Interrogatives

Interrogative sentences

Interrogative sentences are sentences that ask a question. Typically, they begin with a WH question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why and how) or an auxiliary verb such as do, have, or be. These are sometimes referred to as helping verbs. An interrogative always ends with a question mark.

Why do we use interrogative sentences?

We use interrogative sentences frequently in both written and spoken language. In fact, they're one of the most commonly used types of sentences. The basic use of an interrogative sentence is to ask a question.

We usually ask interrogatives to get a yes or no answer, ask about preferences, or request additional information.

What are some examples of interrogatives?

Let's take a look at some common examples of interrogative sentences, as well as some famous ones you may recognize:

What are the different types of interrogatives?

You may have noticed that the previous examples are all formed slightly differently and require different types of answers. Some of the questions can be answered with a simple yes or no, whereas others require a far more detailed answer. This is because there are a few different types of interrogative.

Yes / No interrogatives

Yes / no interrogatives are generally the most straightforward questions as they elicit a simple yes or no response.

Alternative interrogatives

Alternative interrogatives are questions that offer two or more alternative answers. They are often used to elicit someone's preference.

Fig 1. Tea or coffee?

WH- interrogatives

WH-interrogatives are, you guessed it, questions beginning with WH words. These are Who, What, Where, When, Why, and the black sheep of the family, How. These questions elicit an open-ended response and are typically used when asking for additional information.

Tag questions

Tag questions are short questions tagged onto the end of a declarative sentence. We usually use tag questions to ask for confirmation.

How can I form an interrogative sentence?

Forming interrogatives will likely come to you quite naturally. However, it is always good to understand exactly how we form different types of interrogative.

Here is the basic form (structure) of an interrogative sentence:

When using WH question words, they always go at the beginning of the sentence, like this:

The basic structure of a tag question is:

Remember: Interrogatives always end with a question mark.

Fig. 2 - Interrogatives always end in question marks.

What is a negative interrogative sentence?

A negative interrogative is a question that has been made negative by adding the word 'not'. The word 'not' is often contracted with an auxiliary verb.

For example, don't, aren't, isn't, and haven't. We usually use negative interrogatives when we expect a specific answer or want to emphasize a point. Let's take a look at some examples.

Here, a direct question is being asked. The person asking the question is expecting a direct response.

Here, the person asking the question is expecting a specific answer. They are assuming that the person does have a phone.

Here, a negative interrogative is being used to emphasize a point. The person asking the question emphasizes the fact that a lot of people have seen Game of Thrones.

Let's take a look at some examples of positive and negative interrogatives.

Is a rhetorical question an interrogative?

In short, no, rhetorical questions are not interrogatives. Remember how we explained that interrogative sentences are questions that expect an answer; well, rhetorical questions do not require an answer.

Rhetorical questions go unanswered because there may be no answer to the question or because the answer is very obvious. We use rhetorical questions to create a dramatic effect or to make a point, and they are commonly found in literature.

Take a look at some examples of well-known rhetorical questions: