Statement, questions and responses
• Statements are typical sentence, which give information.
• Questions are typical sentences by which someone asks the hearer to give information.
• A simple English sentence, i.e., a sentence consisting of only one clause, may be a statement, a question, command or an exclamation.
• Statements are sentences in which the subject generally comes before the verb.
I will speak to the manager today.
• Question are statement which differ from statement in one or more ways.
The operator is place immediately before the subject:
Will you see him?
The sentence begins with an interrogative word:
Whom do you want to speak to
The sentence has subject + verb order but with raising intonation in <spoken> English and ending with a question mark:
You'll speak to manager today?
• Command are sentences with the verb in the imperative, i.e., the base form of the verb. In <written> English command sentences do not normally end with an exclamation mark, but with a full stop.
Call him now.
Command usually has no expressed subject but sometimes take the subject you:
(you) speak to the manager today.
• Exclamations are sentences which begin with what or how without inversion of subject and operator. In <written> English exclamation usually end with an exclamation mark (!).
What a noise they are making in that band!
Question
Types of questions
i. Direct and indirect questions:
'How did you get on at your interview?', Sarah asked.
Sarah asked me how I got on at my interview.
I.Yes-No question
The answer to a yes-no question is yes or no.
Jane will be in the office later today.
Will Jane be in the office later today?
Yes-no question usually have rising intonation
Will you be around at lunch time?
Is Bill married?
II.Wh-questions
Wh-questions begin with interrogative word:
who, whom, whose, which, what, where, when, how, why
(Wh-questions normally have falling intonation.)
Put the sentence element which contains the wh-word at the beginning of the sentence. If the element containing the wh-word is object, complement or adverbials, place the operator in front of the subject.
Wh-element as object:
They bought Volvo. What car did they buy?
John asked a question. What question did John ask?
Wh-element as complement:
The subject of the lecture is lexicology.
What's the subject of the lecture?
Wh-element as adverbial:
They will leave tomorrow - When will they leave?
Wh-element is subject:
Jane said she might be late. Who said that?
III.Tag questions
Tag question are tagged on to the end of a statement. Tag questions added to the end of a statement ask for confirmation of the truth of the statement. The answer expected is:
'Yes' if the statement is positive.
'No' if the statement is negative.
Anna's doctor. Isn't she? (I assume Anna is doctor. Am I right?)
Anna isn't a doctor. Is she? (I assume Anna is not a doctor. Am I right?)
IV. Questions about alternative
Yes-no questions are limited.
Wh questions are unlimited.
Another type of limited questions:
Shall we go by train or by bus? (rise and fall intonation)
Are you coming or not?
What would like to drink? Coffee, tea, or cocoa?
V. Question with positive and negative bias
Yes-no questions are mostly neutral between positive and negative replies, e.g. when they have any-word any, ever, yet. We can however use forms like some, sometime, already etc., to indicate that we expect a positive answer to our question:
Did somebody call last night? (Is it true that someone called last night?)
Did anyone call last night? (neutral)
Do you sometimes regret giving up your job?
Do you ever regret giving up your job? (neutral)
Has she gone to bed already? (Am I right in thinking that she's gone to bed already?)
Has she gone to bet yet? (neutral)
(Some-words: some, someone, somebody, something, somewhere, sometime, sometimes, already, somewhat, somehow)
(Any-words: any, anyone, anybody, anything, anywhere, ever, yet, at all, either)
Haven't you had breakfast yet? (Is it really true that you haven't had breakfast? I thought You would have had it by now!)
Can't you drive straight? (I thought you could, but apparently you can't)
Won't anyone help us to clear up?
VI.Question in statement form
One can strengthen the positive bias of a question by putting it in the form of a statement (rising tone of a question).
You got home safely then?
I take it the guest have had something to eat?
VII. Question with more than one Wh-word
Who's is bringing what?
How and when did you arrive?
Who did you send those books to, and why?
VIII. Polite questions
What's your name, please?
Would you mind telling me your name?
Please can I have your address and telephone number?
Could I ask you if you are driving to the station?
Responses to statement: backchannels
Unlike a question, a statement does not require a response. But in conversation we often make a response.
Mm, m, mum, uh, huh,
Really?
ah, sure, right, good, heavens, oh God, that's right.
IX. Short questions (Two Types)
A: Question can be used as responses to statement, when hearer wants more information.
The old lady's buying a house.
When? / Where? / Why? / Which? / What old lady?
B: Two-word questions:
I am going to write an adventure story.
What for? / Who for? / What about?
Were you there when they erected the new signs?
Which new signs?
Answering negative statement, use why not? rather than why?
John is very upset. Why?
She hasn't been invited. Why not?
X. Echo questions: request for repetition
Speakers are asked to repeat some information.
A: I didn't enjoy that meal.
B: Did you say you didn't enjoy it?
A: The Browns are emigrating B: emigrating?
A: Switch the light off, please. B: light off?
XI.General request for repetition
A: I will make some coffee.
B: I beg your) pardon?
B: Excuse me? <AmE>
B: Sorry? <BrE>
B: What? <familiar, impolite>
More explicit request for repetition
I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear/follow what you said.
Sorry, I didn't quite get that.
Sorry, would you mind repeating that?
I'm very sorry, would you mind saying that again?
Omission of Information
This country must economize if it's going to increase it prosperity.
I agree.
Absolutely
Certainly not.
Nonsense.
True enough, but the problem is how to economize.
And the only way to do it is by greater taxation.
Incomplete sentence and formula
Commands: Careful! Out with it! Faster! Not so fast!
Question: More coffee? How about joining us? Any graduate students here?
Slogan: Republicans out. Republicans forever.
Exclamation: Goal! Good! Excellent! You lucky boy! What a pity! Shame!
Oh God, what an experience! Poor you! Oh, for a drink! Now for some fun!
Reported statement and questions
To report what somebody has stated with quotation mark is direct speech and with that clause is indirect speech.
Marie said: 'I need more money'. (Direct speech)
Marie said that she needed more money. (Indirect speech)
Changes needed in converting direct speech to indirect speech:
(a) Change present tense verbs in to past tense (to match the reporting verb)
(b) Change 1st and 2nd person pronoun into 3rd person.
(c) Change pointer word
this - that
now - then
here - there
tomorrow - the next day
ago - before.
'I moved here two years ago.'
He explained that he had moved there two years before.
'Our team has won.'
They claimed that their team had won.
'I will see you tomorrow.'
She promised that she would see him the next day.
'They can sleep in this room.'
She suggested that they could sleep in that room.
'I saw them yesterday.'
He told me that he had seen them on the day before.
Special case
1. Past perfect verbs:
'I had seen Mac an hour before the meeting.'
She said she had seen Mac an hour before the meeting.
2. Model auxiliaries (must, should and ought to)
'You must go.'
She said that they must/had to go.
'You should be more careful.'
He said that they should be more care.
Time of reporting
'The world is flat.'
Ancient philosopher argue that the world is flat.
XII.Indirect Question
'Do you live here?'
She asked him if /whether he lived here.
'Did our team win?'
They asked if their team had won.
'Why won't you come with us? '
He asked her why she wouldn't come with them.
'Which chair shall I sit in?'
He wondered which chair he should sit in.
'Is it your turn or Susan's?'
She asked him whether it was his turn or Susan's.
Change the following sentences as hinted in the brackets. (Board Exam 2076)
a. Who is bringing tea? (Question with more than one wh-word)
b. Your mother looks well. (Short affirmation)
c. I didn’t enjoy that meal. (Echo-question)
d. I am going to buy a pair of shoes? (Short question)
