Kinds of Sentences

Concept: Question Words

Definition

• The words used to form questions are known as question words. These words help create questions.
• A question is a sentence that usually asks for information or to confirm the availability of information.
• These types of sentences are also known as interrogative sentences.

We can make a question mainly in two ways. They are as follows:

1. With the help of ‘Wh’ words
2. With the help of auxiliaries.
• These are the five ‘Wh’ words that are used for making questions.

Examples:

1. Who is at the door?
2. When will you go on a vacation?
3. Where is Boston located?
4. What would you like to do at the park?
5. Which place would you want to visit?

How to Form Questions?

1. At the beginning of the sentence, we use a ‘Wh’ word to frame a question.

   Examples:

   1. Who killed the demon?
   2. Where did you keep it?
2. Sometimes ‘Wh’ questions are formed with or without an auxiliary verb.
   1. Questions with Auxiliary Verbs

      When an auxiliary verb is used in the question, the pattern is as follows:

      

      Examples:

      
   2. Questions without Auxiliary Verbs

      When an auxiliary verb is not used in the question, the pattern is as follows:

      

      Examples:

      

Change Sentences into Questions

Sentences can easily be changed into questions by following the method given below.

Statement: Samuel did win the race last year.

Question: Did Samuel win the race last year?

Notice the auxiliary is placed before the subject of the sentence. This changes the sentence into a question statement.

Common Mistake

Sometimes the word ‘what’ may be used to begin an exclamatory sentence as well. In such cases, ‘what’ is not used as a question word. Don’t consider such sentences to be questions as these sentences do not ask for an answer. Instead, exclamatory sentences only show the emotion one’s emotions.

Examples:

What a wonderful picture!

What a wonderful picture?