Types of Questions

1. Yes-No questions – they need either a “yes” or a “no” answer:

Do you like vanilla ice cream?
Have you ever seen a ghost?

- “yes/no” questions can be:

-
 affirmative or negative:
Are you coming?
Aren’t you coming? (we have to use contractions)

 reduced yes/no questions:

Has he been talking to you? = He been talking to you?
Are you coming? = You coming?
Do you want to talk to me? = Want to talk to me?
Is she taking her pills regularly? = She taking her pills regularly?

2. Special questions (with wh- question words)

3. Tag questions
4. Indirect/embedded questions - to be more polite, to express curiosity, to express lack
of/ desire for knowledge, to change direct speech to indirect speech:

- embedded questions within questions:

When does the class start?
Do you know when the class starts?

What is the answer?

Do you know what the answer is?

Can he come tonight?

Do you think he can come tonight?

Is there free parking?

Could you tell me if there is free parking?

What time is it?

Would you mind telling me what time it is?

- Don’t use contractions at the end of an embedded clause:

Do you know what time it is? (not “it’s”)

- embedded questions within statements (reported speech):

Are you a student?
He asked me if I was a student.

Can I have a glass of water?

I asked if I could have a glass of water.

5. Subject and object questions

They changed the place of the furniture.

What did they change?
BUT:
Somebody locked the door.
Who locked the door?
Yesterday, I fixed my bike.
What did you fix yesterday?
BUT:
Something strange happened at the airport.
What happened at the airport?

Spain won the Eurovision Song contest in 1968.

Which country won the Eurovision Song contest in 1968?