Converting Assertive Sentences to Interrogative Sentences: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is Assertive and Interrogative Sentences?

An assertive sentence is a statement that declares something as true, while an interrogative sentence is a question that seeks information. The process of converting assertive sentences to interrogative sentences involves altering the word order and sometimes adding auxiliary verbs to create a question.

You can easily convert an assertive sentence to an interrogative one in two simple steps:

1. Change the sentence from positive to negative, or vice versa.

2. Move the helping verb to the beginning of the sentence.

Let us understand with an example:

Examples

• Assertive to Interrogative:

Assertive: She is coming to the party.
Interrogative: Is she coming to the party?

Assertive: They have completed the project.
Interrogative: Have they completed the project?

• More Examples:

Assertive: You like coffee.
Interrogative: Do you like coffee?

Assertive: He can solve the problem.
Interrogative: Can he solve the problem?

Common Confusions:

• Auxiliary Verbs: Sometimes, adding auxiliary verbs (do, does, did) is necessary when converting assertive sentences without them into interrogative sentences.

• Word Order: The typical word order of an interrogative sentence is the auxiliary verb (if present), followed by the subject and the main verb.

• Mistakes in word order can lead to incorrect questions.

Tips for Learning:

• Regularly practice converting assertive sentences by switching the subject and auxiliary verbs to form questions.

• Identify whether an auxiliary verb is present in the assertive sentence, and know when to add one if it’s missing.

• Reinforce learning by converting assertive sentences into interrogative forms and checking for accuracy.

Exercise to Solve

Exercise 1:

Convert the following assertive sentences into interrogative sentences.

1. She is going to the market.

2. They have finished their homework.

3. You can play the piano well.

4. He was late for the meeting.

5. The sun rises in the east.

Exercise 2:

Convert the following assertive sentences into interrogative sentences.

1. She loves reading books.

2. They will attend the concert tomorrow.

3. The teacher is explaining the lesson.

4. You have completed the project.

5. The train arrives at 8 PM.

Answer Key

Exercise 1:

1. Is she going to the market?

2. Have they finished their homework?

3. Can you play the piano well?

4. Was he late for the meeting?

5. Does the sun rise in the east?

Exercise 2:

1. Does she love reading books?

2. Will they attend the concert tomorrow?

3. Is the teacher explaining the lesson?

4. Have you completed the project?

5. Does the train arrive at 8 PM?

Test Your Understanding of the Topic by Completing the Following Tasks:

1. Which of the following is the correct interrogative form of the assertive sentence: "She is reading a book"?

a) Is she reading a book?

b) Does she reading a book?

c) Was she reading a book?

d) Did she reading a book?

2. How do you convert the assertive sentence "They are going to the park" into an interrogative sentence?

a) Are they go to the park?

b) Are they going to the park?

c) Do they going to the park?

d) Did they going to the park?

3. Identify the correct interrogative form of the sentence: "He can solve the problem."

a) Does he can solve the problem?

b) Can he solve the problem?

c) Will he solve the problem?

d) Could he solve the problem?

4. What is the correct interrogative form of "You have finished your homework"?

a) Did you have finished your homework?

b) Are you finished your homework?

c) Have you finished your homework?

d) Will you finish your homework?

5. Which auxiliary verb would you add to convert "She plays the piano" into an interrogative sentence?

a) Does

b) Is

c) Has

d) Do

Check the Answers Below

1. a) Is she reading a book?

2. b) Are they going to the park?

3. b) Can he solve the problem?

4. c) Have you finished your homework?

5. a) Does

Takeaways from the Topic “Conversion of Assertive Sentences to Interrogative Sentences”

• Converting assertive sentences to interrogative sentences is a vital grammar skill that improves written and spoken communication.

• Students can confidently create questions from statements by understanding the rules and practising regularly, enhancing their overall language proficiency.