Month: November 2009

Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative Sentences – Asking Questions

  • Compare the following sentences:
  1. I am happy.                                                          1. Am I happy?
  2. She is sad.                                                             2. Is she sad?
  3. John is absent.                                                     3. Is John absent?
  4. It is cold.                                                                4. Is it cold?
  5. David’s clothes are dirty.                                   5. Are David’s clothes dirty?
  6. The children were playing in the park.            6. Were the children playing in the park?
  7. These grapes are sour.                                       7. Are these grapes sour?
  8. You have a watch.                                                8. Do you have a watch?
  9. They will come tomorrow.                                  9. Will they come tomorrow?
  10. She can drive a car.                                              10. Can she drive a car?
  • The sentences on the left-hand side tell something. They are called statements.
  • The sentences on the right-hand side ask questions. They are called interrogative sentences.
  • A sentence that asks a question is called an interrogative sentence.
  • We put a question mark (?) at the end of an interrogative sentence.

  • Formation of interrogative sentences:

  1. In sentences beginning with I am/He is/You are/John was, we put am, is, are, was etc. before the subject.
  2. In sentences beginning with He has/You have/I had, etc. we put has/have/had, before the subject.
  3. If the Verb is made up of two words, we put the first word before the subject.
  • Now study the following sentences carefully and see which words change their place:

  1. I am reading a book.                                              1. Am I reading a book?
  2. He is busy now.                                                       2. Is he busy now?
  3. The windows are open.                                         3. Are the windows open?
  4. Jane and Jenny are sisters.                                    4.  Are Jane and Jenny (they) sisters?
  5. She was absent yesterday.                                    5. Was she absent yesterday?
  6. You were not well yesterday.                                6. Were you not well yesterday?
  7. He had no money in his wallet.                             7. Had he no money in his wallet?
  8. Rita has a doll.                                                           8. Has Rita a doll?
  9. The students will go for a picnic tomorrow 9. Will the students go for a picnic tomorrow?
  10. The basket is full of red apples.                              10. Is the basket full of red apples?
  • Questions also begin with words like who, what, why, when, where, how, how many do/does, did, can, will, shall etc. For example:

  1. What is your name?
  2. How old are you?
  3. How many books do you have?
  4. Why is the market closed?
  5. What is Sheela doing?
  6. Where has father gone?
  7. Who is singing?
  8. Did you go to school?
  9. Did the teacher give you a test?
  10. Can you drive car?
  11. Will you come tomorrow?
  12. Shall I meet you at the station?

Negative Sentences

 

  • Compare the following sentences:

 

  1. I am happy.                                                         1. I am not happy.
  2. He is lazy.                                                             2. He is not lazy.
  3. She is honest.                                                      3. She is not honest.
  4. The mangoes are ripe.                                       4. The mangoes are not ripe.
  5. The food was enough.                                        5. The food was not enough.
  6. There is some water in the jug.                         6. There is no water in the jug.
  7. They have some money.                                     7. They have no money.
  8. He had a fast car.                                                  8. He had no fast car.
  9. She is watering the plants.                                  9. She is not watering the plants.
  10. They have reached Paris.                                    10. They have not reached Paris.

 

  • The sentences on the left-hand side are positive statements. The sentences on the right –hand side have not or no in them. They are negative sentences.  A sentence having not or no in them is called a Negative Sentence.
  • Note: When the Verb is made up of two or more words (Sentence – 9 and 10), we put not/no after the first word to make the sentence, Negative.

 

  • Now compare the following sentences:

 

  1. Close the doors and windows.                        1.  Do not/Don’t close the doors and windows.
  2. Go out of the room.                                          2.  Do not/Don’t go out of the room.
  3. Stand up.                                                             3.  Do not/Don’t stand up.
  4. Read this aloud.                                                  4.  Do not/Don’t read this aloud.
  5. Keep quiet.                                                           5.  Do not/Don’t keep quiet.

 

  • To make a command sentence, negative, we put do not/don’t at the beginning of the sentence. Don’t is the short form of ‘do not’.