Yes/No QuestionsYes/No Questions

By Yung-Chen ChungBy Yung-Chen Chung

What is a Yes/No question?What is a Yes/No question?

A Yes/No question wants either “yes” or A Yes/No question wants either “yes” or “no” as an answer. “no” as an answer.

Which sentence seems to be trying Which sentence seems to be trying to get “yes” or “no” as an answer? to get “yes” or “no” as an answer?

Why did you send Bob an avocado in the Why did you send Bob an avocado in the mail?mail?

Did you send Bob an avocado in the Did you send Bob an avocado in the mail? mail?

1. Why did you send Bob an avocado in 1. Why did you send Bob an avocado in the mail?the mail?

2. Did you send Bob an avocado in the 2. Did you send Bob an avocado in the mail?mail?

The second sentence “Did you send Bob anThe second sentence “Did you send Bob an

avocado in the mail?” seems to expectavocado in the mail?” seems to expect

either “yes” or “no” as an answer.either “yes” or “no” as an answer.

Therefore, itTherefore, it is a Yes/No question. is a Yes/No question.

How to make a Yes/No question?How to make a Yes/No question?

There are two ways to form a Yes/No There are two ways to form a Yes/No question. question.

The first way to make a Yes/No question is The first way to make a Yes/No question is from statements with an overt auxiliary from statements with an overt auxiliary verb (helping verb).verb (helping verb).

Here is an example: Here is an example:

Maria can speak Swedish.Maria can speak Swedish.

Hej !

Step One: Find the helping verb.Step One: Find the helping verb.

Maria can speak Swedish Maria can speak Swedish

Helping verbHelping verb

Step Two: Move the helping verb in Step Two: Move the helping verb in front of the subject, and front of the subject, and capitalize the first letter. capitalize the first letter.

cancanCC speak Swedishspeak SwedishMariaMaria

Step Three: Add a question mark. Step Three: Add a question mark. (?)(?)

Can Maria speak SwedishCan Maria speak Swedish??

The other way to form a Yes/No question The other way to form a Yes/No question is from statements without an overt is from statements without an overt auxiliary verb (helping verb). auxiliary verb (helping verb).

Here is an example: Here is an example:

The boy lives in Taipei. The boy lives in Taipei.

Step One: Find the helping verb Step One: Find the helping verb (Dig it up if it’s buried.). (Dig it up if it’s buried.).

The boy lives in Taipei The boy lives in Taipei

does livedoes live

Step Two:Step Two:

1.1. Move the helping verb in front of the subject, and capitalize the Move the helping verb in front of the subject, and capitalize the first letter of “does”.first letter of “does”.

2.2. Change the first letter of “The” to the lower case “t”.Change the first letter of “The” to the lower case “t”.

3.3. Change the third person singular verb, “lives”, to its base form, Change the third person singular verb, “lives”, to its base form, “live”.“live”.

doesdoesThe boyThe boy lives in Taipeilives in TaipeittDD

Step Three: Add a question mark.Step Three: Add a question mark.(?) (?)

Does the boy live in TaipeiDoes the boy live in Taipei ??

One more thing you need to know One more thing you need to know about the Yes/No questions!about the Yes/No questions!

The intonation of a Yes/No questions is The intonation of a Yes/No questions is different from a statement.different from a statement.

Statement intonation:Statement intonation: The statement intonation in English usually rises and falls The statement intonation in English usually rises and falls within within

the last content wordthe last content word in the sentence. in the sentence.

Maria can speak Swedish.Maria can speak Swedish.

Yes/No question intonation:Yes/No question intonation: Yes/No question intonation rises sharply on the vowel in the Yes/No question intonation rises sharply on the vowel in the

stressed syllable and then continues to rise slightly on the second stressed syllable and then continues to rise slightly on the second syllable. syllable.

Can Maria speak Swedish?Can Maria speak Swedish?

§128.6. English as a Second Language §128.6. English as a Second Language

(ESL), Grade 4.(ESL), Grade 4.

(b) Knowledge and skills.(b) Knowledge and skills. (30) Second language acquisition/writing. (30) Second language acquisition/writing. (A) use basic capitalization and punctuation correctly such (A) use basic capitalization and punctuation correctly such as capitalizing names and first letters in sentences and as capitalizing names and first letters in sentences and using periods, question marks, and exclamation points. using periods, question marks, and exclamation points. (E) employ increasingly complex grammatical structures in (E) employ increasingly complex grammatical structures in writing.writing. (i)  demonstrate knowledge of verbs, tenses, and (i)  demonstrate knowledge of verbs, tenses, and auxiliaries, wh-words, and pronouns/antecedents;auxiliaries, wh-words, and pronouns/antecedents; (iii)  demonstrate knowledge of parts of speech;(iii)  demonstrate knowledge of parts of speech; (F) construct correct sentences, including a variety of (F) construct correct sentences, including a variety of sentence types and styles.sentence types and styles.