Question grammar in English
Let me begin by saying, I KNOW questions in English are really challenging. And yet... we all know how incredibly important they are. Having a 'normal' conversation with anyone requires us to ask and answer questions. In fact, asking questions makes people feel that you are interested in them, which makes it easier to form friendships.
So, what can you do to improve your question grammar? Firstly, practice makes perfect! If you are nervous to speak to native speakers, then you should speak to yourself. I know it sounds crazy, but why not? These conversations don't need to be aloud, but can be inside your head. Take me for example! I do it all the time especially when I'm running. Last weekend, I went for a 5 kilometer run. I really didn't want to go. I wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone. But once I started, I thought I'd practise my Spanish at the same time. I came up with a variety of questions to ask myself. The more I thought in Spanish, the more creative I got with my questions. You might think I'm strange now, but here are just some of the questions I asked myself on that run.
What am I doing? Why am I here? Am I crazy? Am I going to be able to do this? Do I have to do this? Can I give up halfway and go home? Why didn’t I charge my watch? Am I going to be disappointed if I quit? Did I bring any money to buy a coffee? If I buy a coffee, should I get a big piece of cake? Will I do this next week?
When I look at my list of questions, I am reminded of two things! Exercising in the early morning is not my favourite thing to do, AND there are so many different grammar structures in English questions. In Spanish, questions are much easier...I think?! And this list doesn’t include he/she. It doesn’t include tag questions. It doesn’t include indirect questions. All the same, it is complex.
So how can we improve our ability to ask questions? How can you study it on your own? Well, my first piece of advice when learning questions is to look for patterns and then create more questions using the same pattern. You could start a list! You can use grammar books to give you examples of questions and add them to your list. For example, we can group the questions above into a list where you can clearly see the repetition of the same grammar structures. Actually, I've already created a document for you to download for free if you are interested in starting your own list of questions.
As for studying on your own, why not try my system of talking to yourself. Then, when you get braver, you can start asking 'real' people your questions. Start with small steps. Set yourself a goal to ask 2 friendly questions a day. You can smile at a stranger at the bus stop! You can ask the check out operator at the supermarket, 'How was your day? I like your shirt. Where did you get that?'. Don't worry about the answer, just congratulate yourself on asking the question. Smile sweetly and move on!
I hope you've enjoyed my first blog. And, now that I've finished, I have two important questions to ask myself!
'Would you like a cup of tea, Wendy?' - Yes, I would.
'Can I make it for you?' - Yes please!
I'm off to have a nice cup of tea! Have a wonderful day!