1.2. Questioning Techniques

1.2.1. Work in small groups. Discuss these questions.

1)What types of questions do you know? Which of them are considered to be more polite?

2)Which type of question do we often use with people we do not know very well or when we ask a ‘difficult’ question?

1.2.2. Read the text and formulate its main idea.

Some Types of Questions

A telephone call is a purposeful activity. Your caller will have some objective in mind and you will need to elicit this objective as quickly and as clearly as possible. In a simple information-seeking call, all you need to do is ask for the caller's name, address, telephone and fax numbers. However, in more complex situations, you need to develop your questioning techniques so that you obtain the salient facts. Here are some of them:

Indirect questions

We can be more polite or tentative by beginning a question with a phrase like Do you

know, Do you think/feel, Do you mind telling me, Could you tell me, Could I ask you, I'd like to know, I was wondering.

Do you feel this rise in interest is a result of increased recruiting? Could you tell me a bit more about what the school is doing on that front?

The word order of an indirect question is like a normal statement.

Negative questions

We use negative questions when we expect the answer to be 'no'. In social English

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this makes it easier for the other person to reply politely.

A:Do you like Japanese food?

B:No, not really, (the answer seems very strong)

A:Don't you like Japanese food?

B:No, not really, (the answer seems more polite)

We use negative questions to show surprise.

Don't you accept American Express?

Question tags: use

Here are five possible uses of question tags presented in a dialogue:

A: You haven't got the sales figures yet, have you? (request for information)

If we use a negative statement with an affirmative tag, we often expect the answer to be ‘no’.

A: I'm going to need an interpreter.

B: Of course. You don't speak French, do you?

This form can be more polite because it is easier for the other person to reply in the negative.

A:You don't speak French, do you?

B:No, sorry, I don't.

A negative statement with an affirmative tag can also be used to ask people for things in a polite way.

You couldn't give me a hand, could you?

You haven't got any change for the parking meter, have you?

1.2.3. Answer the questions to the text.

1)Why is a telephone call a purposeful activity?

2)What do you need to obtain the salient facts in a telephone conversation?

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3)What can the use of indirect questions allow you?

4)How may the use of negative questions influence a conversation?

5)What are the stylistic effects of using question tags?

1.2.4. Read the telephone conversations, define the purposes of the calls.

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1.2.5. Fill in the chart with the questions from the dialogues. Analyse why this

type of question is asked in each situation.

1.2.6. Make a question with a question tag.

1. Ask a colleague if he sent the fax. You expect the answer to be 'no'.

You …………………………………………………………………………….?

2.Ask a colleague if he sent the fax. You expect the answer to be 'yes'.

You ……………………………………………………………..…..………….?

3.Ask a stranger at the airport if his name is Mr. Peters. You're not sure his name is Mr. Peters.

Your name ………………………………………………………..……………?

4.You recognise someone. You are sure his name is Mr. Peters.

Your name ……………………………………………………….…………….?

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5.You guess that Biotec have cancelled their order.

Biotec …………………………………………………………….…………….?

6.You are very surprised that Biotec have cancelled their order.

Biotec …………………………………………………………….…………….?

1.2.7. Underline the correct words.

1.Could you tell me what are your terms of payment/your terms of payment are?

2.Do you know where the marketing seminar is/is the marketing seminar?

3.I'd like to know how can we/we can finance this project.

4.Could I ask you why you left/did you leave your last job?

5.Do you think could I/I could use your fax machine?

1.2.8. Work in pairs. Role-play a phone conversation between A and B. A is phoning a club. B is a receptionist at the club. Use the patterns and the useful language tips from the lesson, the information from the internet sites in the list below and your own ideas.

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