How Do You Change A Sentence Into An Interrogative Sentence?
Can you imagine your life without asking any direct questions such as “what’s for breakfast?” or “have you seen the new Spiderman movie?” These types of direct questions use an interrogative sentence, and without them, we’d have a difficult time navigating our everyday.
An interrogative sentence is a to-the-point, frank and direct question to clear up information or generate exciting dialogue. To change a sentence into an interrogative sentence is simply converting the sentence into a direct question containing a subject, a verb, and a question mark.
If you googled “how to change a sentence into an interrogative sentence?” then it means you have already understood what it means to ask a direct question. You may be wondering what the difference is between a question and an interrogative sentence or why a direct question is also called a sentence?
We have an infographic on changing sentences into interrogative sentences with the main points of the article you can use and share below. Just credit us if you do 🙂
Forming The Interrogative Sentence
Sentences are used to formulate ideas, commands, expressions, or questions. An Interrogative sentence is one of the four declarative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences. Like any qualifying sentence requirement, the interrogative sentence contains a subject and a verb, ultimately separating it from a random question.
The standard order for the sentence contains a subject and a predicate containing the verb. However, in the interrogative sentence, the verb will precede the subject. A fairly crucial rule of the interrogative sentence is that it must always contain a question mark at the end.
For example, “When is the Christmas Party?” The “Christmas Party” is the subject in this sentence, and “is” is the verb.
Below are some examples of sentences converted into interrogative sentences.
She lives in Sweden = Does she live in Sweden?
Amber writes creative fiction plays= Does Amber write creative fiction plays?
Yolanda put the ice cream on the table = Did Yolanda put the ice cream on the table?
I want to quit my job = Why do you want to quit your job?
This bolt screws into the car from the side = How does the bolt screw into the car from the side?
Did you manage to identify the verbs and subjects in the above examples?
(Verbs are underlined, and subjects are in bold)
Does she live in Sweden?
Does Amber write creative fiction plays?
Did Yolanda put the ice cream on the table?
Why do you want to quit your job?
How does the bolt screw into the car from the side?
To read more examples of interrogative sentences, click here.
Open-Ended Questions And Question Words
Your standard sentences are usually void of “question words,” whereas Interrogative sentences often contain them. Question words are your who, what, and when’s. These form the foundation of the interrogative sentence.
To convert the sentence into an interrogative sentence, your challenge is to identify which question word best suits the direct question you would like to ask. Some other words that are commonly used for open-ended questions are who, whom, what, when, why, how which, why, whose, when, did, does, and has.
One of the first steps to changing a sentence into an interrogative sentence is to begin each sentence with a question word, then identify the verb and the subject. Let’s use the examples we already have and some others, identifying the verbs and subjects.
(Question words italicized)
Does she live in Sweden?
Does Amber write creative fiction plays?
Did Yolanda put the ice cream on the table?
Why do you want to quit your job?
How does the bolt screw into the car from the side?
What is the correct way to eat corn?
When are the best days to swim in my pool?
Why is your dog’s tongue purple?
How are you doing in your new job?
Whois the best soccer team?
Sentence Construction Resources
We have hundreds of resources to help practice and teach English and sentence construction on the site. THe four links below are a taste of the games / worksheets / activities we have but feel free to browse to find more as well.
THere are Phonics, grammar, vocabulary all in our free resources pages and we have workbooks to print in the shop as well Including our 7 workbook mega bundle we have linked to below.
YES/NO Interrogative Sentences
Another way to identify an interrogative sentence is through the YES/NO method. These questions need a “yes” or “no” to the direct question. They either begin with a verb or a helping verb.
For example:
Did you eat the cookies from the cookie jar?
Were you in my yoga class this morning?
Was the book a good read?
Are you sick?
Was there a fireplace in the café?
To give you an indication of more helping verbs, click here.
Interrogative Sentence: “Either/Or” Sentences
An interrogative question may also offer one or more choices within the structured framing of the sentence. Similar to the Yes/No, these also begin with a verb/ helping verb. Here are some examples:
Would you like McDonald’s or Burger King for dinner?
Do you think Liverpool or Arsenal will win this year?
Are you in love with Billy or Bob?
Are you hungry or thirsty?
Is your mother going to India or Dubai this year?
Question Tagging The Declarative to Make an Interrogative Sentence
When a sentence reads as a statement, it is easier to add a tag question to its end than a re-write. The declarative sentence is a statement that follows the simple sentence structure. However, adding a simple comma to the end of the declarative has the power to change it into an interrogative sentence.
For example:
She is an excellent chef = She isan excellent chef, isn’t she?
Clean your room = Clean your room, won’t you?
You think you know everything about science = You think you know everything about science, don’t you?
Indirect Questions Are Not Interrogative Sentences
A declarative sentence is the most common form of the four sentences. Whereas the interrogative sentence forms a direct question, the declarative sentence forms a statement and an indirect question. It is important not to confuse a direct and indirect question. The direct question is the interrogative sentence, and the indirect question is the declarative.
For example:
“Are you hungry?” is an example of an interrogative and direct question, whereas “She asked me if I was hungry” is an example of a declarative and indirect question. Remember that the Interrogative sentence as an indirect question is always followed by a question mark, whereas the direct question is concluded by a full-stop.
Conclusion
It is essential to note that when converting a sentence into an interrogative sentence, the main aim is to get the most straightforward answers to your direct questions. The most important elements that make up the successful interrogative sentence are a question word + verb+ subject + question mark.
So what are you waiting for? 😉
References
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/interrogative-sentence-guide
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCc4pRBsL64
- https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-interrogative-sentence-1691183
- https://www.englishgrammar.org/changing-imperative-interrogative/
- https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/interrogative_sentence.htm
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I have been a teacher of English for over 15 years, in that time i made hundreds and thousands of resources and learnt so much i think its worth sharing. Hopefully to help teachers and parents around the world.
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