closed question

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   a question that can only be answered with a short, fixed response, such as yes, no, or a choice from a list.

   Grammar: Countable: ask a closed question, ask closed questions.

   Patterns

   • ask a closed question
   • answer a closed question
   • a closed question about something

   The survey used closed questions to collect data quickly.

   A closed question like 'Do you own a car?' gives you a simple yes or no.

   In an interview, closed questions can make the conversation feel stiff.

2. 2nouncountable

   a question designed to confirm or limit information, often used in teaching or legal settings.

   Grammar: Often used in the plural: The lawyer asked a series of closed questions.

   Patterns

   • a series of closed questions
   • use closed questions
   • closed questions in a survey

   The teacher used closed questions to check whether the class remembered the facts.

   Lawyers often rely on closed questions to control what a witness says.

   We need to balance closed questions with open ones to get richer feedback.

Word forms

Common combinations

ask a closed question

The reporter asked a closed question to get a quick answer.

answer a closed question

Please answer the closed question with just 'yes' or 'no'.

closed question format

The closed question format makes the data easy to count.

a list of closed questions

The form contains a list of closed questions about your habits.

closed questions and open questions

Good interviews mix closed questions and open questions.

Synonyms and how they differ

yes-no question

A specific type of closed question that expects only 'yes' or 'no'; a closed question can also offer multiple choices.

fixed-choice question

Emphasizes that the answer options are set in advance; similar to a closed question but often used in testing.

Opposites

Word family

question noun

A sentence or phrase used to ask for information.

questionnaire noun

A set of written questions used to gather information.

Commonly confused: closed question or open question?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “closed question”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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