Interrogative Mood

To form a 'yes-no question', you typically need to place the 'auxiliary verb' at the beginning of the sentence. This involves changing the position of the 'subject and auxiliary verb, so that the auxiliary verb comes first. Pay attention to the examples:

Remember to use a 'question mark,' at the end of the 'interrogative sentence.'

To make a wh-question you will need a wh-word, such as who, what, which, or why. These words can be:

In informal contexts, it is common to reduce the length of wh-questions. This is because the speaker assumes that the listener already knows the context and the information being referred to. Pay attention to the example:

'Tags' are a type of interrogative sentence that is used to confirm or clarify information. They are often used when the speaker is uncertain about the truth of a statement or wants to check whether the listener agrees with what has been said. There are three types of tags:

An alternative question is a type of interrogative sentence that is used to present a choice between two or more options. These questions are often used to clarify preferences or to make decisions.
To form an alternative question, we typically use a conjunctions such as 'or' to link the options together. Check out the examples:

As you can see, we can make alternative questions with 'or not' at the end of the interrogative clause. 'Alternative questions' are also known as nexus questions, closed questions, choice questions, either-or questions, and multiple-choice interrogatives. Alternative interrogatives mostly end in falling intonation.

A statement question is a type of sentence structure that combines the declarative and interrogative forms and is used to express surprise, disbelief, or shock about a situation or information that has been presented.
Statement questions can be either affirmative or negative statements, and typically do not require an inversion to create the interrogative form. Take a look at the examples:

An echo question is a type of interrogative sentence that is used to repeat part or all of something someone has just said. This may be because the speaker did not hear it all, is surprised by the information, or cannot believe what was said. Echo questions are typically formed as declarative statements with an added interrogative word at the end.
In some cases, the interrogative word may be used at the beginning of the sentence, to prompt the speaker to remember a particular piece of information. Take a look at the examples:

When using an echo question, it is important to use a rising intonation pattern, with emphasis on the interrogative word. This intonation pattern helps to convey a sense of surprise, disbelief, or uncertainty, and signals to the listener that the speaker is seeking clarification or confirmation of the information that was presented.

In some cases, people may shorten wh-questions when there has been a previous conversation between the parties, and both parties understand the context and topic being discussed, so it will not cause any confusion.
Follow-up questions are used immediately after a statement made by the person who is speaking to the questioner. These questions are used to seek clarification or to ask for more information about the topic being discussed. Pay attention to the examples:

As you can see, sometimes 'follow-up' questions are not formed by wh-words, and are used to show that you are interested in something the speaker is talking about.

A two-step question is a type of question that allows the speaker to ask for clarification and provide options at the same time. This structure can be useful when seeking more information about a topic or when trying to obtain a specific piece of information.
The first step of a two-step question is typically used to clarify or specify what information is being sought. The second step of a two-step question is typically used to provide options or additional details to help the speaker provide a more specific response. Take a look at the following examples: