Wh Questions
Wh questions (= question-word questions, special questions) are those that are formed with a question word such as who, what, which , when, where, why, how. They ask for more specific answer than just 'yes' or 'no'.
▸Where's my ⤵knife?
▸Why are you com⤵plaining?
▸How did it get ⤵broken?
The default tone for why questions is a fall. As with statements , this tone meaning is the definitive fall:
▸Why are you com⤵plaining?
▸How did it get ⤵broken?
▸Where's the ⤵grater?
▸How do you spell ⤵friend?
So ▸who did you ⤵see?
▸What does in⤵testate mean?
▸What ⤵books have you read recently?
Nevertheless, a wh question can also be said with a non-fall: a rise or, less commonly, a fall-rise. This has the effect of making it more gentle, kindly, encouraging, sympathetic or deferential, as opposed to businesslike fall. We call this tone meaning the encouraging rise.
▸How do you spell ⤵friend?
So ▸who did you ⤵see?
▸What does in⤵testate mean?
▸What ⤵books have you read recently?
▸How long will you be staying in ⤴London, sir?
▸How many people in your ⤵⤴party, madam?
Contrast the two tone meanings, definitive fall and encouraging rise:
▸How many people in your ⤵⤴party, madam?
▸Why are you ⤵angry? (unmarked)
▸Why are you ⤴angry? (interested, sympathetic)
A separate type of wh question is the echo question, discussed in
▸Why are you ⤴angry? (interested, sympathetic)
2.16
below.
A short wh question that the speaker immediately answer himself (one type of rhetorical question) usually has an interested rise:
I'm ▸coming ⤵back. || ⤴Why? | Be▸cause I ⤵love you.
We can ▸conquer ⤵poverty. || ⤴How? | By 'educating the ⤵workforce.
We can ▸conquer ⤵poverty. || ⤴How? | By 'educating the ⤵workforce.
You ▸can't ⤵go. || ▸Why ⤴not? | Be▸cause I ⤵say so.