Asking With Statement Word Order

Level 2

A clause in statement order can function as a yes/no question through intonation and context: You coming later? Shared English inverted questions remain possible too.

How It Works

A clause with ordinary statement order can ask a yes/no question. You coming later? keeps you before coming. The delivery and the conversational setting mark it as a question rather than an announcement.

In writing, a question mark helps show the intended use, but speech needs intonation and context. An inverted question such as Are you coming later? is also available. Do not assume that a statement-order question is always a surprised echo: in Singlish it can simply ask for new information.

Examples (4)

  1. You coming later?

    Are you coming later?

  2. She got the key?

    Does she have the key, in a possession context?

  3. The soup too hot?

    Is the soup too hot?

  4. They finished already?

    Have they finished?

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Asking With Statement Word OrderLevel 2

Learn This First

Recognize statement order before interpreting that order as a question through the exchange.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.