AT English language there are five types interrogative sentences: disjunctive, general, special and alternative questions, as well as questions to the subject. All these species are almost equally complex and occur with approximately the same frequency. The alternative question is neither the most difficult nor the easiest, but it certainly can rightfully be called indispensable. It is about him that will be discussed in this article.

General definition

An alternative question is a question that contains a certain choice that is offered to the respondent. By asking such a question, the speaker seems to imply that the listener will have to make his own decision by choosing one of the options offered to him.

characteristic hallmark such questions is the presence of the union "or" - "or". Grammatically, examples of alternative questions differ little from other types of questions: they also use auxiliary, placed at the beginning of the sentence and standing before the subject.

How to ask such a question?

Easier than it might seem at first glance. It is best to consider the use of alternative questions in English with examples. For example, here is a fairly simple sentence:

• Yesterday my boyfriend bought a new blue car. - Yesterday my boyfriend bought new car of blue color.

And here whole list alternative questions that can be asked to this sentence:

Question	Translation
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday or the day before yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday or the day before?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue or red car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new blue or red car?
Did your boyfriend buy an old or a new blue car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new or old blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy or borrow a new blue car?	Did your boyfriend buy or borrow a new blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday, or your brother did?	Did your brother or boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?
Did your boyfriend buy a new blue car or bicycle yesterday?	Did your boyfriend buy a new car or blue bike yesterday?
Did your or your sister "s boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?	Did your boyfriend or your sister's boyfriend buy a new blue car yesterday?

As the examples show, all alternative questions contain several answers, from which the speaker offers his interlocutor to choose. To formulate such a question, it is necessary to imagine possible options and voice them to the interlocutor through the already mentioned early "or".

Logically, a multiple-choice question cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". The answer should be complete, most often a full sentence. For example, to this question:

• Did he arrive a week or two ago? - Did he come a week or two ago?

Maybe the following answer:

• He arrived two weeks ago. - He arrived two weeks ago.

Sometimes, to avoid tautology, the word "one" is used. For example, in response to this alternative question:

• Would you like to put on the black or the gray suit? - Would you rather wear a black or gray suit?

You can answer like this:

• I think, I "ll better choose the black one. - I think I'll most likely choose black.

AT colloquial speech short, one-word answers are also acceptable. For example, on such household question, as:

• Would you like some tea or coffee? - Would you like to have some tea or coffee?

You can answer briefly:

• A cup of coffee, please. - I'd like a cup of coffee.

Decisive factors in the choice between a complete and incomplete answer are such factors as social status interlocutor, relations with him, as well as the formality or informality of the situation in general.

Alternative questions with a question word

An interrogative word may well be used when using this type of question. To understand how this works, it is better to use a simple sentence again, on the example of which you can ask ordinary alternative questions, which can then be easily restructured into questions with a question word. Here is a simple suggestion:

• We will go to Spain by car. We will go to Spain by car.

And here's how you can put an alternative question to it:

As the examples of questions with a question word show, alternative questions of this type look and are formed in the same way as special ones, with the only difference that they use a colon and the union "or".

Questions to the subject

They have already been used as examples in this article, but have not been dealt with separately. To ask a question to the subject, it is necessary to formulate a special question for the first subject, and then, separated by a comma, write down the similarity of the second half of the separating question for the second subject. In theory it seems complicated, but in practice it looks quite concise and simple:

Where are these questions used?

Examples of alternative questions, of course, can be found not only on the pages of English textbooks. If that were the case, there would be no point in studying them. In fact, these questions are used in almost all styles of oral and writing.

In addition, alternative questions are a manipulative tool, a favorite technique of marketers and merchants who are well trained to inspire buyers to want to buy what they will never need in their lives. It works like this: by giving the listener options for an answer, the speaker limits the range of options. possible actions. For example:

• Alright, sir, would you prefer us to box it or you will do it buy yourself? - So, sir, would you prefer us to pack the goods, or would you do it yourself?

Perhaps the “sir” mentioned in this phrase had not yet decided to buy the goods, but was only thinking about it, inadvertently mentioning that, theoretically, he might like it. So, when you hear an alternative question from a service worker, you should be very careful.

Alternative question in English implies a choice between two or more options, it always includes a union or(or). For example:

Do you prefer coffee or tea?– Do you prefer coffee or tea?

I prefer tea. – I prefer tea.

How an alternative question is constructed in English

An alternative question might start with:

1. Interrogative word (what, who, where, why, etc.)

1. Alternative question with an auxiliary or modal verb

This kind of question is constructed in much the same way as the general one: we isolate the auxiliary or modal verb from the predicate and put it before the subject. For example:

• Claim: This dog is smart. This dog is smart.
• Question: Is this dog smart or stupid? Is this dog smart or stupid?

The difference is that an alternative question can be asked to any member of the sentence(as a special one), and a general question is asked to the sentence as a whole. In a question, the member of the sentence to which the question is asked will appear in two or more copies connected by the union or(or).

1. Question for addition

Let's take a sentence and ask a question to supplement.

Michelle is baking a cake. Michelle is baking a cake.

Is Michelle baking a cake or cookies? Does Michelle bake a cake or cookies?

We received a question with two homogeneous additions: cake and cookies.

Let's consider one more example. In the sentence with cake and cookies, we isolated the auxiliary verb to be from the predicate is baking and put it in front of the subject. If there is no auxiliary verb in the predicate, it is probably expressed by the verb in or (other tenses include auxiliary verbs). In this case, the subject is preceded by a verb in the appropriate form (do, does or did).

I like cats.– I like cats.

Do I like cats or dogs? Do I like cats or dogs?

2. Question to circumstance

Consider the example of a sentence where the predicate consists of a modal verb (should) and semantic (swim). A modal verb goes to the beginning of a sentence. Auxiliaries are not needed here - at the beginning of the question there is either a modal verb or an auxiliary.

The athlete should swim slowly.– The athlete should swim slowly.

Should the athlete swim slowly or fast? Should the athlete swim slowly or quickly?

3. Question for definition

In this offer car- this is an addition, and the definition with it - new.

Anna bought a new car. Anna has bought a new car.

Did Anna buy a new or a used car? Did Anna buy a new or used car?

4. Question to the nominal part of the predicate

This applies to cases where the predicate consists of the verb to be in the meaning of “to be” + a word (not a verb) denoting who / what the subject is. For example, in the sentence “John is my brother”, the predicate consists of to be + my brother. We take the verb to be and put it before the subject.

John is mine brother. John is my brother.

Is John my brother or cousin? Is John my brother or cousin?

5. Question to the subject

The question to the subject is built according to a slightly different scheme. The second subject must also be preceded by an auxiliary or modal verb.

The bus arrives at seven o'clock. The bus arrives at seven o'clock.

Does the bus arrive at seven o'clock or does the train? Does the bus arrive at seven o'clock or the train?

Note: in an alternative question, “not” is often used as an answer option, for example:

Do you like cats or not? Do you like cats or not?

Is it your bag or not? Is this your bag or not?

Should I apply for the job or not? Should I apply for this job or not?

3. Alternative questions for Who, What, Where, etc.

Alternative questions starting with who (who), what (what), where (where), why (why), how long (how long), how many (how many), etc., are built according to the scheme:

Special question + choice 1 + or + choice 2.

In Russian, by the way, the scheme is almost the same.

Where do you live in a city or country? Where do you live, in the city or in the countryside?

What do you like more, summer or winter? What do you like better, summer or winter?

What question to ask?

In many cases, the same statement can be asked a question, both with an auxiliary verb at the beginning, and with a question word. Let's take a suggestion:

My friend likes old movies. My friend likes old films.

An alternative question can be asked in two ways. In Russian, by the way, too:

• Does my friend like old or new movies? Does my friend like old or new films?
• What movies does my friend like, old or new? What kind of films does my friend like, old or new?

There is no difference between the options.

Alternative questions and answers to them in colloquial speech

Speaking correctly, fully, an alternative question and answer to it will sound like this:

Is it a debit card or a credit card? Is it a debit card or credit card?

– It is a debit card. - It's a credit card.

(This question can be asked by the cashier when accepting payment by card)

But don't let it bother you that in colloquial speech most of members of the sentence can be omitted - this is completely normal phenomenon for both English and Russian.

– Debit or credit? – Debit or credit?

– Debit. - Debit.

Every day we are faced with a question that offers a choice of answers. What will you eat for breakfast: pancakes or porridge? Shall we go shopping today or stay at home? Did you fill up the car or not?

In contact with

What is an alternative question

In English this type of question called Alternative Question. There are five types in English. Alternative questions in English involve choosing between two or more answers.

In an alternative question, the questioner focuses the attention of his interlocutor on possible or acceptable solutions. This is meant to simplify the selection process and save time thinking about the answer on your own.

In order to understand how the Alternative Question is built, it is necessary to study the structure of the general and . Like , the alternative begins with an action, but the very suggestion of response options does not make it possible to answer in the affirmative or in the negative. Answer options united by union or(or). He binds homogeneous members suggestions.

Important!Alternative Questions are given to any member of the sentence. Ex.: Do you like football or basketball? Do you like football or basketball. - Homogeneous additions. Where are you from, the USA or the UK? – Where are you from, from the USA or the United Kingdom? - Uniform circumstances. Is it your bag or mine? Is this your bag or mine? – Homogeneous definitions.

Five types of questions in English

The part of the sentence that comes before the union or is pronounced with an ascending intonation, and the part after the union with a descending intonation. Ex.: Will you go to the opera ↗ or to the concert to-night ↘? Are you going to the opera or to a concert today?

How Alternative Questions Are Formed

Almost all types of interrogative constructions are characterized by the inversion of words (with the exception of the dividing one). Alternative questions in English also contain signs of inversion. At the beginning of the sentence is auxiliary or modal verb. If we are talking about Wh-constructions ( special type), then the auxiliary or modal verb will come after the question word. ex.: Can you jump or swim? - Can you jump or run? Who can jump or swim? Who can run or jump?

Answers to Alternative Questions are given briefly. Ex.: Do you like cola or sprite? – I like cola. Do you like cola or sprite? - I like cola.

Important! If the Alternative Question is in the subject group, then the second specified subject must be preceded by an auxiliary or modal verb. Ex.: Can you or can Mike wash the dishes? Can you or Mike wash the dishes? – Mike can. Mike can (wash the dishes). Did you read book or did your brother? Did you or your brother read the book? – I did.

How to ask an alternative question with an auxiliary verb

In English perform a number of functions:

• Help to educate.
• indicate the quantity actors in syntactic construction.

• Do or does for Present Simple.
• Did for Past Simple.
• Will for the future tense of the Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous groups.
• Have or has for present and future tense Perfect groups and Perfect Continuous.
• Had for the past tense of the Perfect and Perfect Continuous groups.
• To be. Let's look at it in detail below.

Question with auxiliary verb Do

As noted above, to ask an alternative question in English, word order must be used. It turns out such a scheme:

Consider examples with auxiliary verbs in tenses.

Pr. Simple	Do you speak Russian or Ukrainian? – Do you speak Russian or Ukrainian? What bus do you take to get to work, 11th or 23rd? – What bus do you take to work, 11th or 23rd?
past simple	Did you take part in the football match or in the basketball match? Did you take part in a football or basketball game? What did you have for lunch, a salad or a sandwich? What did you have for lunch, salad or sandwich?
Fut. Simple	When will you take your last exam, in June or in July? - When will you have last exam, June or July?
Pr. cont.	What are the children doing, playing or drawing? What do children do, play or draw?
Past Cont.	Was he reading a newspaper or watching TV when you came? When you arrived, was he reading a newspaper or watching TV?
Future Cont.	Will you be meeting Tom on Friday or on Saturday? Are you meeting Tom on Friday or Saturday?
Pr. Perf.	Where has he gone, to the shop or to his friend? Where did he go, to the store or to a friend? Have you read The Jungle Book or Rikki-Tikki-Tavi? Have you read The Jungle Book or Riki-Tiki-Tavi?
Past Perf.	Where had he studied, at Cambridge or at Harvard? – Where did he study, at Cambridge or Harvard?
Fut. Perf.	Will John have started his project on Monday or on Tuesday? Will John start working on his project on Monday or Tuesday?
Pr. Perf. cont.	Have you been waiting for your boarding for 3 or 4 hours? – Are you waiting for boarding for 3 or 4 hours? How long has she been working on this project, 2 or 3 weeks? How long did she work on this project, 2 or 3 weeks?
Past Perf. cont.	Had he been working for 6 or 7 months until he got his holidays? Did he work 6 or 7 months before he got a vacation?
Future Perf. cont.	Will you have been playing chess 2 or more times? – Will you play 2 or more games of chess?

How to ask an alternative question with the auxiliary verb to be

To be used when we want:

• Express finding something. Ex.: Milk is in fridge. - Milk is in the fridge.
• Name an object or person someone or something. : He is taxi driver. - He is a taxi driver.
• Determine the property of an object. Ex.: She is beautiful. - She's beautiful.

Alternative question with auxiliary verb to be

To be has its own temporary forms. In the present tense - am / is / are, in the past - was / were, in the future - will be.

Let's look at examples:

Pr. Simple	Am I an engineer or developer? – Am I an engineer or a developer? What am I crazy or mad? What if I'm crazy or insane? Are there any tomatoes or carrots in the fridge? Are there any tomatoes or carrots in the refrigerator? Where are you now, at home or at work? Where are you now, at home or at work? Is this pen a good or a bad? Is this pencil good or bad? What time is football game, at 7 or 8 o'clock? - What time does it start football match, at 7 or 8 o'clock?
past simple	Was dictation long or short? Was the dictation long or short? Where were the boys, at the stadium or at the swimming pool? - Where were the boys, at the stadium or in the pool?
Fut. Simple	Will you be in time tomorrow or not? Will you be on time tomorrow or not? What color will the walls be, white or green? What color will the walls be, white or green?

Question words

How to make an alternative question with a modal verb

Modal verbs do not name an action, but express an attitude towards it. In grammatical terms, they indicate time on their own(i.e. they do not need the help of an auxiliary verb), ask questions and form a negation.

Alternative Question with modal verb in English looks like this:

Can-could	Can you see a book or a telephone? Do you see (can you see) a book or a phone? Could you give me a pen or a pencil? – Could you give me a pencil or a pen?
May - might	May I take your telephone number or address? May I write down your phone number or address? Might we go home or book a hotel room? – Can we go home or should we book a hotel room?
need	Need you iron the skirt or shirt? Do you need to iron your skirt or blouse?
Must	Must he have left the city or county? Did he have to leave the city or the country?
Should	Should he consult the doctor or not? Does he need to consult a doctor or not?
Would	Would you like an orange or an apple? Will you be an orange or an apple?

Important! The answer to the Alternative Question must be at the same time as the question itself.

Video lesson in English: General and alternative questions in English

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION? 5 types of questions

Conclusion

Alternative Question is one of the easiest types of questions in English. It will not take much time and effort to study it, and exercises on this topic will help consolidate the result.

An alternative question (Alternative Question) is one of the five that exist in the English language. Alternative questions resemble the construction of general and special questions, therefore, before studying the former, it is recommended to repeat the course of the latter if they (general and special questions) have already been studied. Consider an alternative question in English, examples of which will make it easier to understand the rule of its formation , construction building, important nuances and subtleties of use.

There are often circumstances in life when you need to make a choice or offer it to others. This function is performed precisely by alternative questions. If you make a definition, then an alternative question in English means questions that suggest making a choice from two or more actions, qualities, objects, etc.

Important! The construction of the question necessarily implies the use of the union or ("or"), the function of which is to connect the proposed options. Also note that the answer to the question is present in the question itself. All the responder has to do is simply choose one of the options. The answer is ready.

Reference: answers ‘’yes’’/’’no’’, which are unambiguous, in this situation are invalid in meaning.

Usage examples:

A few examples to better understand the rule when you need to ask an alternative question:

• Will you propose me coffee or tea? => Will you offer me coffee or tea?
• Are you going to Africa or Brazil? => Are you going to Africa or Brazil?
• Is he wearing his or mine trousers? => Is he wearing his pants or mine?

As you can see from the examples, all you need to answer is just choose one of the options already offered.

As for intonation, it should be given considerable attention. You can not pronounce alternative questions in one continuous intonation. The first part of the question, before the particle or, is pronounced in a slightly high tone, the second - understated. It can be concluded that the first option is more preferred than the second, but this is not always the case. It all depends on the situation and on the preferences of the respondent.

• Do you prefer pineapples or peaches? => Do you prefer pineapples or peaches?
• Do you like listening to music or watching TV? => Do you like listening to music or watching TV?
• Is he handsome or just pretty? => Is he handsome or just cute?

As you can see, the answer in favor of a particular quality/thing/object depends on personal taste preferences and individual wishes. For example, for one, peaches will be tastier, for another, pineapples. It cannot be said that one is better and the other is worse. The same can be said about music. Someone likes to relax with their favorite songs, for someone watching a movie is the best entertainment. And as for sympathy, it is purely individual preferences.

Features of the formation of the construction of alternative questions

To build a construction, it is common to use inversion, that is, a change in the order of words in a sentence. The presence of inversion is observed in all types of questions, except for a special one (to its definition and subject). How is the proposal constructed in such cases? In the first place we put (one to choose from):

• modal verb;
• auxiliary;
• question word.

One option is selected. It depends on the nature of the offer. What is important is the presence of the union or, with the help of which a choice of several proposed options is provided. In order to better understand the structure of the construction, we will clearly demonstrate how an alternative question is formed according to the principle general issues.

Usage examples:

We take two general questions and connect them with the union or:

• Are they knitting or are they sewing? => Do they knit or sew?
• Is she going to school or is she going to cinema? => Does she go to school or to the movies?
• Does he solve a problem or does he watch TV? =>

Now, to form a correct alternative question, we remove the second part of the question, which is repeated, and leave only its alternative. This results in the following suggestions:

• Are they knitting or sewing? => Do they knit or sew?
• Is she going to school or to cinema? => Does she go to school or to the movies?
• Does he solve a problem or watch TV? => Is he solving a problem or watching TV?

Conclusion: an alternative question in English is formed on the basis of general questions, which serve as a kind of foundation for the formation of alternative ones. The main task is to connect several alternatives, among which one is a possible answer.

On a note! The second part of the alternative question in some cases can be replaced by a negative one. particle not. Here are some examples:

• Will she be so kind to repeat or not? => Will she be so kind to repeat or not?
• Is he waiting for me or not? => Is he waiting for me or not?
• Do you like my cookies or not? => Did you like my cookies or not?
• Did they trust us or not? => Did they trust us or not?

Important! An alternative question should be answered only with a full sentence.

Alternative question in English: examples with subject

It is important to remember that in the case when an alternative question must be asked to the subject, then the second part of the question must also have a modal or auxiliary verb, which must precede the second subject. And it is worth remembering that the answers to such questions most often have a short form.

If an alternative question consists of a special question (special questions have their own specifics of education), followed by homogeneous members of the sentence, then you need to use an interrogative word. It is placed at the beginning of such a sentence.

Examples:

Summing up

The subject of an alternative question is one of the simplest in the English language. In order to better understand the issue, compose the right technique for study. By regularly visiting our site and studying the topics in the proposed sequence, you will acquire a systematic and learn how to correctly express your thoughts.

Homework: Write 10 general questions and make alternative questions out of them. If it's hard to come up with a lot, start with 5 questions. Remember: quality over quantity. But! Starting with a few examples, constantly raise the bar and increase the number. Variety of words is good for vocabulary enrichment.

A few words in conclusion

And one more thing: do not rush to cover everything, start with primitive topics and move towards more complex ones. Good luck and patience interesting discoveries in the world of grammar, stylistics and lexicology.