Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Speech acts | 713

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Questions

Introduction

424

Question types

425

Complete and reduced forms 425a

Interrogative form 425b

Eliciting a verbal reply 425c

Eliciting information 425d

Eliciting new information 425e

Yes-no questions

426

Phonetic reduction and ellipsis in yes-no questions 426a

Wh-questions

427

Emphatic wh-questions 427a

Phonetic reduction and ellipsis in wh-questions 427b

Alternative questions

428

Questions and intonation

429

Yes-no

questions 429a

Wh

-questions 429b

Alternative questions 429c

Declarative questions

430

Tag questions

431

Echo and checking questions

432

Interpersonal aspects of questions

433

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| 715

Questions

INTRODUCTION

424

Questions are broadly defined as utterances which require a verbal response from

the addressee. There are a number of types (

Û

425–425e

), constructed using a

variety of structural patterns (

Û

426–432

). Some types are more central or

prototypical questions, while others are less prototypical and function differently. 

Questions may range from forms involving imperatives, to simple

interrogatives, interrogatives with modal verbs, indirect interrogatives,

declaratives and reduced questions, all of which have different pragmatic

functions in terms of formality, politeness, directness, dependence on immediate

context, projections of degrees of shared knowledge, etc.

Examples of questions and typical contexts:

Tell me what you want for dinner.

(imperative; informal)

Are you tired?

(simple interrogative; neutral)

Ready?

(reduced question; informal, highly context dependent)

Would you be George, by any chance?

(modalised; polite, low assumption of shared knowledge)

Can I ask if you know what this is?

(question with preface and modal verb; polite)

A: So you got here early?

B: Yes.

(declarative; high assumption of shared knowledge)

This chapter (424–433) describes the various question types, and the main

question forms, starting with the most prototypical ones. It excludes interrogatives

functioning as directives, which are dealt with in 

413e Interrogatives with can,

could, will and would in Speech acts

.