Glossary (Version 8.4)

A clause structured to elicit information. Questions can be categorised as either closed or open in terms of the information required to answer them:

  • Closed questions require predictable answers; for example: What time is it? Do you like cats?
  • Open questions have unknown and unpredictable answers that invite and support more elaborated and extended contributions from learners; for example, What do you think about that?
  • Questions can be structured as either yes-no or wh- questions, which require different non-manual features

- Yes-no questions are closed questions for which the response can only be yes or no

- Wh- questions can be closed or open questions, but include the signs WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW, HOW-MUCH, or HOW-MANY?