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?' Multiple-choice questions Trying to reach an agreement with someone who can't make up their mind can be frustrating. That's where the multiple-choice question comes in. Multiple-choice questions help people to make decisions by giving them options: 'Shall we meet on Saturday or Sunday?' 'Would you like to write the report or present it?' Leading questions Leading questions are a little like road signs. They direct people to the answers we want. Reporters often use leading questions to get specific information that'll enable them to write their articles. For example, compare 'What do you think about computers?' with 'Why do you think computers are good?' The first question allows the person to talk about whatever they want. The second one encourages them to talk only about the good points. Asking closed questions can save time by ensuring that people only talk about what's relevant to the information you need. Asking the questions The way you ask questions is just as important as the questions you ask. Asking too many questions can make the other person feel like they're being interrogated so take your time. Pause after you ask a question to give the other person a chance to answer. Listen to what they say. And don't forget to acknowledge their response before asking the next question. Test your questioning skills A. Classify the following questions as closed, open, multiple-choice or leading. 1. Would you like coffee or tea? 2. What do you like doing in your spare time? 3. Why do you think learning English is useful? 4. What time does the party start? 5. Are you going away for Lunar New Year? B. Now change the closed questions below to open-ended questions. The first one has been done for you. 1. Can I help you? How can I help you? 2. Do you know Jane? 3. Do you have a favourite song? 4. Did you enjoy the party? 5. Are you busy? Answers to A 1. multiple-choice 2. open-ended 3. leading 4. closed 5. closed Suggested answers to B 2. How do you know Jane? 3. What's your favourite song? 4. What did you think of the party? 5. What are you doing?