Interrogative (definition)

Interrogatives are sentences that ask questions. They come in a number of subtypes:

• Yes/No Questions (also known as polar questions) can be responded to by yes, no or maybe. They ask for a choice among alternatives . English: Are you going? Gaelic" A' bheil thu a' dol?
• Wh-questions ask for additional contentful information. English what did you eat?, Gaelic: Dè a dh'tih thu?
• Tag questions, ask for confirmation. They are structured as a declarative with a question "tag" which contrasts in negative polarity with the statement: English "We're going, aren't we?" Gaelic Tha sinn a' falbh, nach eil?"
• Echo Questions repeat a previously heard statement but with rising intonation. They are used to ask for confirmation or express surprise. English: He left?, Gaelic: Dh'fhalbh e?

See Also

• Declarative (definition)
• Exclamation (definition)
• Imperative Mood (definition)
• Sentence Type (definition)

External Links

The links below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogative_mood
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogative_word
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentence_function
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes-no_question
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wh_questions
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_answer

References

• Carnie, A. (2013) Syntax: A Generative Introduction. 3rd Edition. Wiley Blackwell.
• Crystal, D. (2008) Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. 6th Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Matthews, P. H. (1997) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.