Questions tagged [questions]
This tag is for inquiries about the grammar and phrasing of questions. (If your question is about anything else, do not use this tag.)
1,070
questions
0
votes
1answer
29 views
What type of speech is "In person"?
What type of speech would the phrase: "In person" be part of the English Language?
0
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0answers
26 views
Is it correct and natural to ask "do you have length and width" when you want to know if the person knows the dimensions of something?
Would you tell me if it is correct and natural to ask do you have length and width when you want to know if the person knows the dimensions of something? For example:
You said the fridge's height is ...
0
votes
0answers
51 views
Why does this sentence sound wrong?
I have a friend who doesn't speak English as his first language. He sent the following message to me: "Why does this guy actually looks very similar to Oliver?" which of course sounds ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
What are the most important questions to discuss today? / What questions are the most important to discuss today? [closed]
What are the most important questions to discuss today?
What questions are the most important to discuss today?
Is there a difference in their meaning? Maybe, some emphasis.
1
vote
1answer
20 views
"Poetic omission" of "is" in a question
I am reading "The well-spoken Thesaurus" by Tom Heehler. In the first chapter on making one's writing more poetic, the author gave an example:
Drop "is": write "Do you think ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Specific question construction (couldn’t find anything on Google)
How do I ask why a person does not want a certain thing ?
If why don’t you is more like a suggestion, and why you don’t wanna…be together, as far as I know, is grammatically incorrect, what’s the ...
1
vote
1answer
23 views
Specific question construction (couldn’t find anything on Google)
How do I ask why a person does not want a certain thing ?
If why don’t you is more like a suggestion, and why you don’t wanna…, as far as I know, is grammatically incorrect, what’s the correct way to ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
How's it going at school? / How are you doing at school?
Let's say I'm with my sister and her two kids (aged 6 and 8). How do I ask the kids about school?
Would "How's it going at school?" be perfectly natural? And "How are you doing at ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Enters or enter?
Which of these sentences is correct?
Why does she ask him to stand every time she enters the room?
Why does she ask him to stand every time she enter the room?
Why does she ask him to inform her ...
2
votes
2answers
55 views
If 'Could i go?' is the kind way , What would be the past of 'Can i go'?
I was reading this question & answer, he said that ‘Could I go?’ is the kind way. Then I've got the doubts that, how do I ask someone the past of the ‘Can I go?’?
Like
Am I allowed go there ...
0
votes
2answers
65 views
Why doesn't the general rule apply to this sentence and a plural noun and plural verb is used instead of singular noun and verb?
In this sentence,
Which of those would you like?
Here is what I understand that words like ''which" and "none" are singular and can be plural. The word "which" is a relative ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
The word [these] is plural distributive pronoun and the two verbs "like" and buy" are singular. Why is that please?
In the second sentence above that states "I'd like to buy [these]" The general rule is that if you use a singular noun you must use a singular verb and if you use a plural noun you must you ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Can you explain in what way do the distributive pronoun in the following sentences stand alone?
rule: You can use distributive pronouns as a stand alone or by themselves. In what way does the distributive pronoun stand alone in the following sentences? Does this mean they stand alone without a ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
I wonder why wouldn't/don't they do it already?
Are either of these two sentences correct?:
I wonder why wouldn't they do it already?
I wonder why don't they do it already?
It's a response of mine to a comment where the guy said something like:
...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
What type of question is this? Embedded? Confirmatory?
What do we call this type of question in English "So Andrew was using Michael to smuggle shitty bullets into Mexico?" as opposed to "Was Andrew using Michael to smuggle shitty bullets ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
What does "in hearing" mean in this sentence?
In hearing so many people relate the fascinating experiences with which this volume deals, I have come to feel almost as though I have lived through them myself.
What does "In hearing" mean?...
0
votes
0answers
51 views
Can you, Will you, Could you and Would you?
One of my textbooks says that "would you ~?" is the politest of the four to ask someone a favor.
Another textbook, however, says that "will you" is the least polite and that "...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Is a word-order inversion required for the second related question in a sentence? "Do you want anything else, or (can I)/(I can) go home now?"
How must this blank be filled?
Do you want anything else, or ...... go home now?
I can
can I
I thought the answer is the number one, since the real question has been asked at the beginning of the ...
-1
votes
2answers
95 views
Is "Must I go" correct?
I encountered an expression "Must I go?" in my English drill (which is published in Japan).
Is this really correct? I have never seen "must" in a question. What I usually see is &...
0
votes
2answers
49 views
When nobody's on the counter in a shop, how do I say?
Would it be okay to say like below to a clerk near the counter?
I would like to check out
And if a cashier is on the counter but is doing something else, can I ask shortly like below?
Are you open?
...
8
votes
6answers
4k views
When can we skip 'if'?
I was walking on the web and came across this question:
What do you say we get out of here?
It's seems to me a tad slangy. I don't quite follow the structure of this sentence. It's like something is ...
0
votes
3answers
44 views
How to ask what tree the leaf on Canada's flag belongs to using "of" instead of "belong"?
Canada's flag contains a leaf. I want to ask what tree that leaf belongs to using preposition "of" instead of the verb "belong". Can I ask like this:
What tree does Canada's flag ...
0
votes
2answers
50 views
Who in the class smokes? / Who smokes in the class?
I have found on the internet both versions. Is there a mistaken question, or both are good? Do they have the same meaning, or different one? I know that "the class" means a group of students....
-1
votes
1answer
23 views
Can whatnot be used as a question word? [closed]
I have searched Internet but have found no such point.It is mentioned that it is used at the end of the sentence.
Can "whatnot" be used as a question word like:
Whatnot is found in this shop?...
0
votes
2answers
163 views
How to make an object question for the object of infinitive of purpose?
Object questions are easy, if in the sentence there is just a main verb, showing the whole action. What if there is an infinitive of purpose with an (prepositional) object?
How does one make object ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
"To a bar" vs "A bar" as an answer to "Where did they go?"
Can the preposition "to" be left out in a short answer to the question "Where did they go?"? Should it be "To a bar." or "A bar."? I am not sure because the ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
The use of "was" in a question
So, I'm currently working on something and simply cannot get my head around one specific question. Apart from the fact that I could easily paraphrase the question, I was wondering if the use of "...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
"Isn't it Marcus said that?" - is it grammatically correct?
If someone said a famous quote and claimed that it was said by a certain person and you want to correct him by saying that another person said it (let's say Marcus), how do you say it?
Is it:
"...
2
votes
2answers
49 views
Is "Anything new?" a natural question?
Is... Anything new? ...in its short form a perfectly natural question to ask someone if you want to know if anything new has happened (in their lives maybe)? Is it enough to be understood?
1
vote
1answer
26 views
"When are you free except Tuesday?" [closed]
I’d like to say “when are you free except Tuesday?”. Is it grammatically correct?
0
votes
0answers
16 views
How prejudice affects our lives? VS how does prejudice affect our lives? [duplicate]
I'm writting an essay and I have a question...
Which one of these questions is correct?
How prejudice affects our lives?
How does prejudice affect our lives?
0
votes
2answers
34 views
Why "What helps " not "what does help"
So I know the first one is correct but a friend of mine asked me for a grammatical reason.
So my question is why don't we use does with help while making a question🙂
Like "what does help people&...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Correct usage of have and had [duplicate]
Did he had a meeting with a prof
or
Did he have a meeting with prof.
Which one is correct to use here: have or had?
1
vote
1answer
32 views
How long does the walking take? (Is this structure possible?)
We can make a question sentence like below:
How long does it take to walk?
How long does it take you to walk?
But can we ask as:
How long + does + NOUN FORM OF A VERB AS SUBJECT + take?
(How long ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
"How much of a problem"
Is it grammatically correct to ask, "how much of a problem is this?", ... and is this something that can only be used in spoken English, or is it also permissible in writing? Thanks!
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Subject and object questions
I am studying the subject and object questions and I saw an example here Asking object - subject questions. "Did" or past form of the verb in Past Simple but I'm not sure it that's correct:
...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
"Why shouldn't" or "Why wouldn't" in a question
I want to say that someone is surprised and questions why juice is not that healthy (because of sugar).
So I would let the person say "Why shouldn’t juice be healthy?“ or "Why wouldn’t juice ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
about word-order of a question sentence which is a line from a movie
I'd like to ask about a line in a dialogue(<- should it be a line of a dialogue instead?) from the movie, No Country for Old Men.
I marked the line bold among the below dialogue. The conversation ...
-1
votes
2answers
180 views
Why use "has" instead of "have" in "Has your course started yet?", since it is in the second person?
I saw this question in the book "English Grammar in Use, Fifth Edition" by Louise Hashemi on page 15, the question is:
...(your course/start yet)?
Not Yet. It starts next week.
And the ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Shift back tense in reported speech
I have a situation as below:
A: Who read my diary?
B: I didn't read it
A: It is only you who read it.
B: I told you I didn't read it/ I told you I hadn't had read it.
Is that both sentences are ...
1
vote
1answer
20 views
The subject and will change position to form questions
I learned that we must change the subject to form questions using will.
But today while watching a movie I saw a question that they didn't change.
Example:
The subject and will change position to form ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
Which is correct "Do you know {if/will} linear algebra {will be/be} offered...", "If/will be" or "will/be"?
I feel confused which one of the following is correct?
Do you know if linear algebra will be offered in the following semester?
Do you know will linear algebra be offered in the following semester?
0
votes
1answer
43 views
In what question(s), I can reply a past perfect tense answer?
Can a simple past tense question have a past perfect tense answer?
Q: Did you eat?
A: Yes, I had eaten.
Is the above correct?
As I wonder if a past perfect tense can solely exist without a simple ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
"Did you already...?" and "Have you already...?"
Is there any semantic difference between "Did you already" and "Have you already" questions?
For example:
1a) Did you already do your homework?
1b) Have you already done your ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Is it correct and natural to ask "the card of what bank do you use" when you want to know the name of one's bank?
Could you tell me if it is correct and natural to ask the card of what bank do you use when you want to know the name of one's bank? If it doesn't, would it be more natural to ask what bank is your ...
0
votes
1answer
265 views
"Who you said, was coming to see me this morning? " Versus "Who did you say, was coming to see me this morning?"
I am taking classes of English Grammar. My educator and I are studying Indirect questions currently. I learnt that Indirect questions are direct questions embedded in various sentences, and they ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
How do I turn something that should have been something else into a question?
Say I paint my house red.
Then I said, the house should have been green.
How do I turn that into a question?
Should the house have been green?
or
Should the house be green?
or
should have the ...
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Question about using 'how many days' in interrogative sentences
As far as I observed people would use when instead, but still, I wonder if the sentences below are grammatically correct.
How many days later will you come (back)?
After how many days will you be ...
1
vote
1answer
148 views
On the use of do/does/did in WH-questions
Working on the book: Raymond Murphy. "English Grammar in Use - Fifth Edition" (p. 109)
Chapter 49: Questions 1
But do not use do/does/did if who/what etc. is the subject of the sentence. ...
0
votes
2answers
59 views
When to use Do/Does & Is in questions
Primary sentence
This is applicable for all account
Which question form is correct and why?
A) Is this applicable for all account?
B) Does this applicable for all account ?
