Who, what, where, when, why, how? You've probably been told that there's no such thing as a bad question. The truth is that some questions are better than others - it all depends on what information you're after. Being able to ask the right questions is a skill that's worth developing because it'll come in handy in all sorts of situations - at work, at school and in your social life. Here are a couple of tips to help you master the art of questioning.
Choosing the questions
A question is a question, right? Wrong! The type of question you ask influences the answer you get. So before you start popping the questions, think about why you're asking them and what information you want. Then decide on a suitable question.
Closed questions
Closed questions ask for short, specific answers. They usually start with 'are' or 'do' and can be answered with one word, such as 'yes' or 'no'. Closed questions are good for getting factual information quickly or confirming agreement: 'Are you free on Saturday?' 'Do you agree?' The downside of closed questions is that they don't encourage conversation by getting people to talk.
Open-ended questions
If you want to get a conversation going, then ask lots of open-ended questions. Open-ended questions start with 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why' or 'how' and can be answered in a variety of ways. They're useful for getting people to open up and share their opinions and feelings: 'What do you think of the new canteen?' 'How are you feeling?'