Interrogative Adverbs
Interrogative adverbs are words such as 'why' and 'where' that are used to ask questions. In this lesson, we will learn more about them.
What Are Interrogative Adverbs?
Interrogative adverbs are words such as 'how, why, when, where' that are used to ask a question about a particular aspect of a sentence such as time, place, frequency, or manner. These adverbs are often placed at the beginning of a question, and they are used to elicit specific information from the listener or reader.
Interrogative Adverbs: Types
Based on what kind of information an interrogative adverb inquires about, they are categorized into four main groups:
- interrogative adverbs of time
- interrogative adverbs of place
- interrogative adverbs of reason
- interrogative adverbs of manner
Interrogative Adverbs of Time
The interrogative adverbs of time are words that demand time-related information and ask how long, how often, or in which exact time something takes place. Here are a few examples:
Here is a list of interrogative adverbs of time:
- When
- Whenever
- How long
- How often
Interrogative Adverbs of Place
Interrogative adverbs of place ask about the location or place of something. One of the most commonly used interrogative adverbs of place is 'where'. Let us take a look at the examples:
Here is a list of interrogative adverbs of place:
- Where
- Wherever
- Wheresoever
- Whence
- Whereabouts
- Wherein
- Whereto
Interrogative Adverbs of Reason
The interrogative adverb 'why' is used when you want an explanation or reason for something. It is commonly used to ask questions about the cause or motivation behind an action or event. Here are a few examples:
Here is a list of interrogative adverbs of reason:
- Why
- Wherefore
Interrogative Adverb of Manner
The interrogative adverb of manner is the word 'how' which is commonly used to ask questions about the method, process, or means by which an action is performed. Check the examples:
Interrogative Determiners vs. Interrogative Adverbs
Interrogative determiners modify a noun, and they are followed immediately by a noun; but interrogative adverbs are used alone and do not modify a noun. Here are a few examples:
"when" is an interrogative adverb of time
Interrogative Adverbs vs. Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask about people, things, and places, while interrogative adverbs are used to ask about aspects such as place, time, manner, and reason. The only interrogative that can function as both a pronoun and an adverb is '
Using Interrogative Adverbs in Indirect Questions
There are two kinds of indirect questions in English:
- a question in a statement
- a question in a question
A Question in a Statement
To turn a statement into a question, you can use a declarative sentence with an interrogative adverb placed at the beginning. The verb 'ask' is then used to introduce the question itself. In this case, there is a
She asked
My mother asked
A Question in a Question
When we use a declarative clause starting with an interrogative adverb to form a yes/no question, we are creating an indirect question within a direct question. In this case, a question mark is used at the end of the sentence to indicate that it is a question. Here are the examples:
Did she know
Did he ask
Head of a Noun Clause
An interrogative adverb can also be used as the head of a nominal clause which is used as the object of a transitive verb such as know, wonder, ask, suppose, etc. Check out the examples:
I know
He wondered
Questions with Interrogative Adverbs
To make direct questions with interrogative adverbs all you have to do is to use an auxiliary after the interrogative adverb. In other words, a yes/no question follows the interrogative adverb to form a wh-question. Look at some examples:
Review
Interrogative adverbs are wh-words that are used to ask questions. Here are the interrogative adverbs on the list:
- when
- why
- how
- where
Interrogative adverbs are used to ask questions about:
- time
- place
- reasons
- manner
- degree
- quantity (amount) and quality
Comments
You might also like
Adverbs of Movement and Direction
Adverb of movement or directions shows an action toward a place or points to a particular direction. In this lesson, we will learn about them.
Demonstrative Adverbs
Demonstrative adverbs emphasize the location of something in relation to the speaker. In this lesson, we will learn all about them.
Relative Adverbs
Relative adverbs are words that give us more description for nouns, the people, places, or things being discussed. Let's get to know them better.
Conjunctive Adverbs
As their name requires, conjunctive adverbs are used to connect two clauses. They can be moved around in the sentence. So, read the article to learn the rules.
