爲什麼你用英文提問題，總是顯得很粗魯？

之前我們寫過如何讓英文表達更禮貌，今天就來看一看如何更有禮貌地提問題。

在英語表達中，你可以選擇本身更爲禮貌的疑問句，也可以選擇以禮貌的方式將每一種疑問句表達出來。

Direct Question
直接疑問句

直接疑問句也叫一般疑問句，比如：“Are you married? （你結婚了嗎？）”或者是信息問題，比如：“Where do you live?（你住在哪裏？）”

直接疑問句就是直截了當地提問，不包含任何額外的語言，如"I wonder"或者"Can you tell me"...等。

Construction

構成

Direct questions place the helping verb before the subject of the question:

直接疑問句把助動詞放在疑問句的主語前面：

(Question word) + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Objects?

（疑問詞）+助動詞+主語+動詞+賓語？

Where do you work?

你在哪裏工作？

Are they coming to the party?

他們來參加聚會嗎？

How long has she worked for this company?

她在這家公司工作多久了？

What are you doing here？

你在這裏幹什麼？

Making Direct Questions Polite

使直接疑問句變得更禮貌

Direct questions can seem impolite at times, especially when you are asking a stranger. For example, if you come up to someone and ask:

直接提問有時顯得不禮貌，尤其是當你問陌生人的時候。例如，如果你碰到某人就開始問：

Does the tram stop here?

電車停在這兒嗎？

What time is it?

現在幾點了？

Can you move?

你能挪一下嗎？

Are you sad?

你難過嗎？

It is certainly correct to ask questions in this manner, but it's very common to make these types of questions more polite by adding 'Excuse me' or 'pardon me' to begin your question.

用這樣的方式提問當然是正確的，但在開始提問前，加上“抱歉”或“請原諒”這樣的字眼，是使這類問題變得更加禮貌的常用方式。

Excuse me, when does the bus leave?

抱歉，請問公共汽車什麼時候開？

Excuse me, what time is it?

抱歉，請問現在幾點了？

Pardon me, which form do I need?

對不起，請問我需要哪個表格？

Pardon me, may I sit here?

對不起，請問我能坐在這裏嗎？

Questions with 'can' are made more polite by using 'could':

帶有“can”的疑問句，如果使用“could”會使其變得更禮貌。

Excuse me, could you help me pick this up?

對不起，你能幫我把這個撿起來嗎？

Pardon me, could you help me?

抱歉，你能幫我嗎？

Pardon me, could you give me a hand?

抱歉，你能幫我一下嗎？

Could you explain this to me?

請問你能給我解釋一下嗎？

'Would' can also be used to make questions more polite.

“would”這個詞也可以使問題變得更加禮貌。

Would you lend me a hand with the wash?

你能幫我洗一下嗎？

Would you mind if I sat here?

你介意我坐在這兒嗎？

Would you let me borrow your pencil?

能讓我借下你的鉛筆嗎？

Would you like something to eat?

你想吃點什麼嗎？

Another way of making direct questions more polite is to add 'please' at the end of the question:

另一種使直接疑問句更禮貌的方式是在問題的末尾加上“請”。

Could you fill in this form, please?

請填一下這張表格好嗎？

Could you help me, please?

請幫我一下好嗎？

Can I have more soup, please?

請給我再來點湯好嗎？

Please, can I have more soup?

請給我再來點湯好嗎？

'May' is used as a formal means to ask for permission and is very polite. It is usually used with 'I', and sometimes 'we'.

“may”是一種正式請求的表達方式，使用它也很有禮貌。它通常和“我”一起使用，有時也和“我們”一起用。

May I come in, please?

請問我能進來嗎？

May I use the telephone?

請問我能用下這個電話嗎？

May we help you this evening?

今晚我們能幫你嗎？

May we make a suggestion?

我們可以提個建議嗎？

Indirect Question
間接疑問句

間接疑問句用附加補充的語言使問題更加禮貌。這些短語包括“I wonder”，“Can you tell me”，“Do you think”…

Construction

構成

Indirect questions begin with an introductory phrase. Note that because indirect questions do not invert the subject as indirect questions.

間接疑問句以引入性短語開始。請注意，主語和間接疑問句是分開的。

Use questions words for information questions and 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions.

尋求信息的問題常用疑問詞，問是與否的問題常用if或whether。

Introductory Phrase + Question Word / If / Whether + Subject + Helping Verb + Main Verb?

引入性短語+疑問詞/ If /Whether+主語+助動詞+主動詞？

Can you tell me where he plays tennis?

你能告訴我他在哪裏打網球嗎？

I wonder if you know what time it is.

我想知道你是否知道現在幾點了。

Do you think she will be able to come next week?

你認爲她下週能來嗎？

Excuse me, Do you know when the next bus leaves?

對不起，請問你知道下一班公共汽車什麼時候開嗎？

Indirect Questions: Very Polite

間接疑問句：非常禮貌

Using indirect question forms is an especially polite way of asking polite questions. The information requested is the same as indirect questions, but are considered more formal. Notice that an indirect question begins with a phrase (I wonder, Do you think, Would you mind, etc.) the actual question is then placed in positive sentence form:

使用間接疑問句是一種特別禮貌的提問方式。所尋求的信息與間接疑問句相同，但被認爲更正式。一個間接疑問句以一個短語開始，例如I wonder, Do you think, Would you mind，真正的問題以肯定句形式呈現。

Introductory phrase + question word (or if) + positive sentence

引入性短語+疑問詞（或if）+肯定句

I wonder if you could help me with this problem.

我想知道，你能否幫我解決這個問題。

Do you know when the next train leaves?

你知道下一班火車什麼時候開嗎？

Would you mind if I opened the window?

你介意我打開窗戶嗎？

NOTE: If you are asking a 'yes-no' question use 'if' to connect the introductory phrase with the actual question statement. Otherwise, use a question word 'where, when, why, or how' to connect the two phrases.

注意：如果你問的是一般疑問句，請用“if”連接引入性短語和實際的問題陳述。不然，就使用一個疑問詞“何地、何時、爲什麼、或如何”連接這兩個部分。

Do you know if she will come to the party?

你知道她是否會來聚會嗎？

I wonder if you can answer a few questions.

我想知道你能否回答幾個問題。

Can you tell me if he is married?

你能告訴我他結婚了沒有？

Question Tags

反義疑問句

Question tags are used to check information that we think is correct or to ask for more information depending on the intonation of the voice. If the voice goes up at the end of the sentence, the person is asking for more information. If the voice drops, someone is confirming information which is known.

反義疑問句用來確認我們認爲正確的信息，或者根據說話人的語調詢求更多的信息。如果說話人在句子末尾的語調上升，則表明他尋求更多的信息。如果說話人語調下降，則表明他正在確認已知的信息。

Construction

構成

Question tags use the opposite form of the helping verb from the direct question to finish up the sentence with a 'tag'.

反問疑問句使用直接疑問句中助動詞的相反形式，加在句子結尾來完成反問。

Subject +Helping verb + Objects + , +  Opposite Helping Verb + Subject?

主語+助動詞+賓語+，+相反的助動詞+主語？

You live in New York, don't you?

你住在紐約，不是嗎？

She hasn't studied French, has she?

她還沒有學法語，是嗎？

We're good friends, aren't we?

我們是好朋友，不是嗎？

I've met you before, haven't I?

我以前見過你，不是嗎？

Direct and indirect questions are used to ask for information you do not know. Question tags are generally used to check the information you think you know.

直接和間接疑問句通常用來詢問你不知道的信息。反問疑問句則通常用來確認你認爲你已知的信息。