Meaning & use
statement questions
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
A question that keeps the word order of a statement and usually asks for confirmation or shows surprise.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; the singular form is 'statement question'.
Patterns
- a statement question
- use statement questions
- ask a statement question
In 'You're leaving tomorrow?', the speaker uses a statement question to check the information.
Statement questions often sound more natural in conversation than full questions.
She raised her voice at the end to make the statement question clear.
nounpluraltechnical
A teaching term for question forms that look like statements, used in grammar lessons and textbooks.
Grammar: Often found in the phrase 'statement questions' as a grammar topic.
Patterns
- a lesson on statement questions
- the chapter about statement questions
The teacher explained statement questions by comparing 'You are tired?' with 'Are you tired?'
Students often find statement questions easier to use in speaking than in writing.
Word forms
| singular | statement question |
|---|
Common combinations
- ask a statement question
- He asked a statement question to confirm the time of the meeting.
- use statement questions
- Good speakers use statement questions to keep a conversation going.
- a statement question with rising intonation
- A statement question with rising intonation can sound friendly.
- the word order of a statement question
- The word order of a statement question is the same as in a normal statement.
Synonyms and how they differ
- declarative question
- A more formal term used in linguistics for the same idea; 'statement question' is simpler and more common in language teaching.
- echo question
- An echo question repeats what someone said, often with surprise; a statement question may or may not repeat the other person's words.
Word family
Commonly confused: statement questions or tag question?
statement questions vs tag question
A tag question adds a short question at the end, as in 'You're leaving, aren't you?'; a statement question has no tag and uses statement order throughout.
Practice
Which of these is a statement question?
Choose one answer.
'You are coming to the party?' keeps the word order of a statement and asks for confirmation, so it is a statement question. 'Are you coming...?' is a normal yes/no question with verb-first order, and 'don't you?' makes the last option a tag question.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “statement questions”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.