Types of questions

Основные типы вопросов, используемые в английском языке:

• общий;

• специальный;

• альтернативный;

• разделительный.

1. Общий вопрос (General Question) относится ко всему предложению в целом, и ответом на него будут слова 'yes' или 'no'.

• Do you like cheese? - Yes, I do.

• Are you a student? - No, I am not.

• Have you seen this film? - Yes, I have.

• Can you speak French? - No, I cannot.

• Did he see you yesterday? - Yes, he did.

• Did she ask you to come earlier? - No, she didn't.

Порядок слов в общем вопросе:

1. вспомогательный (модальный, глагол-связка) глагол;

2. подлежащее (существительное, местоимение);

3. смысловой глагол (или дополнение).

2. Специальный вопрос (Special Question) относится к какому-нибудь члену предложения или их группе и требует конкретного ответа:

• What is your name? - My name is Jim.

• Where do you live? - I live in London.

• Who was that young man? - He didn't tell his name.

Порядок слов в специальном вопросе:

1) вопросительное слово (where, who, what, when, how many и т.д.);

2. вспомогательный (модальный, глагол-связка) глагол;

3. подлежащее;

4. смысловой глагол;

5. дополнения, обстоятельства.

Обратите внимание: в специальных вопросах, обращенных к подлежащему (Who- or What- Question, Question to the Subject) в формах Present и Past Indefinite, не употребляется вспомогательный глагол 'to do (did)' и сохраняется прямой порядок слов:

• Who wants to live forever?

• Who helped you to write the test?

3. Альтернативный вопрос (Alternative Question) предполагает выбор из двух (или более) возможностей:

• Do you like coffee or tea?

• Has she bought white or brown bread?

Порядок слов в альтернативном вопросе:

Альтернативный начинается как общий вопрос, затем следует разделительный союз 'or' и вторая часть вопроса.

4. Разделительный вопрос (Tail or Tag-Question, or Disjunctive Question) состоит из двух частей.

Порядок слов в разделительном вопросе:

Первая часть представляет собой повествовательное предложение, вторая, отделенная запятой - краткий вопрос (tail - 'хвостик'):

• You like tea with milk, don't you?

• Mike is never late, is he?

• Jenny can speak four languages, can't she?

Обратите внимание: глагол во второй части разделительного вопроса должен, как правило, соответствовать глаголу в первой его части:

• You are a student, aren't you?

• You have a brother, haven't you?

• He likes to play football, doesn't he?

(В последнем случае глагол "to do' будет использоваться со всеми глаголами, по отношению к которым он будет вспомогательным).

Если в повествовательной части разделительного вопроса содержится утверждение, то во второй - отрицание. Если в повествовательной части - отрицание, то во второй части, как правило, - утверждение.

• You don't like fish and chips, do you?

Exercise 1. Put general questions to the following sentences.

1.There is a tea-pot on the table.

2.I work from nine to ten.

3.We are leaving for Hamburg next Saturday.

4.I have been busy the whole evening.

5.My friend studied in Sorbonne when he was young.

6.It is winter.

7.I can swim in cold water.

8.I had to go there at night.

9.I will show you how to do it.

10.You must work hard.

11.She didn't play well that evening.

12.I can't read English authors in the original.

13.I wasn't prepared to this sort of questions.

Exercise 2. Put special questions to the words in square brackets.

1.I have a lot of friends [in Moscow].

2.He has [three] daughters.

3.Nick is with his [grandmother] now.

4.Bill is in a [holiday camp].

5.It is [my] notebook.

6.He is absent [because he is ill].

7.These are [English] text-books.

Exercise 3. Ask questions using the words in brackets.

1. .... is your best friend? (кто)

2. .... is Bill so sad today? (почему)

3. .... are my shoes? (где)

4. .... have you got in your bag? (что)

5. .... pencil is yours? (который)

6. .... book is it? (чья)

7. .... rooms have they got? (сколько)

Exercise 4. Put special questions to all the words in the following sentences.

1.My nephew is introducing his friends to his mother.

2.We are celebrating our Granny's birthday.

3.These children are eating their soup.

4.Peter's wife is playing the piano in that room.

5.I'm talking to an old friend of mine.

Exercise 5. Put special questions to:

a) the subject,

b) the predicate,

c) all objects, attributes and adverbial modifiers in each of the following sentences.

1.John visited me in the hospital yesterday.

2.A yellow bird fell on the roof of his "pontiac".

3.I was taken by surprise.

4.Despite the stormy weather he was able to swim to the shore.

5.He couldn't reach the hammer which lay on the shelf.

6.I have been cheated by the best friend.

7.A girl from Barbados wrote a letter to the BBC.

8.The clock stopped an hour ago.

9.You have to stop near the trafic lights.

Exercise 6. Put alternative and disjunctive (tail-) questions to the following sentences or their parts.

1.I like my tea with cream.

2.He decided to go to the theatre.

3.John had to walk to the village.

4.Although the weather was fine they decided to stay at home.

5.Last summer our class visited Rome.

6.I'm used to drinking a glass of milk before going to bed.

7.We were invited to stay at the castle for a fortnight.

8.I'm fond of opera.

9.We are going to Moscow with my brother today.

10.If I don't pass the exams I'll try to do it again next time.

Exercise 7. Put questions to which the following sentences are answers.

E.g. Yes, he can understand English.

Can he understand English?

1.Yes, he can speak English.

2.No, there were no mistakes in his dictation.

3.Yes, the Volga is a wide river.

4.No, the museum is not on this side of the street.

5.No, he doesn't remember the meaning of that word.

6.He must leave early because his office is far.

7.He lives here.

8.Yes, the shop must open at 9.

9.No, the answer is wrong.

Exercise 8. Complete the following disjunctive (tail-) questions.

E.g. He doesn't like tea with sugar, .... ?

He doesn't like tea with sugar, does he?

1.She looks like you, .... ?

2.It isn't cold today, .... ?

3.You saw him at the club yesterday, .... ?

4.They won't come today, .... ?

5.You haven't bought your ticket yet, .... ?

6.You play chess, .... ?

7.You will travel by train, .... ?

8.He can't speak French, .... ?

9.She ought to go there at once, .... ?

10.They are not in town, .... ?

11.We shall see you tomorrow, .... ?

12.You don't know her, .... ?

Exercise 9. Change the following sentences into negative-interrogative ones.

E.g. The weather is fine today.

Isn't the day fine today?

1.The book was interesting.

2.He went to the Caucasus last summer.

3.He can play chess.

4.He has finished his work.

5.He knows her address.

6.We shall be able to spend a month there.

7.He would like to come with us.

8.I am working hard.

9.He will come in the evening.

10.She knows that man.

11.They were glad to see him.

12.They are at the office.

TEST 1

SHORT ANSWERS

Choose the only correct variant.

1.Will you be here next weekend?

A. No, I won't. B. No, I don't. C. No, I'm not.

2.Have you got any time for me?

A. Yes, it is. B. Yes, there is C. Yes, I do.

3.Did Julia phone you earlier?

A. Yes, she did. B. Yes, she had. C. Yes, she has.

4.Would you like a cup of hot coffee?

A. I'd love to. B. Yes, I am. C. Yes, I do.

5.Do you like hot tea?

A. Yes, I'd like. B. Yes, please. C. Yes, I do.

6.It wasn't a bad day, was it?

A. Yes, it wasn't. B. No, it wasn't . C. No, it was.

7.Are you married?

A. Yes, I do. B. Yes, I am. C. Yes, I did.

8.Are there a lot of students in your group?

A. Yes, they are. B. Yes, they do. C. Yes, there are.

9.Terry doesn't eat meat, does he?

A. No, he doesn't. B. Yes, he doesn’t. C. No, he does.

10.Had Jenny called you before she came?

A. Yes, she did. B. Yes, she had. C. Yes, she called.

11.Can I give you a lift?

A. Yes, you can. B. Yes, please. C. Yes, of course.

12.I went to bed late last night. And you?

A. So did I. B. So I did. C. And I did.

13.Would you wait half an hour, please?

A. Yes, please. B. Yes , I would C. All right.

14.Tom neither wrote nor phoned, did he?

A. Yes, he didn't. B. No, he didn't C. Yes, he had.