Part: 09
Asking questions 1
The basic rule for asking questions in English is straightforward: Invert the order of the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
- It is snowing. = Is it snowing?
- He can speak German. = Can he speak German?
- They have lived here a long time. = Have they lived here a long time?
- She will arrive at ten o'clock. = Will she arrive at ten o'clock?
- He was driving fast. = Was he driving fast?
- You have been smoking. = Have you been smoking?
If there is no auxiliary, use part of the verb 'to do'.
- You speak fluent French. = Do you speak fluent French?
- She lives in Brussels. = Does she live in Brussels?
- They lived in Manchester. = Did they live in Manchester?
- He had an accident. = Did he have an accident?
Most questions with question words are made in the same way:
- How often does she use it?
- Why don't you come?
- Where do you work?
- How many did you buy?
- What time did you go?
- Which one do you like?
- Whose car were you driving?
Note who, what and which can be the subject. Compare:
- Who is coming to lunch? (who is the subject of the verb)
- Who do you want to invite to lunch? (you is the subject of the verb)
- What happened? (what is the subject of the verb)
- What did you do? (you is the subject of the verb)
Note the position of the prepositions in these questions:
- Who did you speak to?
- What are you looking at?
- Where does he come from?
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Asking questions 2
In the section Questions 1, we looked at how to ask direct questions. To make a question, we invert the order of the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
- Where is Johnny?
- Has he found it yet?
If there is no auxiliary, use part of the verb 'to do'. For example:
- What time did he arrive?
- How often do you play tennis?
However, when we ask for information, we often say 'Do you know…?' or 'Could you tell me….?' These are indirect questions and more polite.
Note that the word order is different. For example:
- Do you know where Johnny is?
- Have you any idea if he has found it?
Note that we don’t use do, does or did. For example:
- Could you tell me what time he arrived?
- Would you mind telling me how often you play tennis?
Use if or whether when there is no question word.
- Has he done it? = Do you know if he has done it?
- Is it ready? = Can you tell me if it is ready?
The same changes in word order happen when we report questions. Note that in reported questions, the verb changes to the past:
- What are you doing? = He asked me what I was doing.
- What have you done about it? = He asked me what I had done about it.
- Do you work with Pamela? = He asked me if I worked with Pamela.
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Question tags
We use tags in spoken English but not in formal written English.
They are not really questions but are a way of asking the other person to make a comment and so keep the conversation open.
Making a tag is very mechanical. To make a tag, use the first auxiliary. If there is no auxiliary, use do, does or did. With a positive sentence, make a negative tag and with a negative sentence, make a positive tag.
- It's beautiful, isn't it?
- He has been, hasn't he?
- You can, can't you?
- It must be, mustn't it?
- You know him, don’t you?
- He finished it, didn't he?
- He will come, won't he?
- It isn't very good, is it?
- It hasn't rained, has it?
- It can't be, can it?
- Jenny doesn't know James, does she?
- They didn't leave, did they?
- He won’t do it, will he?
Notice these:
- There isn't an ATM here, is there?
- Let's have a cup of coffee, shall we?
To reply, use the same auxiliary:
- It's beautiful, isn't it? ~ Yes, it is. I think it's fabulous.
- It isn't very good, is it? ~ No, it isn't. In fact, it's terrible.
Although, the rules are very simple and mechanical, in order to use them easily in conversation, they have to be automatic. So you need to hear and practice them very often.
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Reported speech
We use reported speech when we are saying what other people say, think or believe.
- He says he wants it.
- We think you are right.
- I believe he loves her.
- Yesterday you said you didn't like it but now you do!
- She told me he had asked her to marry him.
- I told you she was ill.
- We thought he was in Australia.
When we are reporting things in the present, future or present perfect we don't change the tense.
- He thinks he loves her.
- I'll tell her you are coming.
- He has said he'll do it.
When we tell people what someone has said in the past, we generally make the tense 'more in the past'.
- You look very nice. = I told him he looked very nice.
- He's working in Siberia now. = She told me he was working in Siberia now.
- Polly has bought a new car. = She said Polly had bought a new car.
- Jo can't come for the weekend. = She said Jo couldn't come for the weekend.
- Paul called and left a message. = He told me Paul had called and had left me a message.
- I'll give you a hand. = He said he would give me a hand.
However, when we are reporting something that was said in the past but is still true, it is not obligatory to make the tense 'more in the past'. The choice is up to the speaker. For example:
"The train doesn't stop here."
- He said the train doesn't stop here.
- He said the train didn't stop here.
"I like Sarah."
- She said she likes Sarah.
- She said she liked Sarah.
When we are reporting what was said, we sometimes have to change other words in the sentence.
We have to change the pronoun if we are reporting what someone else said. Compare these two sentences. In each case the person actually said "I don't want to go."
- I said I didn't want to go.
- Bill said he didn't want to go.
We have to change words referring to 'here and now' if we are reporting what was said
in a different place or time.
Compare these two sentences. In each case the person actually said "I'll be there at ten tomorrow."
- (If it is later the same day) He said he would be there at ten tomorrow.
- (If it is the next day) He said he would be there at ten today.
Now compare these two sentences.
- (If we are in a different place) He said he would be there tomorrow at ten.
- (If we are in the place he is coming to) He said he would be here at ten tomorrow.
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Reported speech 2
We also use reported speech when we are saying what other people asked or wanted to know. We do not use do or question marks in indirect questions.
- "What time is it?" = He asked me what time it was.
- "Why hasn't he come? = She wondered why he hadn't come.
- "When will you be arriving?" = He wanted to know when we would be arriving.
- "What were you doing?" = They questioned him about what he had been doing.
We use the same structure when we report answers.
- "147 Oak Street." = I told him what my address was.
- "I didn't have time to do it." = She explained why she hadn't done it.
- "Look at this dress and bag." = She showed me what she had bought.
- "Put the paper here and press this button." = He demonstrated how the scanner worked.
Yes/no questions are reported with if or whether.
- Do you want a ride? = Mike asked me if I wanted a ride.
- Are you coming? = They wanted to know if I was coming.
- Will you be here later? = She asked me whether I would be here later.
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Suppose
- I suppose you'll be meeting Danielle when you go to Paris?
- When you weren't there, I supposed you must have been held up.
- I suppose you two know each other?
Notice that 'suppose' is not normally used in the continuous form. We do not usually say 'I am supposing'.
- Now I suppose we'll have to do something else.
- We're waiting for John and I suppose he must be stuck in traffic.
- At this moment I suppose it doesn't matter.
Notice that for 'imagine not' or 'guess not' that we make 'suppose' negative, not the other verb.
- I don't suppose you know where Mary is?
- I don't suppose he'll do anything.
- I don't suppose you have a Nokia phone charger here?
When responding to an idea with 'suppose', you can use 'so' to avoid repeating the idea that has already been expressed.
- Is Susan coming to this meeting? ~ I suppose so.
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Suppose 2
- The new James Bond movie is supposed to be excellent.
- He is supposed to have been rude to Mark but I don't believe it.
- It is supposed to be the best restaurant in town.
'Supposed to be' can also be used to talk about what is arranged, intended or expected. It is a bit like 'should'.
- I'm supposed to get to work by 8.
- John is supposed to turn off all the lights when he leaves.
- I'm supposed to pay my rent on the first of the month.
- It's not supposed to be here.
Often there is a suggestion that the action 'supposed to' happen does not actually happen.
- I'm supposed to be there before 8 but I'm often late.
- You were supposed to phone me.
- I'm supposed to be getting on a plane to Tokyo at this very minute.
'Not supposed to' often suggests that something is not allowed or prohibited.
- You're not supposed to smoke in here.
- I'm not supposed to tell you.
- We're not supposed to use the Internet for personal reasons at work.
'Suppose' can also be used as a conjunction to mean 'what if'. Notice that the verb which follows it is sometimes, but not always, put 'more in the past'.
- Suppose we take the earlier train to Munich? It would give us more time there.
- Suppose we took the plane instead? That would give us even more time.
- There's nobody in reception to let our visitors in. Suppose I sit there until somebody comes?
- I'm going to ask him for a pay increase. ~ Suppose he said 'no'? What would you do?
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Prepared By: SHAMNAD.K.P Will continue...
Email: shamnadkp@gmail.com
Website: http://shamnadkp.blogspot.com/
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