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.)
1,164
questions
0
votes
1
answer
38
views
"How long a gap do I need between treatments." OR "How long do I need between treatments."
This sentence is from a web site about laser treatments.
"How long a gap do I need between laser hair removal treatments?"
"How long" refers to time anyway.
So, why do we need to ...
- 3,607
0
votes
1
answer
20
views
Is it appropriate to put "since" at the beginning of a sentence if it comes after a question?
What do you usually do during that period? Since I have no idea what I’ll do.
Normally, I would put a comma before "since", but since the first part is a question, I have to end the ...
- 23
0
votes
1
answer
20
views
Ways to ask what a word means
Are all these idiomatic ways of asking what a word means?
Is number 2 a cleft sentence?
What does "technique" mean?
What does it mean "technique"?
What's the meaning of "...
- 785
0
votes
1
answer
9
views
Should we use statement form in statements, even when talking about questions?
Should we use statement form even when talking about questions?
For example:
Is it:
One can ask why we would believe that.
Or:
One can ask why would we believe that.
Thanks!
- 157
0
votes
1
answer
30
views
When you have two concatenated questions like this, should the second one be in question or statement form?
When you have two concatenated questions like this, should the second one be in question or statement form?
Is it:
Should I send it before June, or should I wait?
Or:
Should I send it before June, or ...
- 157
3
votes
1
answer
127
views
What is it called when a grammatical statement is delivered as a question?
When a person says a grammatically correct sentence, but it's not clear from the way they say, whether it's a question or a statement, what's this delivery called?
So when the sentence is written down,...
- 33
0
votes
1
answer
10
views
"None of the customers were happy, _______?" What will the question tag be in this sentence?
My English teacher says it will be "None of the customers were happy, weren't they?" I know this is wrong, and it should be were they, but my teacher won't listen to me, so I just want to ...
Bhaskar
0
votes
0
answers
13
views
Are these usages 'when to, what to, how to + infinitive V' normal? [duplicate]
Are the usages 'when to + v, how to + v, and what to + v' are correct?
Are they shortened usages?
Are they normal usages?
There are some contexts for this usages:
The problem lies in deciding when to ...
- 193
0
votes
0
answers
8
views
Asking questions in Past Tense [duplicate]
I came home and cooked dinner for myself.
Which one is correct?
Did you come home and cooked dinner for yourself?
Did you come home and cook dinner for yourself?
2
votes
1
answer
38
views
"Are there...?" with and without the word "any"
I am wondering about the usage of the word "any" with the construction "Are there...?".
Does it makes any difference if I ask
Are there any books on the shelf?
or
Are there ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
65
views
You're from which country or which country you're from
1.You're going to school?
2.You're from which country?
Are their structures grammatical? I think they're supposed to be:
(1) Are you going to school?
(2) Which country are you from?
So which ones are ...
- 477
0
votes
0
answers
34
views
'What' vs 'What is it that'
A friend of mine made a question from this statement:
The guest asks for the key to his room first.
What is it that the guest asks for first?
We can normally say:
What does the guest ask for first?
...
- 699
1
vote
2
answers
38
views
Which word order is correct, "explain why I am" or "explain why am I"? [duplicate]
I was trying to formulate a question yesterday I used the second sentence, however, I keep wondering if that was correct.
Can someone explain to me why I am ...? or
Can someone explain to me why am ...
- 21
0
votes
3
answers
48
views
What is it called when your boss pretend to ask you to do a task?
For example, they ask:
Would you like to do x?
When actually they want you to do x.
Or ask you:
Do you agree with this?
and expect you to obey
Quartz2
-1
votes
1
answer
45
views
Verb to be repetition in Yes/No questions
All,
Why don't we repeat is or are in questions starting with is or are (verb to be)? for example:
Is it (is) your glass?
Are you (are) taller than me?
How does it sound grammatically? Also, Does it ...
- 103
-1
votes
1
answer
26
views
What is the structural difference between "Do they sing ?" and "Would they sing" ? (interrogative sentence)
Somehow i don't know how to describe the structural difference between them. Can someone help me? (Thanks for help)
- 3
5
votes
2
answers
880
views
How can we ask this question in an idiomatic way: "A what age student stole it?"
Imagine a student got the wifi password of the school.
Can you specifically ask about the age of the student like this:
"A what age student stole the school's wi-fi password?"
OR
"What ...
- 3,607
-1
votes
1
answer
28
views
Position of ‘was’ in reported speech
Let’s say someone I know visited a doctor. Do the following sentences mean the same?
What did the doctor say the problem was?
What did the doctor say was the problem?
I am pretty sure the first one ...
- 166
0
votes
1
answer
86
views
"What something is?" vs "what is something?"
I can write "what a cup is?" as question and I can write "what is a cup?".
Are both forms grammatically correct?
The former one looking a bit off when used without context, but I'm ...
- 121
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
What does this commentator say?
I don't know if this is allowed but I want to know what this Commentator says in this video at 7:18 and 7:21 to be exact.
"Slater was (something I do not understand) shoot"
and the other one ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
8
views
How to answer to a statement [closed]
How do we respond to a statement? I know we don’t usually answer to a statement but a question, however, I found this in a job application form.
The statement was:
You have not been convicted of any ...
Alice
1
vote
1
answer
30
views
What is the meaning of "the work that went into doing it"?
I am applying for the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, which requires for you to write a research paper of remarkable achievement. So here is one of the questions that could be found on the requirements ...
- 113
11
votes
8
answers
3k
views
Do how-to questions end with a question mark?
Example:
How to display the value of the bar on each bar
More examples: https://i.stack.imgur.com/eIAI7.png
Is adding a question mark at the end of the sentence compulsory, optional or incorrect?
- 5,415
0
votes
1
answer
23
views
Which is idiomatic to find out the width of country: "How far across is France" OR "How long is it from the easternmost to the westernmost of France?"
If you want to find out the width of country, which one would be more idiomatic:
1- How far across is France?
2- How long is it from the westernmost to the easternmost of France?
Or is there any other ...
- 3,607
4
votes
2
answers
187
views
some and any in questions
The task below is extracted from an English training book:
Nick: We can make some sandwiches for lunch.
Helen: Good idea. Have we got ___ nice bread?
a) any
b) some
c) a
Provided answer: a and b
...
- 69
0
votes
0
answers
18
views
How do you ask, if you want to find out how much time should pass before you get competent: "How much later?" OR "how long later?" OR "How later?"
Someone is teaching piano to someone else. The learner is impatient and want to play a tune soon, but he can't even play the simple things like the scales. So, the teacher says:
Scales first, tune ...
- 3,607
0
votes
0
answers
26
views
How to ask the topic for an exam
A teacher tells the students that she/he would conduct an exam. The students want to know the topics for the exam. How should the students ask it?
What are the topics for exam?
What topics are there ...
Hari S
-1
votes
2
answers
60
views
Punctuation with embedded questions
Is it grammatical? You either put a period or use inverted order, don't you?
Tell us how you would try to understand the people at the heart of the problem that you care about?
Mind! I'm not asking ...
- 3,476
0
votes
0
answers
19
views
question with if or whether
I have some confusion with if and whether in a question.
What is the correct form between the following:
option a) Do you know if Anna is coming at Uni today?
option b) Do you know whether Anna is ...
- 101
0
votes
2
answers
39
views
Aren't I or am I not
The question tag for I am is aren't I? In interrogative sentences with I am, should it be aren't I or am I not? For example, which of the two is correct?
Am I not your friend?
Aren't I your friend?
- 117
0
votes
1
answer
47
views
Is it natural to ask, 'what do you think you are doing'?
If someone's doing something bad or that will have a really bad influence on me, say, a brother just opens the windows wide on a windy winter day while I'm having a fever, and I want him to explain ...
- 3,294
4
votes
2
answers
734
views
Why does "by whom" come first in a passive voice sentence?
Why does "by whom" come first in a passive voice sentence?
active:- who broke this cup?
passive:- by whom was this cup broken?
In active voice who is subject and this cup is object then ...
- 121
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why does the sentence uses a question form, but it is put a period in the end?
People can watch dancing displays or can take part in different games. Nowhere, however, do they have more fun than in the Mexican town of Puebla.
Why does the sentence in bold use a question form, ...
- 381
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
Do you use "to" after travel in this question?
Which of these questions sound more natural?
Where are you going to travel?
Or
Where are you going to travel to?
I think number 2 is right. Even though "Where are you going" seems to be ...
- 785
0
votes
2
answers
69
views
"what did Diane say?" vs "what Diane said?"
what did Diane say?
what Diane said?
How do you understand which one is correct? The book that i study myself says if question words(who/what) is subject of the sentence do/did is omitted. My problem ...
- 37
2
votes
1
answer
21
views
Where should I put 'as well' in this kind of sentence?
Where should I put 'as well' in this kind of sentence?
What I want to say is that John has given a gift only to one person and not to the other people present. So, one who hasn't received a gift ...
- 1,603
1
vote
1
answer
27
views
Expression about an "atmosphere of something" "a feeling of something"
I went to a building and found out that the structure and decoration of the building are like art. I want to strenthen that the building has an "atmosphere of art" or "a feeling of art&...
- 141
0
votes
4
answers
45
views
Isn’t Mary clever?
To find out if Bob will go to work or not, we can ask:
(1a) Will Bob go to work?
or
(1b) Won't Bob go to work?
To find out if Mary is clever or not, we can ask:
(2a) Is Mary clever?
But what does the ...
- 1,104
0
votes
1
answer
22
views
What's a suitable way of combining how and why questions?
How can I combine these two sentences?
A) Why do you want to go to California?
B) How will you go to California?
Saying "Why and how will you go to California?" is wrong but then how should ...
0
votes
2
answers
27
views
What is actually being asked here?
What is being asked in this question: "Do you have so much work that you need help?"
Is it asking, "Do you need help because you have so much work?"
Or, "Do you have so much ...
Kingamere
0
votes
1
answer
33
views
How to interpret "What do you like ..." vs "Why do you like ..." vs "How do you like ..."?
English is not my native language and I've sometimes trouble following social norms with different expressions. I hit a situation where the counterpart asked "tell me what you like about X" ...
1
vote
1
answer
18
views
What does it mean "had never grown used to her money" in this sentence?
I was reading "Cold Comfort Farm" in "Oxford Bookworm Library". And encounter the following sentence:
Like all people who have been disagreeably poor and had become deliciously ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
41
views
Which one is correct: "What birthday was it?" or "Which birthday was it?" or "What number birthday was it?"
I have seen this online.
"The Queen had a birthday, but held no public celebration due to the coronavirus lockdown. What birthday was it?
a. 92nd
b. 94th
c. 96th"
The sentence "What ...
- 3,607
0
votes
1
answer
33
views
What is the difference between "Is it not wrong? And Is not it wrong?" [closed]
Recently I hear it a lot in different movies and it is bothering me a lot so I'll be pleased if you guys answer me😃
- 9
0
votes
3
answers
44
views
(Fe)Male Human vs Human (Fe)Male [closed]
Why is it (fe)male human and not human (fe)male? Is it even correct to use second form?
I sometimes use the second form and was corrected yesterday but could not find anything about this topic.
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
58
views
Questions as subjects
How can I use a question as a subject of the sentence?
For example:
How did the big bang occur has always attracted scientists.
What is wrong with this sentence?
- 31
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is it a natural expression to ask 'do you not want to come'?
What I was taught in grammar books or lectures is
Don't you want to come?
Does the expression below sound natural to a native speaker?
Do you not want to come?
Is the latter one more informal?
- 3,294
2
votes
1
answer
55
views
what do authors of negative questions think?
I would like to know how native English speakers regard the opinion of authors of negative questions. For this reason I added the sentence "You're right." to each of the following examples (...
- 1,104
1
vote
1
answer
41
views
When auxiliary verb can be dropped in questions
There are two questions:
When do our classes finish on Tuesday?
What makes him feel amazed?
I can't wrap my mind around why does the first question have "do" as an auxiliary verb, but the ...
1
vote
1
answer
54
views
yes/no answers to negative questions
I spent several hours, studying on this site and on others the topic of "yes/no answers to negative questions". Eventually, I decided to make up my own sentences on how I understood this ...
- 1,104