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INTERROGATIVE CLAUSES
292
Polar interrogatives: yes-no, x or y
292a
Polar interrogative clauses typically function to ask questions to which the answer
is yes or no (yes-no questions), or questions with x or y? (alternative questions),
where the respondent must choose between alternatives.
Normal word order for polar interrogatives is auxiliary/modal verb – subject –
verb –
X
, where
X
is any other element present (e.g. object/complement).
The auxiliary verb may be be, do or have.
Examples of polar interrogatives
auxiliary/modal
subject
verb
X
be
Were
you
staying
in Cardiff?
Are
you
going
by boat
or train?
do
Do you
know
the way to the market?
Did
we
go
twice
or just once?
have
Haven’t
you
phoned
your sister yet?
Have
you
got
a pair of scissors
or a sharp knife?
modal
Shouldn’t
we
leave
it till tomorrow?
Could
we
meet
for lunch the following Tuesday?
Wherever there is no auxiliary be, auxiliary have or modal verb already present,
auxiliary do/does/did is used.
Where there is more than one auxiliary verb or a modal verb plus auxiliary
verb(s), only the first auxiliary or the modal verb precedes the subject.
534 | Clause types
Cambridge Grammar of English
Examples of polar interrogatives with multiple auxiliary verbs
modal subject
second
verb
X
verb/first auxiliary
auxiliary verb
verb
Is
your violin
being
repaired?
Has
the flat
been
painted or redecorated
recently?
Could
it
have
been
like the problem you had
before?
Will
you
be
ordering
some stuff, then?
✪
Note that only auxiliary and modal verbs, not lexical verbs, may come before
the subject:
auxiliary subject
lexical verb
verb
When |
was | the book | written, do you know?
(When was written the book, do you know?)
Sentences with modal verb – subject – verb –
X
structure also frequently function
as requests or as directives:
Could you give me a call about nine o’clock this evening?
(request)
Will you be quiet!
(directive)
Û
412 Modality and directives
Polar interrogatives with lexical verbs be and have
292b
Lexical verb be
Interrogatives with lexical verb be have verb – subject –
X
word order (verb in
bold, subject in green):
Are
they
all the same?
Was
the swimming pool
busy?
Lexical verb have
With lexical verb have, verb – subject –
X
word order sounds rather formal.
Interrogatives with auxiliary do and with have got are the preferred forms in
informal situations:
‘
Has he his name on the door?’ Mr Laidlaw said suddenly.
(formal)
Do they have a lot of toys?
(informal)
Has she got any brothers or sisters?
(informal)
Û
539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms
Clause types | 535
The choice between the inverted form, the do/does/did … have form, and
have/has/had
… got form depends on the meaning of have. When have refers to
possession/attribution, all forms are possible:
Has he got his name on the door?
(possession/attribution: most informal)
Does he have his name on the door?
(possession/attribution: informal)
Has he his name on the door?
(possession/attribution: formal)
Interrogatives in the past tense show a marked preference for the did … have form
rather than the had … got form when referring to possession/attribution:
Did you have a car when you were younger?
(more frequent form)
A: Had he got a little girl?
B: A little boy.
(less frequent form)
When have means ‘to hold or take part in a habitual event’, the do-forms are used.
The inverted form and the got-forms are not used:
How often
do you have parties?
(refers to regularity of events)
(How often have you got parties?)
(How often have you parties?)
Does Nigel have butter?
(Does he normally use/eat butter?)
(compare: Has Nigel got butter?, which would mean ‘Does he possess/has he
received butter?’)
When have is used in the pseudo-passive (
Û
480
), the do/does/did forms are
used, not the inverted form:
How often
do you have your car serviced?
(How often have you your car serviced?)
Û
403d Have to, have got to
Exclamations with be
Clauses with verb – subject –
X
word order with lexical verb be can occasionally
function as exclamations:
It was a very good school, but
was I lamentably ignorant in maths!
Û
472–475 Word order and focus and 408–423 Speech acts for further examples
536 | Clause types
Cambridge Grammar of English
Negative polar interrogatives
292c
Negative yes-no interrogatives are typically used to ask questions which function
to check or confirm something which the speaker believes or expects to be the
case, or which the speaker considers to be a viable course of action.
The negative is formed with not, and is most frequently contracted to n’t.
Sentences with the full form not are more formal than those with contracted n’t:
Wasn’t he here at the party?
Don’t you want any tea or coffee?
When the full form is used, not comes after the subject:
Could you not hear me?
(please confirm, yes or no)
Should we not photocopy it?
(I consider this a desirable action)
In very formal, rather archaic literary styles, full form not may occur before the
subject:
[from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen; speaking about open carriages]
Do not you think it has an odd appearance, if young ladies are frequently
driven about in them by young men, to whom they are not even related?
Negative interrogatives with modal verbs are also often used to express polite
requests or polite commands:
‘Please,
won’t you both come through?’ Carole said, leading them down the red
carpeted foyer and into the dimly lit restaurant.
✪
Replies to negative interrogatives
Note that a reply which agrees with the proposition in a negative polar
interrogative is made with no, not yes:
A: Isn’t Margaret here today?
B: No. She’s on holiday.
(Yes. She’s on holiday.)
A: Don’t you want any tea or coffee?
B: No. I’ve just had breakfast. Thanks anyway.
However, negative polar interrogatives where the asker is simply checking
information believed to be true may be answered with yes:
A: Isn’t she older than her brother?
B: Yes, she is. There’s about three years between them, I think.
(speaker B confirms what speaker A believes to be true)
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