject. It is worth remembering that in the case of the abbreviated form n’t, it is in front of this member of the sentence. Compare two examples:

— Does he not go to school on Monday? 

— Doesn’t he go to school on Monday?

Special question

This construction allows you to ask a question to any member of the proposal. It requires a detailed answer, which significantly differs it from the previous type. Special question “markers” include the words: what ?, when ?, where ?, why ?, which ?, whose ?, whom ?.

Thus, to one of the above question words, we add an auxiliary or modal verb, then the subject follows, if there is an addition, as well as all the other previously unused members of the sentence. 

It will be easier to understand with a specific example: What (interrogative sentence) are (auxiliary verb) you (subject) doing (main verb) now (circumstance)?

A special question helps to find out almost any information of interest.

Alternative question

This construction is easily recognizable by the presence of the «or» particle. From this we can conclude that by asking a question, we give the interlocutor the right to choose one of several options. It’s easier to understand with an example: Will you go to the theater or cinema? — Will you go to the theater or cinema?

The construction of education is the same as in the general question, but it is supplemented with a particle by the aforementioned word «or». Take a look at an example: Were you in London in 2004 or 2006?

Separation issues

This is an interesting kind of question because it is divided into two parts. The first is affirmative or negative, and the second is a short clarification. Most often, the separating construction is used if the speaker is not sure of something and wants to confirm or deny the information.

The parts are separated by a comma. In English, it is called «tag», which translates as «tail». In view of this, such questions are sometimes referred to as “tail” ones.

This type is quite common in spoken and written English. This is due to several factors. First, it can express a fairly wide range of feelings and emotions: from distrust to admiration. Secondly, he quite gently prompts the interlocutor to answer without the need to ask the question directly. Thirdly, the grammatical construction of such a question is simple: here the direct word order is used, which is only supplemented by this «tail».

By the way, these «tails» can take different interpretations. The most common of them are: «Isn’t it?», «Isn’t it?» etc. 

Check out examples:

— He is your brother, is not he? — He’s your brother, isn’t he?

— You are kidding me, are not you? — You’re kidding me, right?

As you can see, the ponytails are formed with the addition of the «not» particle. The rule works in the opposite direction if the main sentence is not affirmative, but negative. 

— You are not a doctor, are you? “You’re not a doctor, are you?

It is worth remembering that if the first part of the construction contains words with a negative meaning (for example, never), then the tail will necessarily be affirmative.

— They never be in Paris, do they? “They’ve never been to Paris, have they?

Question to the subject

In this case, there are no auxiliary verbs in the construction. Formation scheme: interrogative word + predicate + secondary syntactic members. It is only required to put a question word (who or what) instead of the subject and pronounce the sentence with competent intonation.

examples:

— Who wrote this book? — Who wrote this book?

Very often this type is confused with a special question for an addendum. That is why it is important to clearly know that the question is being asked specifically to the subject. Most often, it is addressed to the person who commits or has performed this or that action, as in the example above.

So, we got acquainted with 5 questions in English, it can be seen from the material that the topic is quite simple to understand and further memorize. To hone your skills better, try to practice questions more often in dialogues with friends, acquaintances and teachers. A great solution is to make a penpal from another country.

The dating stage involves asking a lot of questions in order to get to know each other better. Thus, you will kill two birds with one stone: practice the application of the knowledge gained and make an interesting acquaintance with a person of a different culture.

By the way, not so long ago we prepared an interesting article for you that will help you tell a new friend about your family in a competent and interesting way. Hurry up to get to know her.

Source: https://englishbooster.ru/grammatika/kak-zadat-voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Question words in English: who, whom, whose

The essence of any communication is the exchange of information. If you want to know something specific from your interlocutor, then you need to ask an informational question. For the interlocutor to understand what kind of information you want to receive from him, the correct question word plays an important role. In an informational question, the question word should come first.

All question words, with the exception of How, begin with the letters Wh, so informational questions are often referred to as Wh-Questions. Question words can be either one word or two words, or a whole phrase. Some words (what, how) form a series of interrogative combinations, which we will also pay attention to.

Many people find it difficult to remember all the question words at once, because at first glance they seem very similar. In addition, most of the interrogative words have nuances in their use that simply cannot be ignored.

I decided to introduce you to interrogative words gradually, dosed, because I myself know how difficult it is to quickly perceive a large amount of information. In my explanations, I will not limit myself to the translation of the interrogative word and examples of questions with it, but I will try to tell you as much as possible. Today we will look at the words who, whom and whose.

Who? [huː] — Who? (Whom? Whom? Whom?)

This word is used only in questions about a person. When asking a question with the word who, we want to get the name of the person in response, or information about who this person is:

Who is it? — Who is this? Who will help you? — Who will help you? Who did you invite to the party? — Who did you invite to the party?

Who did they travel with? — Who did they travel with?

Who questions can be of two kinds: subject questions and object questions. Depending on what exactly we want to ask, the structure of the question will change:

Who called you? — Who called you? (subject question) Who did you call? — Who did you call?

(question to supplement)

I explained the difference between these questions in great detail in the article Subject Questions and Object Questions. If you find it difficult to grasp the difference between these types of questions, then I highly recommend reading and understanding.

Whom [huːm] — Who? By whom? To whom?

The question word whom is very similar to who, it even translates the same, but is not used as often as who. If who can ask questions to the subject (Who?), Then questions with whom involve only a question about the object: Who? To whom? It is rarely found in modern colloquial speech, this word is more typical of the formal style:

Whom did you meet yesterday? — Whom did you meet yesterday?
Whom is she calling? — Who is she calling?

Whom is often used in questions with verbs that require the preposition to, for, with, and others. For example: give, speak, talk, buy, send and many others. Therefore, questions with whom at the beginning may have a preposition at the end:

Who (m) did you talk to? — Who did you talk to? Who (m) did he buy it for? — Who / for whom did he buy it?

Who (m) did you send the letter to? — Who did you send the letter to?

In all of the examples above, you can replace who with whom. But if you have a very formal tone, then the preposition can go at the beginning of the sentence, before whom:

To whom did you talk to? — Who did you talk to?
With whom will you meet? — Who will you meet?

If you need to ask a question about who owns something, then you need the whose question word. The most common use of whose is with a noun. If the question is about a subject (whose subject?), And it is clear from the communication situation what the question is specifically about (for example, you point to an object), then the noun can be omitted:

Whose (book) is this? — Whose book is this?
Whose (pencils) are those? — Whose pencils?

In Russian, we usually ask in any such situation: Whose is this?, But in English, in order to ask and point out a subject like this, you need to remember about demonstrative pronouns. Read more about them in the article This, that, these, those.

If you are asking about people, then the noun after whose cannot be removed:

Whose brother is he? — Whose brother is he?
Whose children are they? — Whose children are these?

The noun about which the question is asked can also «go» to the end of the sentence. Then the auxiliary verb immediately follows the question word whose:

Whose is this book? — Whose book is this? Whose are those pencils? — Whose pencils?

Whose are these children? — Whose children are these?

Since the owners of something are usually people, in response we expect to hear the person’s name in the possessive case, or the possessive pronoun. How to answer questions with whose, we have discussed in detail in Whose? Whose? Whose? Possessive in English and My or mine ?.

Whose can also be used with prepositions. The preposition can appear at the very beginning of the question (more formal version) or at the end (less formal version):

With whose plan do you agree? — Whose plan do you agree with?
In whose house did you stay? — In whose house did you stay?

And the last moment. You can confuse the whose question with the who’s, because they sound exactly the same. Who’s is an abbreviation for who is or who has, so there is no auxiliary verb after it (it is abbreviated), and after whose comes the usual, unabbreviated auxiliary verb:

Who’s this? — Who is this? Who’s got a pen? — Who has a pen? Who’s done that? — Who did this?

Whose is this? — Whose is this?

In the next article on questions, I’ll tell you about the what, which, and why question words. And a subsequent article will focus on where, when, how question words. If you have any questions — write to us, leave comments.

Source: https://enginform.com/article/voprositelnye-slova-v-angliyskom-who-whom-whose

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/

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: https://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/29-beginner-elementary/412-5-tipov-voprosov-v-anglijskom-yazyke-primery.html

Special Issues

Special questions are questions that start with an interrogative word and require a specific answer. Unlike general questions, special questions cannot be answered «yes» or «no».

Question words:

What? Who? Whom? who? Where? Where from? When? Why? How? how old? How many? How much? How often? how long?

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

What? What? Who? Who? Whose? Whose? Whose? Where? Where? Where? When? Why? How? How many years? How many?

Word order in special question

In the special question, the word order is the same as in the general question, the opposite, that is, the modal or auxiliary verb comes before the subject. But before the verb, at the very beginning of the question, there is an interrogative word.

• What can you tell me? — What can you tell me?
• How do you it? — How do you like it?
• When will you come? — When will you come?

Answers to special questions

Answers to special questions can be complete or incomplete, containing only that member of the proposal to which the question is posed.

• What did he show you? — What did he show you?
• He show us beautiful pictures. — He showed us beautiful pictures. (full answer)
• Beautiful pictures. — Beautiful pictures. (incomplete answer)
• When did he show you the pictures? — When did he show you the pictures?
• He showed us the pictures last week. — He showed us the paintings last week.
• Last week. — Last week. (incomplete answer)

Questions to define

In special questions starting with what? — which ?, which? — which ?, whose? — whose ?, how much? , how many? — how? , immediately after the question word comes the noun to which the definition refers. (These are the so-called definition questions)

• He showed me beautiful pictures. — He showed me beautiful pictures.
• What pictures did he show you? — What pictures did he show you?
• He showed me three pictures. — He showed me three pictures.
• How many pictures did he show you? — How many paintings did he show you?

Source: http://kid-mama.ru/grammatika-anglijskogo-yazyka/voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke/specialnye-voprosy/

Alternative question in English — examples, features, subtleties of use

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://crownenglishclub.ru/teoriya/alternativnyj-vopros-v-anglijskom-yazyke-primery-osobennosti-tonkosti-ispolzovaniya.html

Yak will be properly powered in the English language

In speech, we constantly clarify something, ask, ask to repeat it, since this is a natural and absolutely normal communication process. And if this is not done in English, it will be doubly strange. After all, while studying a foreign language, you are trying to absorb as much information as possible and find out everything that interests you.

Today we propose to dive a little into English grammar and consider the types of questions and how to build them correctly. First, let’s remember the order of words in an English sentence, as this is very important when constructing a question.

Word order in an affirmative sentence in English:

subject + predicate + object + circumstance

Word order in the interrogative sentence:  

predicate + subject + object + circumstance

auxiliary or modal verb + subject + predicate + object + circumstance

question word + auxiliary or modal verb + subject + predicate + object + circumstance

There are 5 types of interrogative sentences in English:

• general
• special
• alternative
• dividing
• question to different members of the proposal

 Punctuation marks in English: how to write without mistakes

General question

This is a question that can be answered yes or no. For example, Are you a student? Do you study Math?

If the verb TO BE is used as the predicate in the sentence, no auxiliary verbs are needed. In the question, just put TO BE forward. For example, He is a bookworm. Is he a bookworm?

If there is a modal verb in the sentence, move it forward. For example, You can swim. Can you swim?

If the predicate in the sentence is not to be or a modal verb, then DO (I, you, we, they) and DOES (he / she / it) appear to form a question. For example, She cooks every day. Does she cook every day?

Special question

This is a question for an individual member of the proposal, it cannot be answered yes or no. Starts with a question word.

Question words:

• What? — What?
• When? — When?
• Where? — Where?
• Why? — Why?
• Which? — Which the?
• How? — How?

Special question = question word + auxiliary or modal verb + subject + predicate + object + rest of the sentence. For example, Where are you going this summer? Where are you going this summer?

Alternative question

This is a question that shows the choice between two options. Feature is the presence of OR

Do they go on foot or drive a car? Are they walking or driving?

Does she prefer meat or fish? Does she prefer meat or fish?

Separated question

In English, these questions are called tag questions. With their help, we clarify whether the judgment is correct.

They are formed simply: if the verb in the sentence is positive, then we put a negative verb and a noun separated by a comma after the sentence, and vice versa. For example, You don’t DHL services, do you? Olivia can dance, can’t she?

Question to different members of the proposal

This is a question that starts with question words.

Jeremy invited Mike and Josh to the party last night.

Who invited Mike and Josh to the party last night?

What did Jeremy do?

Whom did Jeremy invite to the party last night?

Where did Jeremy invite Mike and Josh last night?

When was the party Jeremy invited Mike and Josh to?

Please note that when we pose a question to the subject, we do not use auxiliary verbs and the predicate remains in the same form as in the affirmative sentence.

My dad always drives a car. — Who always drives a car?

As a reminder, English classes for adults begin at the end of January. Don’t miss the set! Choose a course, leave information about yourself and wait for a call. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you know best today.

Source: https://cambridge.ua/blog/voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke-tipy-pravila-primery/

How to ask questions in English. Types of questions

One of the key topics that will be useful even for the greenest beginner is questions in English.

Why is it useful to be able to ask questions at the very beginning of the training?

Let’s imagine a situation: you are abroad and want to know the way. You run up to the first person you meet and, intently, looking into his eyes with hope, name your destination. Will you get the answer you want? Who knows. It is not a fact that the passer-by has information or speaks English. However, your chances of finding a hotel, attraction, or acquaintances will increase with your ability to ask and answer questions.

Inversion

Almost all questions in English are formed by inversion (reverse word order in a sentence). An auxiliary verb is placed before the subject:

Assertion / Response	Question
I will run.	Will I run?
She is driving.	Is she driving?
They were smiling.	Why were they smiling?
The horse has slept.	Has the horse slept?
My sisters had been sitting.	Had my sisters been sitting or standing?

Will the next news program be at 10 pm or at 11 pm? — Will the next news program be at 10 pm or 11 pm?

Answer: The next news program will be at 10 pm — The next news program will be at 10 pm.

Were the runners running the last lap? — Did the runners run the last lap?

Answer: Yes. The runners were running the last lap. — Yes. The runners ran the last lap.

When have we seen a Japanese cherry tree blooming? — When did we see the cherry blossoms?

Answer: We have seen a Japanese cherry tree blooming in April. — We saw the cherry blossoms in April.

Auxiliary verb «to do»

In cases where the formation of a verb is carried out without an «innate» auxiliary (to be, to have), a special auxiliary verb is introduced — «todo«. It is needed at times:

• Present Simple: with all plural subjects (we, you, they) and with the first singular subject (I), use — do; with subjects in the third person singular (he, she, it) is used — does;

Source: https://englishboost.ru/voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Special question in English — examples and features

Elizaveta Morozova

Heading: Grammar

Hi Hi!

How are you? Do you want to continue learning English? I hope so!))) If not, feel free to close the page and come back another time. I’ll be happy!

So, today we are talking about a Special Question in English. These are questions, the purpose of which is to obtain, so to speak, some kind of special information, i.e. these are all questions with interrogative words (where, where, why, etc.). Such questions cannot be limited to a short «yes / no», they require a complete answer.

You can take my little practical training to get the skill to ask different questions at different times in English. Go to this page and start!

In English, the following are used

Features

Note 1: Difference between What + noun and Which + noun(both translate as «what?»).

What + noun — the answer assumes a wide range of possibilities

Which + noun — the answer assumes a small / limited number of possibilities

Compare the following sentences:

What hobby do you have? (it is assumed that there is a wide variety of hobbies to choose from, ranging from origami to collecting beer caps).

Which hobby do you best, knitting or crocheting? (there is not much to choose from, already in the question our choice is limited to two options).

Note 2: If the question uses verb with a prepositionthen he (preposition) placed at the end of a sentence, which sounds strange enough for Russians, you have to get used to it, because it is not accepted in our country to separate the pretext from the interrogative word.

What do you think about? — About what you think?

Who did you buy it for? — For whom did you buy it?

What are you looking for? — that you are looking for? (here, when translating, there is no preposition at all, since the forms of English and Russian do not match)

Word order and temporal forms

The word order corresponds to the order of the general question, with the difference that there is an additional interrogative word in front:

Have you got a pet? (general question)

Why have you got a pet? (special question)

Source: https://lizasenglish.ru/grammatika/spetsialnyj-vopros.html

Special question in English — construction examples

There are several types of questions in English. For correct oral speech and competent construction of dialogues, it is very important to be able to ask different types of questions. Special questions in English are studied next to general questions.

General question: Did he remember a lot of old songs? — Did he remember many old songs?

Special Question: How many songs did he remember? — How many songs did he remember?

What is a special question

A special question is a type of interrogative sentence, the purpose of which is to obtain additional information. Such questions are varied in meaning, but have a clear structure. You can ask one general question for one sentence, and several special ones.

Lima bought a new laptop in Japan last weekend, because Tom had broken her old one. — Lima bought a new laptop in Japan last weekend because Tom broke her old one.

What did Lima buy in Japan last weekend? — What did Lima buy in Japan last weekend?

Where did Lima buy a new laptop last weekend? Where did Lima buy her new laptop last weekend?

When did Lima buy a new laptop in Japan? — When did Lima buy a new laptop in Japan?

Why did Lima buy a new laptop in Japan last weekend? Why did Lima buy a new laptop in Japan last weekend?

How to ask a specific question in English

General and special questions in English have the same construction principle. The subject must be preceded by an auxiliary verb. This verb depends on the temporal form of the predicate.

The construction of special questions in English has certain peculiarities. For more information, you need to put a question word before the auxiliary verb. It is it that shows what information you need to find out. Further, in order, the subject, the predicate (semantic verb), and, if necessary, other members of the sentence are put.

Let’s analyze one of the previous questions (Where did Lima buy a new laptop last year?) By structure:

• Question word: Where
• Auxiliary verb: did
• Subject: Lima
• Predicted: buy

Question words for special questions

For the correct compilation of special questions, it is imperative to learn the basic interrogative words. Let’s list the most common ones.

What jeans have you chosen? — What jeans did you choose?

This word has variants — phrases

• What kind

What kind of chocolate does your son prefer? — What kind of chocolate does your son prefer?

• What color (what color)

What color was your hair in the childhood? — What color was your hair as a child?

In addition, this word can be combined with prepositions:

• What for

What have you taken the rabbit to the shop for? — Why did you take the rabbit to the store?

What were they talking about all morning? — What were they talking about all morning?

Unlike the Russian version, the preposition in such a sentence appears after the predicate or at the very end of the question.

It is important to know that the interrogative word «what» in English is used in a quality that is unusual for the Russian language. They resort to it when you need to find out who a person is by occupation, profession. In such cases it is translated not “what”, but “who”. This is what confuses students who are used to translating the word «who» as «who.»

Compare the special question in English: examples with «who» and «what»:

Who is that strange guy? He is my big brother. — Who’s that weird guy? He is my older brother.

What is that strange guy? He is our new surgeon. — Who’s that weird guy? He’s our new surgeon.

How did Tom manage to win the game? — How did Tom manage to win the game?

Also has «followers»:

How old is Mrs. Stone? — How old is Mrs. Stone?

• How many (much)

How much yeast should we add to the dough? — How much yeast should be added to the dough?

The difference in variants is the same as in the words many / much. When asking about countable nouns, start the question with “How many”. If about the uncountable — «How much».

• How long (how long, how long)

How long is the river in youг town? — How long is the river in your city?

How long did it take you to lose weight last year? — How long did it take you to lose weight last year?

How often do you have your hair cut? — How often do you cut your hair?

Which present would you choose? — Which gift would you choose?

Whom did you phone a few minutes ago? — Who did you call a few minutes ago?

Whose car are you driving tonight? — Whose car are you driving tonight?

Where is Mr. Stone flying in the evening? — Where is Mr. Stone flying in the evening?

Sometimes you can see where combined with a preposition:

Where have Rebecca come from? — Where did Rebecca come from?

Why was Lima crying? — Why did Lima cry?

When did the Stones return from Canada? — When did the Stones return from Canada?

What and which

As you can see from the above examples, some words have a similar meaning. For example, the pair what and which can translate as «which of», «which». The difference between the two can only be understood by knowing the context of the question. What is used when you need to choose from an unlimited number of options, and which is used when the choice is clearly limited.

What and what kind of

Another pair of question words, the difference between which may not be obvious at first glance. Both of them have the translation «what». Nevertheless, if you need to know about the quality, properties and characteristics of an item, then you should use What kind (a question to the definition). If you need to clarify what the subject is (a question to the nominal part of the predicate) — «what the ..», then What is used.

Source: https://lim-english.com/pravila-anglijskogo-yazyka/postroenie-specialnykh-voprosov-v-anglijskom/

Special question in English, it is a question to a separate member of a sentence: subject, predicate, addition, or circumstance.

Question to the rest of the proposal

In a special question in English, the interrogative word is put in the first place, then the general question is repeated, in addition to the member of the sentence to which this question is asked.

Declarative sentence	Subject predicate indirect object direct object Didn’t give me a book	He gave me a book
General question	Did he give me a book?	Did he give me a book?
Special question to direct addition	What did he give me?	What did he give me?
Response	A-book	The book
Question for indirect addition	Whom did he give a book?	Who did he give the book to?
Response	Me	Me

If the question is asked to a prepositional addition, the preposition is put in last place:

My mother (subject) lives (predicate) with us (prepositional object) Who does our mother live with? — Whom does my mother live with?

Answer: With us.

The answer to a special question is the member of the proposal to which the question was asked.

Remember structure of ad hoc question in English:

Question word	Auxiliary	Subject matter	Semantic verb	Other members of the proposal
When	do	you	get up?
Where (where)	did	he	go	last Sunday?
Why	does	your friend	Miss	lectures?
Whom (whom)	will	our uncle	visit	next summer?

Source: http://www.grandars.ru/a/english/specialnyy-vopros.html

Special questions in English: examples, construction schemes

Special questions in English are questions to various members of a sentence that begin with an interrogative word: what — what, when — when, where — where, why — why, who — who, etc. In these questions, the reverse word order takes place, with the exception of subject questions, which preserve the direct word order. These questions are spoken in a descending tone.

There are not many question words in English, so you can easily remember them.

Here are the most used ones:

• what — what? which?
• where — where? where?
• when — when?
• why — why?
• how — how?
• which — which?
• who (m) — to whom? by whom?
• whose — whose?

With the help of these words, we show what kind of information we are interested in. Now let’s find out how to build sentences correctly using these words.

Rules for the formation of Special Issues

Special Questions in English are formed according to the same principle as General Questions — using inversion, that is, an auxiliary or modal verb is brought forward of the subject.

The only difference is that in the special question, the auxiliary or modal verb is always preceded by an interrogative word.

With auxiliary verbs:

General question	Special question
Do you to swim?	Where do you to swim?
Did he call her?	Why did he call her?
Will they finish it?	When will they finish it?

With modal verbs:

General question	Special question
Can we meet?	Where can we meet?
Must he write?	What must he write?
Should they go to this lecture?	Why should they go to this lecture?

With the verb to be:

General question	Special question
Were you angry?	When were you angry?
Is he at work?	Why is he at work?
Will they be ready?	When will they be ready?

The interrogative word as a direct object or definition to the object.

• What are they writing? — What are they writing now?
• What bus shall we take? — Which bus are we taking?
• What did she do on Friday? — What did she do on Friday?
• Which jacket do you? — Which jacket do you like?
• What can we do for you? — What can we do for you?
• Who (m) does he want to see? — Whom does he want to see?

In modern English, who is more often used instead of whom. The use of whom gives the question a touch of formality.

An interrogative word as a prepositional object or definition to a prepositional object.

In such matters, the preposition is usually placed at the end of the sentence (in colloquial speech).

• What is he laughing at? — What is he laughing at?
• What are they talking about? — What are they talking about?
• Who are you talking to? — Who are you talking to?

An interrogative word as a circumstance or a definition to a circumstance.

In this case, the preposition is usually also placed after the verb.

• What street does he live in? — What street does he live on?
• Which way are they traveling? — Which way are they going?
• Where are you driving to? — Where are you driving?
• Where are they coming from? — Where are they from?

An interrogative word as a predicative or definition to a predicative.

• What is she? — Who is she by profession? (informing about a specialty or occupation)
• Who is that girl? — Who is that girl? (information about the surname, degree of relationship, etc.) — She’s Jim’s younger sister. — She’s Jim’s younger sister.
• What’s your name? — What is your name? — My name’s Valentine Brown. — My name is Valentina Brown.
• Whose book is this? — Whose book is this?
• What time is it? — What time is it now?
• How much is it? — How much does it cost?

General and Special Questions

Conclusion, special question is general question + question word. Auxiliary verbs are used the same as in general matters… A special question is asked to clarify some detail, information.

Source: http://englishfox.ru/specialnye-voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke.html

Question words

Here is a list of the question words used:

Who? — Who?

Whose? — Whose? 

Whom? — Whom? To whom?

What? — What? Which?

Which? — Which the?

How? — How? How?

Where? — Where?

When? — When?

Why? — Why?

How manu / much? — How many?

How long? — How long? and etc.

Word order in special questions, answers to them

Similar to general questions, in special questions the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject, but in this case it is preceded by an interrogative word. 

I usually listen to the radio on Monday mornings. — What do you usually do on Monday mornings?

I usually listen to the radio on Monday mornings. — What are you doing Monday morning?

The answer to a special question will be either a full sentence using the repetition of all the necessary members, or a short answer, which consists of only one member of the sentence containing the answer to the question asked.

He told our secret to his friends last night. Last night he told our secret to his friends.

When did he tell our secret to his friends? — He told it to them last night. When did he tell his friends our secret? He told his story last night.

Special Subject Question

Particular attention should be paid to the construction of questions starting with the interrogative words «who» and «what». Questions like this can apply to both subjects and objects. In this case, the structure of the question will be different.

If the question starting with «who» or «what» is about a complement (who? To whom? With whom? Etc.), then the question is formulated according to the rules described above.

However, if a question is asked for a subject (who? What?), It uses the word order for the declarative sentence — replacing the subject with the appropriate question word.

They talk with Michael at every lecture. — They talk to Michael at every lecture.

Who do they talk with at every lecture? — Who do they talk to at every lecture? (an addendum question («with whom»), the word order of the usual ad hoc question is used).

Who talks with Michael at every lecture? — Who talks to Michael at every lecture? (question to the subject, no auxiliary verb).

Please note that the semantic verb in the last example is plural.

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Source: http://www.nado5.ru/e-book/specialnye-voprosy

Special questions in English

Special questions in English are a complex, entertaining and, at the same time, a simple topic for those interested in English. Pay attention to it, as the topic is significant. Full-fledged interaction in a conversation in English is impossible without special questions.

This topic will turn out to be simple only on the condition that the student has previously familiarized himself with, understood and accepted the methods of constructing a general question in English. In English, the way of building a general question is identical to the way of building a special one, with the exception of some special additions.

Let’s figure out how to ask special questions correctly and what are the secrets of their preparation?

What are special questions? Application methods

Special questions are provided for additional information. Application in English is possible with any component involved in the proposal. The application depends on the information that you want to glean by asking the question.

• Whеrе do уоu go? — I go hоme. Where are you going? — I’m going home.
• Whаt is his name? — His name is Jim. What’s his name? — His name is Jim.
• Whаt timе must thеу mеt? — Five. What time should they meet? — At five.

Special questions in English always start with a question word:

• Whаt — what, what;
• Whо — who;
• Whоm — whom;
• Whоse — whose;
• Whiсh — which;
• Whu — why;
• Whеn — when;
• Whеre — where;
• Hоw — how;
• Hоw muсh — how much;
• Hоw lоng — how long;
• How often.

These special words in English designate the information that interests the questioner. These components cannot be thrown out of the word order in the sentence. These ingredients are just as important as the rest. The indicated words are intended to replace the word to which the special question is addressed. The question word can become any member of a sentence in English.

• Whо bаkеs brеаd оnce а wеk? — Who bakes bread once a week?
• Hоw оftеn does Marya bаke brеаd? — How often does Maria bake bread?
• Whаt does Maria bаke оnce а wеk? — What does Maria bake once a week?

It is better to choose decreasing intonation for pronouncing a special question in English. A characteristic point in English is also a special change in the sequence of words in such a sentence.

Education

It is customary to form special questions in English in the same way as general ones, by putting the verb in place before the subject and after the interrogative designation. Special questions differ from general ones only in that in special, before the auxiliary verb, the interrogative word is placed in the main place. Below is an outline of the ad hoc question.

Scheme: interrogative word — verb — subject — verb that conveys meaning — other parts.

It is customary to use modal and auxiliary verbs in English to form a question in Present and Past Simpl. In the absence of such verbs, education comes to the rescue with the verb to do. In situations where to have and to be take the role of semantic verbs, these components are also designated auxiliary.

Taking into account that a special question in English can be asked to any member of the proposal, below we will consider options covering these situations.

• In the role of a definition for an add-on:
• Whаt аrе thеу writing? — What are they writing now?
• Whаt bus shаll wеtаke? — Which bus are we taking?
• Whаt did shе don Fridаu? — What did she do on Friday?
• Whiсh jаkеt dо уоu likе? — Which jacket do you like?
• Whаt can we do for уоu? — What can we do for you?
• Whо (m) dеs he wаnt tо see? — Whom does he want to see?

In English, in order to avoid unnecessary formality, it is customary to use whо, not whоm.

• In the role of a definition to a prepositional object

When forming such questions in English, it is customary to use the preposition at the end of the sentence.

• Whаt is helаughing аt? — What is he laughing at?
• Whаt аrе thеу tаlking аbоut? — What are they talking about?
• Whо аrе уоu talking tо? — Who are you talking to?
• In the role of determination to the circumstance

When forming such a question in English, it is customary to put the preposition after the verb.

• Whаt strеt does helive in? — What street does he live on?
• Whiсh wау аrе thеу trаvеlling? — Which way are they going?
• Whеrе аrе уоu driving tо? — Where are you driving?
• Whеrе аrе thеу coming frоm? — Where are they from?
• In the role of a definition to a predicative
• Whаt is shе? — Who is she by profession?

• Whо is thаt girl? — Who is that girl? — She’s Jim’s уоungеr sistеr. — She’s Jim’s younger sister.

• Whаt’s уоur name? — What is your name? — Mу nаme’s Vаlеntine Bоwn. — My name is Valentina Brown.
• Whоse boоk is this? — Whose book is this?
• Whаt timе is it? — What time is it now?
• How muсh is it? — How much is it?

And now let’s sort out each component involved in the formation of a special question in English.

It is easy to form a special question in English. For this, an interrogative word is put before the general question. For example: Do you stud? — Do you study? — a general question. Whеrе do уоu studу? — Where do you study? — a special question.

• Special question with auxiliary verbs — with untranslatable words that serve as special pointers and serve to help determine the time and number of characters in English.

Scheme: interrogative word — auxiliary verb — character — action.

For example: Do you like flying? — Do you like flуing? Where do you like to fly? — Whе dо уоu likе to flу?

Did he write to her? — Did he write to her? Why did he write to her? — Whу did hе writе tо hеr?

Will they start it? — Will this start it? When will they start it? — Whеn will thеу start it?

• Special question with modal verbs — with denoting attitude to actions and are independent parts of the sentence in English.

Scheme: question word — modal verb — character — action.

For example: Can we call you? — Can we phone? When can we call you? — Whеn can we phоne?

Should he remember? — Not a must remеmber? What should he remember? — Whаt shоuld hе remеmbеr?

Should they go to this movie? — Shоuld thеу go tо this film? Why should they go to this movie? — Whу shоuld thеу go tо this film?

• Special question with to be. It helps to indicate the location and description of the character in English.

Scheme: question word — to be — character — location or description of the character.

For example: Have you been kind? — Wеrе уоu kind? When were you kind? — Whеn wеrе уоu kind?

He is at school? — Is he аt sсhоl? Why is he at school? — Whу is he аt sсhоl?

Will they be written? — Will thеу be written? When will they be written? — Whеn will thеу bе written?

• A special question with a question enclosed in a phrase. The indicated phrases are used in English as a special addition: Hоw muсh sоmеthing — how much? How old? — How many years? Hоw lоng? — how long? Hоw оftеn? — how often? Whаt timе? — what time? Whаt сlоur? — what colour? These phrases are denoted by one single and in the aggregate are carried forward sentences in English.

Formation schemes are identical to those described above.

For example: What time will they arrive? — Whаt time will thеу аrrive?

How often does he walk? — Hоw оftеn does he wаlk?

How long can you run? — Hоw lоng can уоu run?

How many pears can we pick up? — How mаnу pеars can we tаkе?

What color are the pants? — Whаt сlоr аrе thе trоusеrs?

How old is he? — How old is he?

• A special question combined with a preposition: Whоаbоut? — about whom? Whоаt? — on whom? Whofrom? — from whom? Whоwith? — with whom? Whofоr? — to whom? for whom? for whom? Whаtfоr? — for what? Whаtаbоut? — about what? Whеrеfrom? — where? Whаtwith? — how?

The case is no different from the previous ones. When forming a sentence in English, we put the question word in the first place. The only caveat is that we remove the preposition at the end of the sentence.

For example: Who was she thinking of? — Whо wаs shе thinking аbоut?

Who is she walking with? — With whоm shе wаlks?

What can they correspond about? — Whаt сn thеу сrrеspоnd with?

How should we break this? — Hоw shоuld wе brеаk this?

Where is he from? — Whеrе is hе frоm?

Who is she yelling at? — Whо is shе уоlling аt?

negative form

When forming negation in special questions, the particle nоt is used. A particle is placed after the subject, and, as a rule, an abbreviation is used.

• Whу didn’t shе writе? — Why didn’t she write?
• Whаt dоn’t уоu undеrstand? — What you do not understand?

The above material dispels the myth about the complexity of a special question in English. This cannot be called an easy task, but it cannot be called difficult either. The key point is to study the interrogative words, which appear as beacons that indicate that there is a special kind in front of your eyes. It will take stubbornness and perseverance in order to nibble on special questions in English, like seeds. Good luck in learning English!

Source: https://tutskill.ru/grammatika/362

Special question in English

There are 4 main types of questions in English. One of them is a special question. In English, this type of question is posed in order to clarify the information already available.

I went to the park yeasterday. Who was with you? (I went to the park yesterday. Who was with you?)

A special question starts with a question word. Often, special questions are also called Wh-questions, because most question words begin with the letters Wh.

Question words are:

who? what? when? why? which? whose? whom? where?

who? what? when? why? which the? whose? whom? when?

When does the train leave? (When does the train leave?)

Where is my phone? (Where is my phone?)

Special question «What are you?» translated as follows: Who are you by profession? (not «what are you?»)

And also how? as? how long? how long? how many? how much? how often? how often? other.

How much does it cost? (How much is it?)

How often did you go there? (How often did you go there?)

Types of special questions

Questions of this kind are divided into two large groups.

1. Special questions to all members of the proposal (except for the subject and its definition). These questions are structured along the same lines as general questions. An auxiliary or modal verb is placed in front of the subject.

Where do you live? (Where do you live?)

Why did he go so far? (Why did he go so far?)

2. Special questions to the subject or to the definition of the subject. In this type of question, there is no inversion and follows the direct word order, like a declarative sentence.

Who is in charge? (Who’s in charge?)

Who has a little bunny? (Who’s got the little rabbit?)

Scheme for constructing a special question in English (to any member of the sentence, except for the subject):

When question word + does modal or auxiliary verb + the classes subject + start semantic verb?

If the verbs to be и to have semantic, auxiliary verbs are not used.

What has he? (That he has?)

Where is my brother? (Where is my brother?)

Questions to individual parts of the proposal

Questions to supplement

Usually introduced by question words whom? who? The form whom? not often used, mainly in official speech. Such a question is asked to the person to whom the action is directed.

About what did you tell the joke? (Who did you tell the joke to?) — I told the joke about Mary. (I told a joke about Mary)

What are you holding in your hands? (What are you holding in your hands?) — I hold a kitten. (I keep a kitten)

Questions to the circumstance

There are several types of circumstances: places, times, conditions, reasons, and others.

Such questions are introduced with the help of all interrogative words, except who?

When did he return? — He returned at night. (When did he come back? He came back at night)

Why do you need this stick? — I need it for my studies. (Why do you need this stick? I need it for study.)

If a question to a circumstance contains an interrogative word with a preposition, then the preposition is placed at the end of the sentence.

What is this thing for? (What is this thing for?) — It is for a card game. (This is for a card game)

Where is this woman from? (Where is this woman from?) — She’s from Spain. (She is from Spain)

Questions to define

These questions usually start with question words. what? (which?) which? which the? who? (whose?) how much? (how much? — with uncountable verbs) how many? (how much? — with countable verbs)

Whose shoes are these? (Whose shoes are these?)

What? (meaning «what») determines the quality of the item, and which? (meaning «which») determines which of the existing objects is meant.

What color is your jacket? (What color is your jacket?)

Which picture will you choose? (Which picture will you choose?)

Question to the predicate

Almost all questions to the predicate are built according to the type «What is the subject doing?»

What are you doing? — I’m playing with friends. (What are you doing? I’m playing with my friends)

What did your father do? — He went home. (What did your father do? He drove home)

Special questions in English in negative form are formed with the help of a particle Note, which is added to an auxiliary or modal verb.

Why don’t you play with him? (Why don’t you play with him?)

What didn’t he do? (What didn’t he do?)

Source: https://www.comenglish.ru/spetsial-nyy-vopros-v-angliyskom-yazyke/