Essential
Question
Forms
in
English
Questions
are
the
foundation
of
thought,
dialogue,
and
learning.
In
English,
asking
questions
correctly
is
both
a
grammatical
skill
and
a
social
tool.
This
chapter
presents
three
essential
and
often
misunderstood
types
of
questions
in
English:
1.
Subject
Questions
–
When
we
ask
who
or
what
is
doing
the
action.
2.
Indirect
Questions
–
When
we
ask
a
question
politely
or
embed
it
within
a
sentence.
3.
Questions
with
Prepositions
–
When
a
question
involves
a
preposition,
especially
at
the
end
of
the
clause.
Each
of
these
forms
has
its
own
structure
and
function.
Mastering
them
is
critical
for
academic
writing,
professional
communication,
and
fluent
conversation.
Let
us
begin
with
a
detailed
look
at
each.
Part
1:
Subject
Questions
–
Who
or
What
Does
the
Action?
Definition
A
subject
question
is
a
question
in
which
the
subject
of
the
sentence
is
unknown
and
is
being
asked
about.
Structure
Formula:
Question
word:
Who
/
What
+
verb
+
object
Key
Rule:
Do
not
use
do
/
does
/
did
(no
auxiliary
verb).
Examples
Statement
Subject
Question
Someone
broke
the
window.
Who
broke
the
window?
A
dog
barked
last
night.
What
barked
last
night?
The
teacher
explained
it.
Who
explained
it?
Something
went
wrong.
What
went
wrong?
Notes
●
The
verb
stays
in
its
normal
tense
form.
●
There
is
no
inversion
of
subject
and
verb.
Part
2:
Indirect
Questions
–
Polite
or
Embedded
Questions
Definition
An
indirect
question
is
a
question
that
is
embedded
within
a
larger
sentence
or
introduced
by
an
expression
such
as:
●
Do
you
know...
●
Can
you
tell
me...
●
I
wonder...
●
Could
you
explain...
Indirect
questions
are
used
to
show
politeness
,
formality
,
or
grammatical
subordination
.
Structure
Formula
(yes/no
questions):
Introductory
phrase
+
if
/
whether
+
subject
+
verb
Formula
(wh-questions):
Introductory
phrase
+
word
+
subject
+
verb
Key
Rule:
In
indirect
questions
,
there
is
no
subject-auxiliary
inversion
.
Examples
Direct
Question
Indirect
Question
Where
is
the
station?
Could
you
tell
me
where
the
station
is?
What
time
does
the
class
start?
Do
you
know
what
time
the
class
starts?
Did
he
attend
the
meeting?
I
wonder
if
he
attended
the
meeting.
Where
did
she
go?
Can
you
tell
me
where
she
went?
Notes
●
No
do/does/did
in
the
indirect
clause.
●
Tense
and
word
order
follow
a
statement
form.
●
Questions
that
begin
with
yes/no
answers
use
if
or
whether
.
Part
3:
Questions
with
Prepositions
–
Questions
Ending
in
or
Containing
Prepositions
Definition
These
are
questions
where
the
verb
or
expression
requires
a
preposition
(
to,
for,
with,
about,
at,
etc.
).
In
English,
the
preposition
is
often
placed
at
the
end
of
the
question
clause
in
informal
contexts,
though
more
formal
versions
keep
the
preposition
before
the
question
word
.
Two
Structures
A.
Informal
(more
common
in
speech):
word
+
auxiliary
+
subject
+
verb
+
preposition
B.
Formal
(more
common
in
writing):
Preposition
+
word
+
auxiliary
+
subject
+
verb
Examples
Informal
Question
Formal
Question
Who
are
you
talking
to?
To
whom
are
you
talking?
What
are
you
looking
for?
For
what
are
you
looking?
Who
did
she
go
out
with?
With
whom
did
she
go
out?
What
is
he
afraid
of?
Of
what
is
he
afraid?
Key
Notes
●
In
spoken
English,
ending
the
question
with
a
preposition
is
perfectly
acceptable
and
widely
used.
●
In
formal
writing
(academic,
legal,
or
ofcial
contexts),
it
is
preferred
to
place
the
preposition
before
the
question
word.
Summary
Chart:
Comparison
of
the
Three
Question
Types
Type
Structure
Example
Key
Feature
Subject
Question
Who
broke
the
glass?
No
auxiliary;
subject
is
unknown
Indirect
Question
Do
you
know
where
he
went?
Embedded;
no
inversion
Question
with
Preposition
Who
are
you
talking
to?
/
To
whom
are
you
talking?
Verb
requires
preposition
Practice
Exercises
A.
Identify
the
question
type
(Subject
/
Indirect
/
Preposition):
1.
Who
sent
the
email?
2.
Can
you
tell
me
what
time
the
store
closes?
3.
What
are
you
laughing
at?
4.
I
wonder
whether
he
has
arrived.
5.
What
caused
the
noise?
B.
Transform
the
sentences:
1.
Direct
→
Indirect:
Where
is
the
nearest
bank?
→
___________________________________
2.
Direct
→
Indirect:
Did
she
finish
the
assignment?
→
___________________________________
3.
Statement
→
Subject
Question:
A
student
won
the
prize.
→
___________________________________
4.
Informal
→
Formal:
Who
are
you
waiting
for?
→
___________________________________
Answer
Key
A.
Type
Identification:
1.
Subject
Question
2.
Indirect
Question
3.
Preposition
Question
4.
Indirect
Question
5.
Subject
Question
B.
Transformations:
1.
Can
you
tell
me
where
the
nearest
bank
is?
2.
Do
you
know
if
she
finished
the
assignment?
3.
Who
won
the
prize?
4.
For
whom
are
you
waiting?
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