information question
B1academic, technical, educational
Definition
Meaning
A type of question in English that asks for specific information and cannot be answered with simply 'yes' or 'no'. They are formed with a wh-word (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
In linguistics and language teaching, it refers specifically to wh-questions or content questions that solicit new, detailed information, contrasting with yes/no questions (polar questions).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is primarily used in the context of grammar instruction and linguistic description. While 'wh-question' is a more precise technical term, 'information question' is a common pedagogical label that highlights the function of the question.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage. Both British and American English grammars and teaching materials use the term identically.
Connotations
Neutral and descriptive in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in the pedagogical and grammatical registers of both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Wh-word] + auxiliary/modal + subject + main verb + ...?[Wh-word] + be + subject + ...?Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; would be used only in internal training materials for language skills.
Academic
Common in linguistic textbooks, TESOL methodology papers, and second language acquisition research.
Everyday
Extremely rare; native speakers would simply talk about 'questions starting with who, what, etc.'.
Technical
The standard term in grammar books, language syllabi, and pedagogical discussions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tutor asked the trainees to information-question the text, but this is a highly marked, non-standard usage.
adjective
British English
- In the information-question drill, students practised forming 'how long' and 'how often' queries.
American English
- The worksheet focused on information-question formation using all the common wh-words.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- 'What is your name?' is an information question.
- 'Where do you live?' is another example.
- Please change this statement into an information question: 'She arrives at eight o'clock.' -> 'When does she arrive?'
- In English, information questions usually have a falling tone at the end.
- Unlike polar questions, information questions presuppose that some part of the proposition is unknown and request its specification.
- The student struggled with subject-object inversion in complex information questions involving modal verbs.
- The pedagogical sequence often introduces yes/no questions before moving on to the more syntactically demanding information questions.
- Cross-linguistic analysis reveals that the formation of information questions is a key area of syntactic transfer and potential fossilisation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an INFORMATION desk. To get the INFO you need, you must ask questions starting with WHo, WHat, WHen, WHere, WHy, and HoW.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUESTIONS ARE TOOLS FOR EXCAVATION (information questions dig for specific details, while yes/no questions just check the surface).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid calquing as 'информационный вопрос', which sounds odd in Russian. The correct equivalent is 'специальный вопрос' or 'вопрос к подлежащему/дополнению/etc.' depending on the grammatical focus.
- Russian speakers may incorrectly use 'question about information' instead of the fixed compound noun 'information question'.
Common Mistakes
- Omitting the auxiliary verb in the question (e.g., 'Where you go?' instead of 'Where do you go?').
- Using rising intonation as for yes/no questions; information questions typically use falling intonation.
- Inverting subject and verb incorrectly when the wh-word is the subject (e.g., 'Who did call?' instead of 'Who called?').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT an information question?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For all practical purposes in language teaching, yes. 'Wh-question' is the more precise linguistic term, as it references the question words (who, what, etc.), while 'information question' describes the function.
Yes. Although 'how' does not start with 'wh-', it is grouped with the wh-words because it functions identically in question formation. The term 'wh-question' is understood to include 'how'.
The required subject-auxiliary inversion (e.g., 'Where are you going?') and the correct use of the auxiliary 'do' when no other auxiliary is present (e.g., 'What do you think?') are common stumbling blocks.
Most are, but there are exceptions like rhetorical questions (e.g., 'Who knows?') or exclamations (e.g., 'How wonderful!'), which do not genuinely seek new information.