Types of questions

3 major types

yes/no questions: expects affirmation or negation, also called closed interrogatives

wh-questions: expect an open range of replies

alternative questions: one of the two or more options

Yes/No questions

Subject-operator inversion in the word order → operator operates the verb phrase, it’s an auxiliary verb → e.g. Did Paul give Jackie a digital watch…?

Has a subtype → tag questions, e.g. You can swim, can’t you?

Wh-questions

generally subject-operator inversion except when the wh-element is the subject → e.g. Who is going?

has 2 types of prepositional wh-phrases:

• pied piping: the preposition comes to the top of the sentence, emphasis → At what are you looking? formal, written english

• prepositonal stranding: the preposition is separated from the subject, is at the end of the sentence → What did you buy that for? informal, spoken english

Alternative questions

expects a reply from a range of 2 or more options

• Would you like chocolate vanilla or strawberry? → resembles yes/no questions

• Which flavour would you like? Chocolate vanilla or strawberry? → resembles wh-questions

Minor types

1) exclamatory questions: expects agreement → Am I tired! Isn’t she beautiful?

2) rhetorical questions: expects no answer → How should I know?

3) echo questions: You saw whom?