Direct Question

What Is a Direct Question? (with Examples)

A direct question can be answered (i.e., it is not a statement) and always ends in a question mark. For example:

• Did Lee catch a large dogfish?

A sentence with an indirect question might not end in a question mark. The sentence below contains an indirect question:

• Lee asked us whether we believed him about the 10-pound dogfish.
(This is a statement which contains an indirect question. It is a declarative sentence.)

A direct question is an interrogative sentence.

Examples of Direct Questions

There are 3 basic types of question:

• Yes/No Questions.
  
  Example: Do you like celery?
(The answer to a yes/no question will be yes or no.)
(Answer to this question: No.)
• "Question Word" Questions.
  
  Example: What is celery salt?
(The answer to a "question word" question will be some information.)
(Answer: Celery salt is a seasoned salt made from ground celery seeds and table salt.)
• Choice Questions.
  
  Example: Do you want garlic salt or celery salt?
(The answer to a choice question will be in the question.)
(Answer: Garlic salt)

Forming Yes/No Questions (with Examples)

Yes/no questions are formed:

Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Remainder

Here are some examples of yes/no questions:

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Remainder	Possible Answer
Can	Simon	swim?		No, he can't.
Has	she	finished	screaming?	No, she hasn't.
Does	Peter	want	to stay?	Yes, he does.
Did	they	leave	soon after me?	Yes, they did.
Will	you	be	happy?	Yes, I will.

With the verb to be in the present tense or the past tense, the format is:

Verb To Be	Subject	Remainder	Possible Answer
Are	you	happy?	Yes, I am.
Was	he	happy?	Yes, he was.

Note: As an auxiliary verb is required to form the future tense, the format for the verb to be in the future tense is the same as normal. (Look at the last row of the first table above.)

Forming "Question Word" Questions

"Question word" questions are formed:

Question Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Remainder

Here are some examples of "question word" questions:

Question Word	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Remainder	Possible Answer
Where	did	she	go?		London.
Why	have	they	started	the play early?	Because of the rain.
When	will	Lee	catch	a decent bass?	Probably never.
Whom	is	he	fighting	on Saturday?	Some French lunatic.

When the question word is who, the format is:

Question Word (and Subject)	Main Verb	Remainder	Possible Answer
Who	taught	Lee to fish?	No one.
Who	is thinking	about Saturday?	I am.

When using the verb to be in the present or past tense, the format is:

Question Word	Verb To Be	Subject	Remainder	Possible Answer
When	is	Easter Sunday?		Before Easter Monday.
Why	are	you	angry?	No reason.

Read more about the question words:

What are interrogative pronouns?
What are interrogative adjectives?

Forming Choice Questions

Choice questions are formed:

Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Choice 1 + "or" + Choice 2

Here are some examples of choice questions:

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Choice 1	or	Choice 2	Possible Answer
Do	you	drink	tea	or	coffee?	Tea.
Did	Lee	catch	a whelk	or	a bass?	A whelk.

When using the verb to be in the present or past tense, the format is:

Verb To Be	Subject	Choice 1	or	Choice 2	Possible Answer
Is	it	true	or	false?	It's true.
Were	you	disappointed	or	angry?	Angry.

A Quick Test

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• You will score at least 5 points for a correct answer.
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