yes-no question

Definition:

An interrogative construction that expects an answer of "yes" or "no." Contrast with wh- question.

See also:

• Alternative Question
• Declarative Question
• Direct Question
• Indirect Question
• Interrogative
• Interogative Sentence
• NICE Properties
• Polarity
• Queclarative
• Question
• Tag Question
• Twelve Types of Questions in Casablanca

Examples and Observations:

• Homer: Are you an angel?
  Moe: Yes, Homer. All us angels wear Farrah slacks.
  (The Simpsons)



• "Directing a movie is a very overrated job, we all know it. You just have to say 'yes' or 'no.' What else do you do? Nothing. 'Maestro, should this be red?' Yes. 'Green?' No. 'More extras?' Yes. 'More lipstick?' No. Yes. No. Yes. No. That's directing."
  (Judi Dench as Liliane La Fleur in Nine, 2009)



• Principal McGee: Are you just going to stand there all day?
  Sonny: No ma'am. I mean, yes ma'am. I mean, no ma'am.
  Principal McGee: Well, which is it?
  Sonny: Um, no ma'am.
  (Eve Arden and Michael Tucci in Grease, 1978)



• The yes-no question is found in three varieties: the inverted question, the typical exemplar of this kind; the inverted question offering an alternative (which may require more than a simple yes or no for an answer); and the tag question:

  Are you going? (inversion)
  Are you staying or going? (inversion with alternative)
  You're going, aren't you? (tag)

  The inverted question merely inverts the subject and the first verb of the verb phrase of the corresponding statement pattern when that verb is either a modal or an auxiliary verb or the verb be and sometimes have. The question itself may be positive or negative:

  She is leaving on Wednesday.
  Is she leaving on Wednesday?

  . . . A positive question appears to be neutral as to the expected response--yes or no. However, a negative question seems to hold out the distinct possibility of a negative response.

  Are you going? Yes/No.
  Aren't you going? No.

  (Ronald Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar: A Linguistic Approach. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003)



• "There are many different ways to format questions on a survey. Let's say you want to measure people's attitudes toward premarital sex. You could ask a simple yes-no question:

  Are you in favor of premarital sex?
  ___ Yes ___ No

  Or you could use a Likert-type scale where the question is phrased as a statement."
  (Annabel Ness Evans and Bryan J. Rooney, Methods in Psychological Research, 2nd ed. Sage, 2011)

Also Known As: polar interrogative, polar question, bipolar question