Who can play the guitar?/Which of you can play the guitar?

2 You're entertaining some friends. You've just made another pot of coffee.

3 A friend has just seen a film and you want to know the story-line.

4 You have organized a weekend walk. Ten of the class have said they'll come, but you're worried because you want to know the exact number.

5 You are discussing a film with a friend. You were most impressed by one actor. What about your friend's opinion?

6 You're sitting chatting with friends. A chair is squeaking. You find it annoying.

7 You are at a party and want to go home, but someone's car is blocking your exit. You want to identify the owner of the car.

8 You want to identify the students who want to come with you on an excursion.

13.8B Context: Put in the right questions and verb forms. PLAY IT AGAIN, WINSTON! (Who/compose) Who composed some of the most famous songs of the 20th century? The answer is Irving Berlin. (Whatsongs/compose)2 …? Famous ones, like Alexander's Rag Time Band and White Christmas. There is a well-known story about the famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who read in a paper that Mr Berlin was in London, so he asked his aide/assistant to invite the great man to lunch. Over lunch, Mr Churchill asked question after question. (Which party/win)3 …the next American election? (Who/be) 4 … the next president of the USA? (What/papers say) 5 …? (Whichpapers/be)6 … the most influential? (Which country/have)7 … the better political system, Britain or America? (Whose system/Mr Berlin prefer) 8 …? (What/Mr Berlin/think)9 … of party politics in Britain? Mr Churchill was very disappointed with Mr Berlin's answers. Mr Berlin didn't have strong political opinions and Mr Churchill decided he was rather dull/boring. The fact is that Mr Churchill's aide had invited the wrong Mr Berlin to lunch. Mr Churchill thought he was speaking to Isaiah Berlin, the famous philosopher, but his aide had invited Irving Berlin, the song-writer instead!

13.9 Questions about alternatives. Emphatic questions with 'ever'

13.9A Questions about alternatives (1): 'Did you laugh or cry?' [> LEG 13.44 45]

We can abbreviate questions after or. Instead of: Did you laugh, or did you cry when you heard the news? We can say: Did you laugh or cry when you heard the news?

Write: Join these full questions with or to make single questions.

1 Did they listen to records? Did they go for a walk? Did they listen to records, or go for a walk? 2 Can she dance? Can she sing? Can she play the piano?

3 Do you buy clothes when you need them? Do you wait for the summer sales?

4 Has she gone to church? Has she stayed at home? 5 Will you phone her? Will you wait till she rings back?

13.9B Questions about alternatives (2): 'Did you take it, or didn't you?' [>LEG 13.44-45]

We can ask two questions, one affirmative and one negative, about the same thing without repeating the verb in full.

Instead of: Did you take it, or didn't you take it?

We can say: Did you take it, or didn't you?

or: Did you or didn't you take it? Did you, or didn't you?

or: Did you take it, or not? (Not "or no *)

Write: Rephrase each question in three ways without repeating the verb in full. 1 Do you like fish, or don't you like fish? A) Do you like fish, or don’t you? B) Do you, or don’t you like fish? C)Do you like fish, or not?

2 Can you help me, or can't you help me? A …b… c…

3 Have you sent a card, or haven't you sent a card? A …b… c…

4 Will you phone the plumber, or won't you phone the plumber? A …b… c…

13.9C Emphatic questions with 'ever', etc. [> LEG 13.46-47]

1 We ask emphatic questions with ever to express admiration, anger, concern, etc.

We write ever as a separate word from question-words. Compare:

Where ever did you buy that tie? Wherever you go, take your passport. [> 1.8C]

How ever did you manage it? However, I managed to persuade him. [> 7.8B]

What ever does she see in him? Whatever she sees in him, she'll marry him. [> 1.9C]

2 We use ever after all question-words except Which? and Whose? and we often put heavy stress on it in spoken questions: Where ever did you pick that up?

3 We can ask questions with ever.

- to get a subject or an object: What ever made you late? What ever did he say?

- in short responses: What ever for? Why ever not?

or we use a phrase like on earth for extra emphasis: How on earth did you know?

Write: Make these questions more emphatic to express admiration, surprise, concern, etc.

1 Who gave you permission to do that? Who ever gave you permission to do that? 2 Why didn't you ask an expert to look at it? 3 When did they go to Iceland? 4 What will she say next? 5 Where shall I put this wet umbrella? 6 How do you expect me to carry all this? 7 How did you get into this mess?