Yes / No 疑問句、否定句跟否定疑問句
英文有肯定句跟否定句,而Yes / No問句也分成肯定疑問句跟否定疑問句。在說明他們是如何構成之前,先來解釋一下這兩種疑問句的不同目的。首先,說話者使用肯定形式的Yes/No疑問句的目的主要是為了查詢資訊,而使用否定疑問句則有隱含說話者的態度。它有幾種不同的含義:
- 說話者使用否定疑問句來確認自己認為是真實的或有發生的事情
例如:”Didn’t you call Mary last night?”這個問句隱含著說話者認為聽話者昨天有打電話給Mary - 將自己的意見以否定疑問句的方式說出,會顯得比較禮貌
例如:”Wouldn’t it be nice to take a break now?” 這樣的說法會比直接說出自己的意見”It would be nice to take a break now.”顯得有禮貌點,比較像是在建議,而不是在要求。 - 有時,說話者認為某件事會發生,但卻沒有發生,他也會用否定疑問句來確認,這時,否定疑問句隱含著說話者對該事件沒有發生感到驚訝。例如,”Hasn’t Mary come yet?”這句話就隱含說話者對於Mary在這個時間點都還沒到的這件事感到驚訝。
了解了肯定跟否定的Yes / No疑問句的不同意涵後,接下來我們來看這兩種問句如何造。
要學造肯定形式的Yes / No問句時,可以先從分析肯定句的結構開始,如果要造否定疑問句,則可以從否定句的結構開始。
Yes / No疑問句如何造
要正確地造Yes / No問句,要先找出每個句子的動詞來,將動詞跟主詞倒裝,再將句號改成問號。但是倒裝的方式會因為句子的動詞結構而不同,有以下三種:
- 動詞只有一個字,為be動詞,如:She is a girl.中的is
- 動詞只有一個字,不是be動詞,如:She ran home.中的ran
- 動詞由兩個字以上構成,如:She can swim.中的can,I will go.中的will,He has been teaching English.中的has
當動詞只有ㄧ個字,且是be動詞時,將be動詞移到主詞前面,要注意將句號改成問號。下面的例句中,be動詞用粗體標示
- This bag is red.
Is this bag red? - She was very beautiful.
Was she very beautiful? - They are her teachers.
Are they her teachers? - The boys were at the park.
Were the boys at the park?
要注意,當主詞是you(你或你們)、I 、或we,如果在考試時,要注意,考試的提示是請改成問句或改成原問句。如果是改成問句,則模式跟上面的例子一樣; 如果是改成原問句,要注意you跟I、you跟we的相對變化,因為原問句的意思就是,問話者問了什麼問句,會得到這個答案。(雖然有些問句顯得怪怪的,好像不會有人這麼說話,但是,有些考試很愛這麼考)
- I am at home.
Am I at home? (造問句) - Yes, I am at home.
Are you at home? (造原問句) - You are her teacher.
Are you her teacher? (造問句) - Yes, you are her teacher
Am I her teacher? (造原問句) - We are his students.
Are we his students? (造問句) - Yes, we are his students.
Are you his students? (造原問句) - You are Mary’s classmates.
Are you Mary’s classmates? (造問句) - Yes, you are Mary’s classmates.
Are we Mary’s classmates? (造原問句)
當句子的動詞只有一個,但是,不是be動詞,而是一般動詞,就要生助動詞do、does或did:時態是現在簡單式,而且動詞沒有s時,則用do、動詞有s時,則用does; 如果時態是過去簡單式,則用did。將助動詞放到主詞的前面,要注意動詞要改為原形,再將句號改成問號。下面的例句中,肯定句的動詞跟疑問句的do / does / did 用粗體標示。
- John reads books every day.
Does John read books every day?
(現在簡單式動詞有s,用does) - They want to go shopping.
Do they want to go shopping?
(現在簡單式動詞沒有s,用do) - The dog ran after the cat.
Did the dog run after the cat?
(過去簡單式,則用did) - He cleaned his room yesterday.
Did he clean his room yesterday?
(過去簡單式,則用did)
請注意:以上問句中,主詞後的動詞都改回原形,因為do / does / did叫做助動詞,後面動詞要用原形)
因為動詞時態與語態的關係,句子中會出現不只一個字的動詞詞組。當句子的動詞是兩個字以上的動詞詞組時,將第一個字移到主詞前面,再標上問號,這樣就可以了。下面的例句中,動詞詞組用小括號標示,而其第一個字用粗體標示。
- She (is cooking) dinner right now.
Is she cooking dinner right now? - They (have visited) the museum.
Have they visited the museum? - The boy (has been playing soccer) with them for an hour.
Has the boy been playing soccer with them for an hour? - She (was watching TV) when the phone rang.
Was she watching TV when the phone rang? - He (had eaten dinner) before his friends arrived.
Had he eaten dinner before his friends arrived? - They (had been studying) for three hours when the power went out.
Had they been studying for three hours when the power went out. - The man (was killed) in the accident.
Was the man killed in the accident? - She (will call) her mom tomorrow.
Will she call her mom tomorrow? - They (will be traveling) to France next month.
Will they be traveling to France next month? - She (will have finished) her project by the end of this week.
Will she have finished her project by the end of this week?
如何造否定疑問句?
由上面可以知道,肯定句移動助動詞(在英文,be動詞是一種助動詞)到主詞前面,就造出yes / no問句,如果要造否定疑問句就要用否定句了。下面為從肯定句造出否定疑問句的步驟:
- 肯定句變成否定句的方法如同疑問句一樣,也是要先找動詞,只是找到動詞後,不移到主詞前面,而是在be動詞或助動詞後面加上not
- 將be動詞或助動詞跟not縮寫,變成否定助動詞,例如:isn’t, don’t, won’t
- 再將否定助動詞移到主詞前面,再打問號,就是否定疑問句了
請看下面例句,並注意粗體字的部分:
- Her daughter is six.
Her daughter is not six.
Her daughter isn’t six.
Isn’t her daughter six? - He plays games every night.
He does not play games every night.
He doesn’t play games every night.
Doesn’t he play games every night? - They have waited for a long time.
They have not waited for a long time.
They haven’t waited for a long time
Haven’t they waited for a long time?
下面提供更多的否定疑問句的例句:
- Won’t you come to my party?
- Isn’t the baby sleeping?
- Can’t you swim?
- Shouldn’t you be at school?
- Don’t you know about it?
- Hasn’t she been to Hong Kong?
- Weren’t you cooking when I called you?
- Doesn’t he go to school early?
- Didn’t he call you?
否定疑問句跟Yes / No 問句的簡答法 – 要回答Yes?還是No?
因為中文的關係,我們是依照問題回答。例如:
- 你要回家嗎?是的,我要回家; 不,我不要回家。
- 你不要回家嗎?(否定疑問句) 是的,我不回家; 不,我要回家。
有注意到嗎?我們的肯定疑問句跟否定疑問句的答案不一樣,但是英文不管是肯定疑問句還是否定疑問句,回答都是跟肯定疑問句一樣。例如:
- Did you buy the car? Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
- Didn’t you buy the car? Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
下面舉例說明:
- Is she a talented artist?
Isn’t she a talented artist?
Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t. - Does your mom cook well?
Doesn’t your mom cook well?
Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t. - Do they play basketball after school?
Don’t they play basketball after school?
Yes, they do. / No, they don’t. - Did she come back before dinner?
Didn’t she come back before dinner?
Yes, she did. / No, she didn’t. - Can you make a book?
Can’t you make a book?
Yes, I can. / No, I can’t. - Has she been there before?
Hasn’t she been there before?
Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t. - Will he stay here?
Won’t he stay here?
Yes, he will. / No. he won’t. - Are you a teacher?
Aren’t you a teacher?
Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
有沒有發現,除了第8個例句外 (問you回答I,I的be動詞特殊,要用am),都是用哪個助動詞問,就用哪個助動詞簡答,超好記的,對不對?
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