Questions: statement questions (you’re over 18?)

We can use statements (declaratives) to askyes-noquestions. In writing we know they are questions because they have question marks. In speaking we know they are questions because of the context, and often because of their intonation:

Statement questions can be affirmative or negative:

A:

So you’re from Lo↗ndon?(rising intonation)

B:

Yeah, that’s right.

A:

So you’re not from Lo↗ndon?(rising intonation)

B:

No, I’m from Manchester originally.

The intonation of a statement question depends on its meaning. We use statement questions when we think we know the answer to the question and we want to find out if we’re right. In these cases we can use falling intonation:

A:

Right, so today isthe 8↘th?

B:

Yep. (Yepis an informal way of sayingyes.)

We can also use statement questions to express surprise. When we express surprise, we use rising intonation (indicated in the examples below with ↗):

A:

I’ve made a coffee cake.

B:

That’s acoffe↗e cake?

A:

Friday is Kyle’s last day at work.

B:

Kyle’s le↗aving?