Making statements: the declarative mood

4.6 When you are giving information, you use the declarative mood.

We ate dinner at six.

I like reading poetry.

Japan had agreed to restrict car shipments.

4.7 When you are expressing an opinion, you usually use the declarative mood.

I think she is a brilliant writer.

It's a good thing Father is deaf.

He ought to have let me know he was going out.

making promises 4.8 When you make a promise, you use the declarative mood.

I shall do everything I can to help you.

I'll have it sent down by special delivery.

emphasis 4.9 You can emphasize a statement by putting 'do', 'does', or 'did' in front of the base form of the verb.

I do feel sorry for Roger.

A little knowledge does seem to be a dangerous thing.

He had no time or energy to play with his children or talk with his wife, but he did bring home a regular salary.

Asking questions: the interrogative mood

4.10 When you ask a question, you usually use the interrogate mood.

types of questions 4.11 There are two main types of question, question.

Questions which can be answered by 'yes' or 'no' are called 'yes/no' questions.

'Is he your only child?'—'Yes.'

'Are you planning to marry soon?'—'No.'

'Can I help you?'—'Yes, I'd like to book a single room, please.'

'Are you interested in facing?'—'Yes, I love it.'

'Are you a singer as well as an actress?'—'No, I'm not a singer at all.'

'Did you go through?'—'No, I didn't bother.'

The actual answer to a 'yes/no'-question is not always 'yes' or 'no'. For example, if you ask someone 'Do you read in bed?', they might say 'Sometimes' or 'Never'. If you say to someone 'Do you like Michael Jackson?', they might say 'I think he's wonderful'. But the questions 'Do you read in bed?' and 'Do you like Michael Jackson?' are still 'yes/no'-question, because 'yes' and 'no' are the kind of answers the questioner expects. 'Sometimes' will be interpreted as a weak 'yes' answer, 'never' as a strong 'no' answer, and 'I think he's wonderful' as a strong 'yes' answer.

'Yes/no'-questions are fully explained in paragraphs 4.12 to 4.16.

The other main type of question begins with a 'wh'-word such as 'what', 'where', or 'when'. When you ask a question of this type, the answer cannot be 'yes' or 'no'.

'Who is he?'—'A man called Boylan.'

'Why didn't you ask me?'—'I was afraid to.'

'Where is he now?'—'He's at university.'

This type of question is called a 'wh'-question. When 'wh'-words are used as pronouns or adverbs at the beginning of a 'wh'-question, they are called interrogative pronouns or interrogative adverbs.

'Wh'-questions are explained in paragraphs 4.17 to 4.30.

'Yes/no'-questions

Position of auxiliary verbs 4.12 In a 'yes/no'-question, if there is an auxiliary verb, the auxiliary verb comes first, followed by the subject, then the main verb.

Are you staying here, by any chance?

Had Mary Jane slept here?

Will they like my garden?

Can he read yet?

If there is more than one auxiliary verb, the first auxiliary verb comes at the beginning of the clause, followed by the subject, followed by the other verbs.

Had he been murdered?

Has it been thrown away, perhaps?

For information about auxiliaries, see the Reference Section.

4.13 If there is no auxiliary verb, you put 'do', 'does', or 'did' at the beginning of the clause, in front of the subject, followed by the base form of the main verb.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Does it hurt much?

Did you meet George in France?

Note that if the main verb is 'do', you still put 'do', 'does', or 'did' at the beginning of the clause, in front of the subject.

Do they do the work themselves?

Does David do this sort of thing often?

4.14 If the verb is 'be', you do not use 'do'. You simply put the verb at the beginning of the clause, followed by the subject.

Are you okay?

Is she Ricky's sister?

Am I right?

Was it lonely without us?

If the verb is 'have', you usually put 'do', 'does' or 'did' at the beginning of the clause, in front of the subject.

Do hedgehogs have intelligence?

Does anyone have a question?

Did you have a good flight?

However, when you use 'have' in the sense of 'own' or 'possess', you do not need to use 'do', 'does', or 'did'. You can simply put 'have', 'has', or 'had' at the beginning of the clause. This is a slightly formal use.

Have we anything else we ought to talk about first?

Has he any idea what it's like?

If you use 'have got' or 'has got' in a 'yes/no'-question, you put 'have' or 'has' at the beginning of the clause, followed by the subject, followed by 'got'.

Have you got any brochures on Holland?

Has she got a car?

'Have got' and 'has got' are explained in paragraph 3.17.

4.15 You can ask for confirmation that something is true by making a statement in the declarative mood, then adding an expression such as 'isn't it?' or 'was she?'. Constructions like these are called tag questions.

You add a negative expression such as 'isn't it?' to a positive statement, and a positive expression such as 'was she?' to a negative statement.

When you add a negative expression to a positive statement, you expect me answer 'yes'. When you add a positive expression to a negative statement, you expect the answer 'no'.

'David's is quite a nice school, isn't it?'—'Yes, it is.'

'You don't always remember them, do you?'—'No.'

'You are going to do this, aren't you?'—'Yes.'

'We don't want these tables here like this, do we?'—'No, Dr Kirk.'

Tag questions are explained in detail in paragraphs 10.122 to 10.130.

Positive expressions such as 'are you?' can also be added to positive statements. This use is explained in paragraph 4.40.

'either/or' questions 4.16 You sometimes ask a question in which you mention two or more possible answers. You link the possible answers with 'or'. For example, you might say 'Is he awake or asleep?' or 'Do you like your coffee white or black?' You expect the actual answer to your question to be one of the answers you have mentioned.

Words, word groups, and clauses can all be linked in this way.

Questions like these are sometimes called 'either/or' question.

'Is it a boy or a girt?'—'A beautiful boy.'

'Was it healthy or diseased?'— 'Diseased, I'm afraid.'

'Will you have your whisky, or do you want dinner straight away?'—'Whisky. Make it a large one.'