Dictionary
Intonation
- Spanish word:
-
Entonación
- Audio:
Maximise
- Spanish word:
-
Maximizar, hacer más grande
- Audio:
Native-like
- Spanish word:
-
Como un nativo
- Audio:
Recognize
- Spanish word:
-
Reconocer
-
Audio:
Good Karma
4.1 The structure of questions
Welcome back, dear communicator!
Are you ready to maximise your communicative talents? Here´s the first training room: The structure of questions. Let´s do some exercise. When you are finished, your questions will be stronger and more native-like.
Definition:
To make something bigger or more important.
Hacer algo más grande o más importante.
Example:Use this shampoo to maximise the volume and curl of your hair.
Utilice este champú para maximizar el volumen y el rizado de su cabello.
Definition:
To speak a language like a native.
Hablar un idioma como un nativo.
Example:He really speaks native-like English, although he is French.
Realmente habla inglés como un nativo, aunque es francés.
1. Can you recognise a question?
Is it a question?
Feedback
True
Feedback
True
Feedback
False
Feedback
True
Lumen dice ... Do you need help with the activity?
In this activity listen and choose if it is a question or a statement.
- Notice the intonation and the changes in the tone.
- Notice how the sentence begins.
Mark True if it is a question. Mark False if it is not.
Lumen dice...
En esta actividad escucha y elige si es una pregunta o una afirmación.
- Fíjate en la entonación y en el cambio de tono..
- Fíjate en cómo empieza la frase.
Señala Verdadero si es una pregunta. Señala Falso si no lo es.
Definition:
Rise and fall in your voice when you speak.
Subida y bajada de voz cuando al hablar.
Example:Yes/no questions have a rising intonation.
Las preguntas de sí o no tienen una entonación ascendente.
2. What you need to know
There are three different types of questions. Each type has a different structure.
- Yes/no questions. You can answer these questions with yes or no.
- WH-questions. You can answer these questions with infinite possibilities.
- WH-subject questions. You can answer these questions with infinite possibilities. The wh-word is the subject of the question and, therefore, takes the position of subject in the structure.
Lumen dice ... Why do verbs need an auxiliary to make questions?
An auxiliary verb is used with a main verb to express its tense, mood and voice.
For example: Do you feel OK today? Did you feel OK yesterday?
Do and did are auxiliaries and tell us that the questions are in the present and past tense respectively.
Lumen dice...
Un verbo auxiliar se usa con un verbo principal para expresar su tiempo, modo y voz.
Por ejemplo: Do you feel OK today? Did you feel OK yesterday?
Do y did son auxiliaries y nos dicen que las preguntas están en presente y pasado respectivamente.
3. I would need to concentrate now
To reach a goal, you need to be strategic. That is, to have methods, techniques, "tricks" to get where you want sooner or more easily.
Now I'm going to teach you a strategy, take advantage of it to reach your goal!
I know that you are going to explain questions that I need to attend to if I want to build my Profile as an Interlocutor well.
What do I have to do to concentrate and avoid distractions when I need to?
Click on this link if you want to learn how to minimise distractions.
I am sure you'll do great!
¿Necesitas más ayuda?
Para alcanzar una meta, debes ser un buen estratega. Es decir, disponer de métodos, técnicas, "trucos" para llegar a donde quieres más pronto o más fácilmente.
Ahora te voy a enseñar una estrategia, ¡aprovéchala para alcanzar tu reto!
Sé que me vas a explicar cuestiones que debo atender si quiero construir bien mi Profile as an Interlocutor.
¿Qué tengo que hacer para concentrarme y evitar distracciones cuando lo necesito?
Haga clic en este enlace si desea aprender a minimizar las distracciones.
¡Estoy seguro de que lo harás genial!
4. Three ways to learn the structure of questions
Presentation
Video: Make a paper structure
Parámetros de impresión y archivos
- Parámetros de impresión
- PDF para impresión en papel
- ARCHIVO STL PARA IMPRESIÓN 3D
- ARCHIVO ZIP CON TODO EL CONTENIDO
Text
In English, there are three types of questions:
Yes/no questions.
- First, you use an auxiliary, then a subject, then a verb and a complement at the end.
- For example:
- In the question, “Do you go to the cinema at weekends?”
- “Do” is the auxiliary, “you” is the subject, “go'' is the verb and “to the cinema” and “at weekends” are both complements.
Wh-questions.
- First, you use a wh- word, then you use an auxiliary, then a subject, then a verb and a complement at the end.
- For example:
- In the question, “Where do you go at weekends?”
- “Where” is the wh-word, “do” is the auxiliary, “you” is the subject, “go” is the verb and “at weekends” is the complement.
Wh- subject questions.
- First, you use a wh- word, then a verb and a complement at the end.
- For example:
- In the question, “Who goes to the cinema with you?”
- “Where” is the wh-word, “go” is the verb and “to the cinema” and “with you” are both complements.
Lectura facilitada
Read
In English, there are three types of questions.
En inglés, hay tres maneras de preguntar:
1. Yes or no questions.
1. Preguntas de sí/no:
Auxiliary+subject+verb+complement?
¿Auxiliar + sujeto + verbo + complemento?
Read
2. Wh-questions:
2. Preguntas con pronombre interrogativo:
Wh-word+auxiliary+subject+verb+complement?
¿Pronombre interrogativo + auxiliar + sujeto + verbo + complemento?
Read
3. Subject questions:
3. Preguntas sujeto:
Wh-word+subject+verb+complement?
¿Pronombre interrogativo + verbo + complemento?
5. Don´t stop asking questions
Asking questions is important to keep a conversation going. But the structure of questions in English is a bit different. Become an expert by doing these exercises.
Option A: What a mess!
Yes/no question
Wh-question
</
Wh-subject question
Option B: Can questions be wrong?
Which of these questions follow one of the three structures? Which ones don't?
Click TRUE if the question follows one of the three structures: yes/no question structure, wh- question structure and wh- subject question structure.
Click FALSE if the question doesn’t follow one of those three structures.
Feedback
False
This question doesn’t follow any of the structures. This question needs an auxiliary: “Do you listen to your parents?"
Feedback
True
This question follows the structure of a yes/no question.
Feedback
True
This question follows the structure of a wh-subject question.
Feedback
False
This question doesn’t follow any of the structures. This question needs an auxiliary and switching the position of subject and verb. “Where does your brother work?"
Feedback
False
This question doesn’t follow any of the structures. This question needs an auxiliary. “Who do you speak with before going to sleep?"
Feedback
False
This question doesn’t follow any of the structures. This question needs an auxiliary. “Do you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables?"
Feedback
True
This question follows the yes/no question structure.
Feedback
False
This question doesn’t follow any of the structures. This question needs an auxiliary: “How often do you play chess?”.
Feedback
True
This question follows the wh-question structure.
Feedback
True
This question follows the yes/ no question structure.
Option C: A classifying expert
Option D: An exercise for empaths
Imagine you´re a new student in the school. You don´t know your classmates well.
Write two yes/no questions, two wh-questions and one wh-subject question to ask one of your new classmates.
When you are finished with writing the five different questions, tag them with their level of intrusiveness.
- Not intrusive at all.
- A bit intrusive.
- Intrusive
- Very intrusive.
Click on Motus to get a clear picture of what means to be intrusive.
Motus dice ... How can you spot if you´re being intrusive?
As you have learnt up to now, questions are an important element in communication. The easiest way to get information about someone is asking a question. However, questions are not always well accepted because they are felt as “intrusive”
The best way to get information is asking a question. However, questions can be considered “intrusive”. For two different reasons:
- The question is very personal (money, mental or physical health, sexual orientation …).
- The question is asked in the wrong context. The same question in a different context can be appropriate.
Reflect about the level of intrusiveness of the questions you have prepared. The key word is “empathy”: How will your question make your partner feel?
Motus dice ... Did you get excited about this activity?
A classroom activity can make you feel in many ways: confused, relieved, insecure, tense, happy, proud, angry....
The way you respond to an activity can tell you a lot about yourself.
- If you feel confused or insecure, it is because it is a new activity that you don't know how to deal with.
- If you feel happy, joyful or proud, it is probably because you know you will be able to do it very well.
- If you feel angry or tense, it is because the activity is very difficult or very important.
Knowing the emotions you feel when you are going to do an activity will help you:
- Ask for help.
- Relax to answer it.
- Think about how you will be able to answer it.
Listen to your emotions!
6. Game
Let´s get together into groups of five people. We´re going to play a game.
Your teacher will divide the board into 5 different columns. Each column corresponds to one of the elements of the structure of a wh-question: wh-word, auxiliary, subject, verb and complement.
Each student of the group will stand below one of the elements. The first student will say a wh-word, the second student will say an auxiliary and so on. Listen carefully to what your group members on the right say. If you do that, you will be able to come up with a relevant and meaningful word when it´s your turn.
If your group makes a meaningful question, your group will gain one point. Each group needs to make five different questions.
The winning group is the one that gets the most points.
Lectura facilitada
Read
Let’s play.
Vamos a jugar.
Let’s make groups of five.
Nos dividimos en grupos de cinco personas.
Each group makes a meaningful question.
Cada grupo crea una pregunta con sentido.
The question follows this structure.
La pregunta sigue esta estructura.
Wh-word+Auxiliary+Subject+Verb+Complement?
Pronombres interrogativos + auxiliar + sujeto + verbo + complemento?
There are 5 columns on the board.
En la pizarra hay 5 columnas:
Wh-word.
Pronombre interrogativo.
Auxiliary.
Auxiliar.
Subject.
Sujeto.
Verb.
Verbo.
Complement.
Complemento.
Each student stands in one column.
Cada persona se coloca debajo de una columna.
Listen carefully to the classmate on your right.
Escuchas atentamente a tu compañero de la derecha.
Think of a word for your column.
Piensas una palabra para tu columna.
Say that word.
Dices esa palabra.
Make a meaningful question.
Haz una pregunta con sentido.
Meaningful: Do people travel by plane?
Con sentido: ¿Viaja la gente en avión?
Meaningless: Do fish travel by plane?
Sin sentido: ¿Viajan los peces en avión?
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