Questions/picnic - English lesson

Dear learners,

Today, we are going to look at questions and the answers that go with them.

First, we will learn how to recognise different types of questions. How can we understand a question more easily so that we can give the right answer?

A good general vocabulary is, of course, essential. But it is also important to identify the question word.

This helps us understand immediately what information is being requested and what kind of answer we should look for.

This short exercise is designed to help you do just that.

Matching questions and answers:

When you read a question, look for the question word:

- When - asks about time.
- Where - asks about a place.
- Who - asks about a person.
- Why - asks for a reason.
- What - asks about a thing, an object, some information or an action.

The question word tells you what kind of answer you should look for.

- When - a time, a date or a moment.
- Where - a place or location.
- Who - a person or people.
- Why - a reason or explanation.
- What - a thing, an object, some information or an action.

Then read the three possible answers. Only one matches the question.

The main question words:

WHEN

"When" is used to ask about a time, a date or a moment.

WHERE

"Where" is used to ask about a place or location.

WHO

"Who" is used to ask about the identity of a person.

WHY

"Why" is used to ask for a reason or explanation.

WHAT

"What" is used to ask about a thing, an object, some information or an action.

To match a question with an answer, always look at the question word. It tells you what kind of information you need to find.

Attention! Questions without question words

When a question does not contain a question word such as when, where, who, why or what, it is often a yes/no question.

This means that you can usually answer it with yes or no.

Example:

Question: Do you have an appointment today?

There is no question word.

This is a yes/no question.

Possible answers:

- Yes, I do. I have an appointment.
- No, I don't. I don't have an appointment.

A simple rule:

When there is no question word, check whether the question expects a yes/no answer.

Remember: some questions without question words offer a choice between two or more possibilities.

For example: Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Exercise:

Read each question and identify the question word. This will help you understand what the question is about: is it asking about a time, a person, a place, a reason or something else?

You can then choose the correct answer from the three options.

To stimulate your imagination, a picture related to the general meaning of the question is displayed. The French translation appears when you click on the grey field.

Help: a practical example

Question: Who is coming to the picnic?

Answer 1: The picnic starts at eleven.

Answer 2: We are going to have fun at the picnic.

Answer 3: Jasper and Nicole are coming to the picnic.

Think about it: the question word is "Who". We are looking for one or more people.

Conclusion: only answer 3 tells us who is coming to the picnic!

Problem solved! :-)