Lesson 8
Interrogative Sentences
Goal: In this lesson you will learn how to make interrogative sentences.
There are two types of interrogative sentences: (1) Yes-No interrogative sentences and (2) Wh- interrogative sentences.
Yes-no interrogative sentences are formed with change in the intonation pattern of the simple sentences. You will learn more about this in class. Read the following sentences:
1. tu& AaVyo.
‘You came.’
2. tu& AaVyo?
‘Did you come?’
3. rmaAe kerI `a0I.
‘Rama ate a mango.’
4. rmaAe kerI `a0I?
‘Did Rama eat a mango?’
6. rme= kerI kape 2e.
‘Ramesh is cutting a mango.’
7. rme= kerI kape 2e?
‘Is Ramesh cutting a mango?’
Remember the following:
1. In order to make yes-no interrogative sentences you do not require reversing the verb-auxiliary order in Gujarati. Compare the sentences 5 and 6.
2. Similarly, you do not require to support the main verb with ‘do’ or ‘did’ as you do it in English.
3. In written form you get need to replace the full stop with an interrogative marker.
Wh- interrogative sentences
Following are the interrogative pronouns:
|
Word |
Gloss |
|
ko8 |
‘who’ |
|
kya& |
‘where’ |
|
kyare |
‘when’ |
|
kem / =a
ma4e |
‘why’ |
|
kem |
‘how’ |
|
kone |
‘whom’ |
|
konu& |
‘whose’ |
|
kyu& |
‘which’ |
|
ke4lu& |
‘how much’ |
|
ke4la |
‘how many’ |
|
=u& |
‘what’ |
Sentences:
1. marI sa9e
bgIcama& ko8 Aave 2e?
‘Who is coming with me to the
garden?’
2. rme= kya& gyo?
‘Where is Ramesh?’
3. rma kya& g;?
‘Where is Rama?’
4. tme kyare AaVya?
‘When did you come?’
5. mIna kyare Aav=e?
‘When will Mina come?’
6. tme kem AaVya?
‘Why did you come?’
7. rme= kem AaVyo?
‘Why did Ramesh come?’
8. kem 2o?
‘How are you?’
Note: The interrogative words in green box are variable. They change in terms of the gender and number of the thing or person ‘interrogated.’ Consider the following sentences:
9. tme mara ma4e
=u& laVya?
‘What did you bring for me?’ (the
gender and number of the thing brought is not known. Therefore neuter =u&.)
10. =o 4a;m 9yo 2e?
‘What time is it now?’ (the ‘time’
is masculine’)
11. icNta =I krvanI?
‘Why to worry?’ (‘worry’ is
feminine)
12. Aa pen konI 2e?
‘Whose pen is this?’ (‘pen’ is
feminine)
13. Aa kagX kono 2e?
‘Whose paper is this?’ (‘paper’ is
masculine)
14. Aa kagXo kona 2e?
‘Whose papers are these?’ (‘papers’
masculine and plural)
15. k; pen lavu&?
‘Which pen do I bring?’ (‘pen’
feminine)
16. kyo kagX lavu&?
‘Which paper do I bring?’ (‘paper’ masculine)
Remember the following:
a. In Gujarati, you do not need to change the order of the main verb + auxiliary to make interrogative sentences as you usually do in English.
b. You don’t need to use additional ‘do’ or ‘did’ type of supporting words while making interrogative sentences.
c. You don’t need to bring the ‘question word’ in front of a sentence.
d. You require to use the question word at the place of the word/ phrase /sentence you want to question. Consider the following sentence:
rme= kale mhe=
pase9I car kagX lav=e.
‘Ramesh will bring four papers from Mahesh tomorrow.’
If you want to question ‘Ramesh’ you require replacing it with ko8 as in 1 below:
1. ko8 kale mhe=
pase9I car kagX lav=e?
If you want to question ‘kale’, you require replacing it with ‘kyare’ as in 2.
2. rme= kyare mhe=
pase9I car kagX lav=e?
If you want to question ‘mhe=’, you require replacing it with ‘konI’ as in 3.
3. rme= kale konI pase9I car kagX lav=e?
If you want to question ‘car’, you require replacing it with ‘ke4la’ (masculine, plural) as in 4.
4. rme= kale mhe=
pase9I ke4la kagX lav=e?
If you want to question ‘car kagX’, you require replacing it with ‘=u&’ as in 5.
5. rme= kale mhe=
pase9I =u& lav=e?