Content
- Types of interrogative sentences
- Varieties of questions
- Examples of interrogative sentences in English
The interrogative sentences in English They are built using auxiliary verbs and have the particularity of presenting a different structure to that of affirmative sentences. For example: Where are you staying?
In English questions, the order in which verbs and pronouns appear in the sentence is reversed or altered. The auxiliary verb par excellence is “everything”.
Types of interrogative sentences
In interrogative sentences in present, the question acquires the following structural sequence: "Do / does + personal pronoun + verb (base) + complements?".
In interrogative sentences simple past (past simple), the structure is this: "Did + personal pronoun + verb (base) + complements?". In future interrogative sentences, the sequence is "Will / shall + personal pronoun + verb (base) + complements?". Note that unlike Spanish, in English only a closing question mark is used to delimit the question.
In times past not simple, like the present perfect or the past perfect, the auxiliary verb is “to have"Instead of" to do. " For this reason the question in the present perfect is constructed as follows: "Have / has + personal pronoun + participle + complements?" and in the past perfect of this other: "Had + personal pronoun + participle + complements?". '
'Would' it can also be part of an interrogative structure, often more polite, like 'can' and 'could'.
In the so-called continuous times, which express durative acts, the auxiliary verb is "to be". This typical inversion of the interrogative form is kept and the typical ending is incorporated "Ing" of the verbs in the present continous (equivalent to our gerund), and the question takes the form of "Are / is + personal pronoun + present continuous + complements?" if it is in the present, and from "Were / was + personal pronoun + present continuous + complements?" if it is in the past.
Yes it is in future, the form is this: "Will / shall + personal pronoun + be + present continuous + complements?". A question can also start with an interrogative pronoun, such as 'how', 'when', 'where', 'what' or 'why', if you are trying to find out situational details about something.
Varieties of questions
The aforementioned structures are used to ask in order to obtain information directly; but in English there are other kinds of questions, the so-called question tags, which are mounted after a comma following a declarative sentence, whether affirmative or negative, denying it (in the first case) or affirming it (in the second), pending a possible correction. These questions are used more than anything in orality.
Examples of interrogative sentences in English
- Are you sure they live here?
- When did she arrive?
- He has a new girlfriend, hasn’t he?
- What do you think about the new president?
- Would you like to travel to India?
- Have you watched the movie I talked about?
- How many pupils are now at this classroom?
- You are the new gym-trainer, aren't you?
- Would you mind opening that window?
- Does she know our address?
- Have they prepared that meal all by themselves?
- Will you cook an apple pie?
- Do you know my room-mate?
- When did you start working at Shell?
- Is he the right person for this job?
- What’s the most ridiculous thing you have ever done?
- Why is she so sad?
- He is Italian, isn’t he?
- Shall we stay at your room for as while?
- Can he come with us?
Andrea is a language teacher, and on her Instagram account she offers private lessons by video call so that you can learn to speak English.
