Questions tagged [interrogatives]
This tag is for inquiries about the interrogative grammatical form, element, or construction, such as would be employed in the formation of a question.
177
questions
10
votes
7answers
11k views
Can I use “You can” rather than “Could you” in restaurants?
I'm learning restaurant English. I tend to use "You can" but my English teacher always corrects me to use "Could you". She is telling me "You don't want your server to be angry".
I think if I say "...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
Uptalk with question words such as “What”, “Where”, and “How”
In casual spoken English, is it okay to speak English like sentences in bold below?
01
A: Where you are going?
B: To the movies.
02
A: What you talked about with your friends ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
“…tell he is coming” vs "…tell he was coming
Didn't Max tell he is coming to class today?
or
Didn't Max tell he was coming to class today?
What's the correct way to ask this and what is the difference of these two?
0
votes
1answer
131 views
Is The Present Continuous possible here?
_______ (visit) your aunt while you are in Paris?
I think the answers can be:
Will you be visiting
Will you visit
Are you going to visit.
What about the present continuous, Are you visiting. Is ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
Who is the best engineering team - question
So, today we had a discussion about the following question, which is the title of a competition proposal in our company: "Who is the best engineering team?"
The discussion was about whether it should'...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Are there plural forms to interrogatives like “who”?
In Greek there are different singular and plural forms of τίς (who):
Singular:
τίς - who?
τίνος - whose?
τίνι - to whom?
τίνα - whom?
Are there plural English forms?
τίνες -
τίνων -
τίσι(ν) -
...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Does altering the structure of an interrogative sentence change the meaning?
When we change the structure of an interrogative sentence, such as:
Am I not supposed to go there?
like this:
I'm not supposed to go there?
Does the meaning stay the same? If not, are there ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Is contraction obligatory in negative interrogative sentences?
I know that a verb and "not" are usually contracted when together in a negative interrogative sentence. Example:
Aren't they lovely?
Is it grammatically wrong to avoid the contraction? Example:
...
2
votes
2answers
58 views
Why do you need 'that' here?
What did he do that was so wrong?
Why don't you say that without 'that'? I asked this somewhere else a few months ago, and got an wonderful answer. I thought that was reasonable enough. The answer ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Sentence structure of negative interrogative sentences
I was reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", when I came across a line whose structure I cannot understand. The line is "Is not he a charming man?".
Shouldn't it be "Is he not a charming man?"?...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
“In / how many percents is it smaller”?
If I have two apples, one is smaller (/bigger) than the second. What's the way to ask about the differences between them in percents?
Could it be correct to say
1) "In how many percents is this ...
1
vote
1answer
21 views
Can I add ‘if’ before ‘they’ in the sentence?
Did you know they were coming by air?
Can I add ‘if’ before ‘they’ in the sentence above and is it usual to delete ‘if’ before ‘they’ ?
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Difference between 'I don't know how can I' and 'I don't know how I can'?
I am confused between
I don't know how can I do this
and
I don't know how I can do this
Can anyone explain difference between these sentences?
0
votes
1answer
32 views
interrogative adverbs used like interrogative pronouns
Why are the interrogative adverbs "where" and "when" used like interrogative pronouns in the sentences below?
Where are you from?
From when to when did you live there?
Since when is Jane your sister?
1
vote
1answer
45 views
'How much is the world so hard to live in, that some people give up their lives?' Is this sentence correct?
I want to express
'The world is so hard to live in, that some people give up their lives.'
as an interrogative form, so that I can emphasize the meaning of it. Please let me know if this ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
In a negative-intergative sentence, whether NOT before subject or after subject?
I'm a boy.
I'm happy.
I'm eating rice.
I eat rice.
I have eaten rice.
I'm here.
I'm in Canada.
What would be negative questions for all above? I'm confused sometimes "NOT" sits before subject like ...
2
votes
3answers
396 views
Which (country)
Can the word "country" be omitted in the following?
John visited France, Spain, and Italy last year. Which (country) did he like best?
John visited France, Spain, and Italy last year. In ...
0
votes
3answers
49 views
Relative Pronoun Problem
This is the flyover whose inauguration was done by the transport minister.
This is the flyover inauguration of which was done by the transport minister.
why 2. is correct??
3
votes
2answers
916 views
If you have (any) questions
Do I need to use any in the following sentence? Does any change the meaning of the following sentence?
If you have (any) questions on the subject, feel free to ask me.
As an English speaker would ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
What was your name vs. What is your name?
Quite often when I am talking over phone with some customer service representative, if they'd need to ask my name again they'd go like
What was your name
Similarly I heard my teacher asking ...
0
votes
1answer
340 views
Joining two interrogative sentences with coordinating conjunction
How should I join two interrogative sentences with a coordinating conjunction?
Should the purpose of our education be focused only on ornamenting students with great degrees or it should be ...
1
vote
3answers
150 views
Can we add the phrase “do you think” in an interrogative sentence and not reverse the subject-verb order?
I was chatting with my friend and I asked him this question. But, then I was not sure if it was grammatically correct because I had never used the phrase "do you think" with an interrogative sentence. ...
1
vote
1answer
185 views
use of article in exclamatory and interrogative sentence
See the following examples:
What sort of (a) man he is!
To my knowledge, this is wrong because in sentences starting with 'what kind of' 'what sort of' 'what type of' 'what variety of' and in ...
0
votes
2answers
289 views
“why don't I/ I don't/ have your phone number” vs "why I am not / am I not/ having your phone number
Suppose you work in a office and there is a guy there who you know for a year and you he asks you to call him so that he could find his missing phone through hearing the phone vibrating or something. ...
1
vote
2answers
35 views
Is 'what for' identical to'why'
(1) I wondered what she was crying for.
(2) I wondered why she was crying.
Are (1) and (2) exchangeable? Is 'what for' identical to ‘why’ in this context?
0
votes
1answer
3k views
Difference between “Are you sure to continue?” and “Are you sure you want to continue?”
A: "Are you sure to continue?"
B: "Are you sure you want to continue?"
Is the first sentence grammatically correct? And what is the difference? Can they be used interchangeably?
0
votes
3answers
99 views
Can we say “The sound of what is this?” or “This is the sound of what?” (American English)
In American English, can we say either of these sentences interchangeably?
The sound of what is this?
This is the sound of what?
Context: Imagine I heard a sound at home which sounds like it ...
0
votes
1answer
897 views
How would formally ask someone to confirm return date to book a ticket
I would like to book a return ticket back to my hometown for a particular date. I need to ask my someone before finalizing the date. How can I express that in a question form? I have few examples:
...
0
votes
3answers
119 views
Question about WH questions
Here are some interrogative statements which are right/wrong (both in American and British English).
Right-
What took you so long?
Who killed my friend?
What disease took away my ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Did you surprise? vs Have you surprised?
I'm going to meet one of my friend next week. I want to ask about her feeling when her son announced that he will get married with a foreign girl.
(Maybe her son announced 1 month ago, I want to ask ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
Use of helping verb in interrogative sentence
Look at these two examples:
Why did Dolores try to flood the forge?
Why Dolores tried to flood the forge?
Is the second example grammatically wrong as the helping verb is not used before the ...
2
votes
1answer
5k views
'on what' or 'on which' floor are you?
Our college is a tall building and sometimes friends tell me that they are waiting for me somewhere there. Not always I'm not sure about the floor that he or she is on. So I would like to know how to ...
0
votes
2answers
83 views
“How many language do you speak?” OR “How many language you speak?”
How many language do you speak?
OR
How many language you speak?
Which one is correct? What is the difference?
I have found another example:
How much food are you going to take with ...
0
votes
4answers
107 views
Can I ask “with whom?” while the mentioned name of the person wasn't clear for example?
My friend: I was there together with (Jon). I wanted to speak with him.
I didn't hear well the name, or the name wasn't clear to me, and I asked him:
Me: With whom?
It that correct to ask ...
1
vote
3answers
71 views
Can “How soon” be used with the past tense? If not what would be an alternative for it?
How soon will you get back home? I am sure this question is correct. Can we ask if how soon you took to get back home or How soon did you take to get back home?
1
vote
2answers
2k views
complex interrogative sentence
a)Would you mind telling me which tv series it was?
b)Would you mind telling me which tv series was it?
which usage is correct? This is a complex sentence with 'which' as a linker and the tone is ...
0
votes
3answers
99 views
“Where there was food?” Vs. “Where was there food?”
What is the correct interrogative structure of existential clause in present and past tense?
Choice 1 (A): "was there food?"
Choice 2 (A): "there was food?"
Another example just with ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
How do we interpret “How do you know?”
It may seem a rather strange question, however, not all foreign learners can understand and interpret the phrase (or part of it) "How do you know?" correctly.
I mean, when we ask "How big is it?" - ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
How to change an interorgative sentence from active to passive
Are you going to sell the book?
I change it as follows :
Is the book going to be sold
My friends said it's not the correct answer
Please help
0
votes
1answer
29 views
“What … will” v.s. “What will…”
Compare the following pair of sentences:
What Chinese Tariffs Targeting American Crops Will Mean For Farmers
What will Chinese tariffs targeting American crops mean for farmers?
Why does the ...
-1
votes
1answer
52 views
Which of the following is grammatically correct and why?
1) Tell me, what would you have done?
2) Tell me, what you would have done?
0
votes
4answers
453 views
answering “Yes” or “No” for a question “She doesn't hate me, right?”
I am not a native English speaker. It is very confusing how to answering "Yes." or "No." for a negative question with "right?" added at the end.
Tom: She doesn't hate me, right?
Tom's Friend: ...
0
votes
1answer
348 views
How to turn English sentence into question formation
How do I convert basic sentence ("There remains one question.") into a interrogative sentence? I appreciate your answer in advance.
Is it "Does there remain one question?" Or "Does one question ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Why there are 2 'do' in How do you do
I'm a non native English learner.I was learning grammar and found repetition of same helping verb in following sentences
How do you do?
What did you do?
Why there are 2 do/did in such sentences.
Can ...
0
votes
1answer
166 views
How to ask someone about my position in a waiting list?
Suppose that your name is in a waiting list. Now you want to know how many persons are ahead of you. How would you ask that? Does it make any sense to say something like:
Would you tell me how my ...
0
votes
2answers
54 views
Is this an application of mediopassive voice in interrogative sentences?
I found a question written as in one of my books:
What is the number of bytes needed for an instruction to store in memory?
I believe the bold part makes the sentence in mediopassive voice. Isn't ...
1
vote
2answers
406 views
interrogative sentence with two clauses?
There is this question and it is confusing me:
Has the applicant completed, or is currently enrolled in any other studies or training outside XYZ (country name)?
The answer is:
Yes or No
...
0
votes
1answer
398 views
Order of words in interogative sentences
I was afraid to ask this question since I couldn't find any reference online and it kind of breaks the rules of grammar, but I'm curious to know if it can have any meaning and may be possible in ...
0
votes
1answer
381 views
Is it grammatical/common to put “are” after the subject in questions?
Example:
Which one are we watching?
Which one we're watching?
Is it common to do this? Sometimes I see it, but many native English speakers tell me that I should add the are.
1
vote
4answers
132 views
What is different between “What is the dog can do?” and “What can the dog do?”
What are different "what is the dog can do?" and" what can the dog do?"
The right answer is:
"What can the dog do?"
The question is how to make Interrogative sentences?
The sentence is
It ...
