Basic types of questions in English

Existing types of questions in English in most cases coincide with what is available in the Russian language, but, due to language differences, the possibilities of the Russian language give more options than English.

To begin with, it is necessary to understand that all types of questions in the English language, exercises for which you can find in many corners of the vast Internet, are classified into two categories - general and special. In this sense, the kinds of questions in the English language do not differ in originality, since in many (if not all) languages of the world such a classification is accepted. Recall that common questions are such questions, to which one can answer "yes" or "no"; And the special answer the question posed to a particular member of the proposal. For example:

• The general question: Do you enjoy staying here? (Do you like it here?); The possible answer is Yes! (Yes).
• Special question: What is your favorite jazz band? (Which jazz ensemble do you like most?); The possible answer is I like a few. (I have several favorites).

In the first case, we can confine ourselves to a brief answer, according to which the interlocutor can draw a concrete conclusion about the relation of the given person to the object of the question. In the second case, additional information is required, without which the answer will be incomplete. However, it would be incorrect to say that the above examples illustrate all types of questions in the English language. In fact, there are more variations.

Stand alone are incomplete in form their kinds of questions in the English language, they are also called separative or confirming questions. Here are some examples:

• You're going there tonight, are not you? (You're going there tonight, are not you?)
• You did not forget your book today, do you? (You did not forget your book today?)

For the sake of completeness, one could add here questions of indirect speech, but they can really be called questions with great stretch.

Now about the emotional load and intonation that have all kinds of questions in English, if they are used in colloquial speech. The main rule is that common questions are pronounced ascending, and special ones are spoken in a descending tone. Separation issues can be used as a descending or ascending version. In this case, the ascending tone of the question indicates that the speaker is not sure or does not know the answer, and a downward tone indicates confidence in getting the expected answer.

In conclusion, it is worthwhile to give some advice on the use of question words and expressions. In modern English, one should clearly distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, and also whether the question is posed to a countable or uncountable noun. For example, compare these three expressions:

What time - How much time - How long (which time - how long - how long)

In the first and second cases a noun is used, but in the third it is not; However, when translated into Russian, it can be quite appropriate and necessary. The same ambiguous situation is possible when translating from Russian into English:

Since when did you enter the institute?

How many times did you try to enter / Which time were you successful in trying to enter?

There are a lot of such pitfalls, and in each case it is necessary to find out what options the native speakers choose in a specific situation.