The formation of Questions — whether they are inquiries seeking information or requests for a favor — is a little different from that of statements. Most Question Forms include question words, subject-auxiliary inversion, or both. Start with Yes/No Questions, since they are the foundation for most other question types. Then move on to different forms of questions, each with their own purpose, usage, and structure.
Yes/No Questions use, for the most part, the same words as declarative sentences do, but in a different order. The method featured here is the reordering of words from a declarative into an interrogative structure. The key to both is helping verbs, so make sure students can identify them and know the different forms of each. Yes/No Questions serve as the basis for most other interrogative structures, so it’s good for even advanced learners to cover this topic.
Bonus Notes
Helping Verbs List
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‘WH’ Questions are the most versatile of question forms. They can be structured to ask for any type of information, and the possible answers are open-ended. There are two different ‘WH’ Question structures, each named after the type of answer sought. The first is Subject Questions, which are based on the declarative structure. The other is Predicate Questions, which are based on the Yes/No Question structure.
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Table of Question Types
Bonus Notes
Question Tags are short, pseudo-clauses that come after a declarative (or sometimes imperative) sentence to turn it into a question. The method featured here is breaking the tag down into three parts. The usage of Tag Questions lies somewhere between statements (or commands) and Yes/No Questions; we use them to state what we believe or want to be true, but hedge the statement by turning it into a question, allowing someone else to either confirm it or correct us.
Auxiliary Verbs List
Bonus Notes
The 3 Parts of Question Tags
There are two types of Indirect Questions, for which the response we’re looking for isn’t a literal one. The first type is worded for the sake of politeness (or sometimes hesitance) when we would like information or a favor. The second type is Reported Questions, which repeat a question (but not word-for-word) that someone else might have asked. The structure is the same for both types, so the featured method covers the 3 parts of Indirect Question structure. Reported Questions also build off aspects of declarative Reported Speech, so it’s important to cover that prior to teaching this lesson.
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Summary of Indirect Questions
Bonus Notes
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