Writing sentences is both an art and a science. It is science because you must follow grammar and other conventions. It is an art because you can be as creative as you want and the way you combine the words makes you stand out from other writers.
In the previous quiz on sentences we looked at sentences as a unit of communication. We found that sentences contain words. We also looked at how sentences have to commence and end. We know that sentences are classified into Assertive, Exclamatory, Imperative and Interrogative sentences. In this quiz we learn more about Interrogative sentences.
Interrogative sentences are sentences where a question is asked. For instance, ‘Do you know the cost of this book?’ is an interrogative sentence and you will notice that just like other sentences, the first word is written with its first letter in capitals. Unlike assertive and imperative sentences interrogative sentences end with a question mark.
Interrogative sentences normally use words such as DO, DOES, DON’T and DOESN’T. Other words such as WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, CAN, COULD and WOULD are also used. Typically, DOES and DOESN’T are used with singular nouns and the pronouns 'he', 'she' and 'it'. DO and DON’T are used with plural nouns and the pronouns 'I', 'you', 'we' and 'they'. For instance, ‘DO you want to go to the movie with me?’ is correct just as ‘DOES he want to go to the movie with me?’ is correct. Similarly, ‘DO I want to go to the movie with him?’ and ‘DO we want to go to the movie with him?’ are also correct usage.
One thing you must guard against is not to get confused between an assertive sentence and an interrogative sentence. Some assertive sentences look like interrogative sentences but actually they are not. For example, the sentence ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever go out with her’ is not a question but an assertive statement. These kinds of sentences should not be confused with a typical interrogative sentence. Play this quiz and learn to write interrogative sentences.