Questions: alternative questions (Is it black or grey?)

An alternative question gives a choice of two or more answers in the question and includes or:

Would you like [choice 1]some ice creamor[choice 2]some cake?

Forming alternative questions

With an auxiliary verb

We usually form alternative questions with an auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main verb or with a modal verb + subject + main verb:

Are we eating in or out this evening? (answer: We’re eating in. or We’re eating out.)

Does she work in the city or in the suburbs? (answer: She works in the city. or She works in the suburbs.)

Will they buy a house or rent somewhere? (answer: They’ll buy a house. or They’llrent somewhere.)

Warning:

When we ask alternative questions using the main verb be, we don’t use an auxiliary verb. The word order is: be + subject:

Is this the front or the back of the dress?

Different types of alternative question

We can also ask alternative questions using or not? This is a very direct question and sometimes it can express annoyance or impatience:

[choice 1]Are you coming[choice 2]ornot?

[choice 1]Do you want to go to the cinema[choice 2]ornot?

Alternative questions can be answered as yes-no questions, depending on the context:

A:
Are theretrains or busesfrom the airport to Belgrade?

B:
Yes, there are. (There are both trains and buses.)

(or There’s a train./There’s a bus.)

Alternative questions can be wh-questions:

Which do you prefer, with or without salt?

Which is best, to water the plant every day or just once a week?

Reduced alternative questions (tea or coffee?)

Warning:

Sometimes in informal speaking, we make alternative questions shorter by just saying the alternatives:

A:
Would you like a coffee?

B:
That’d be great.

A:
Black or white?

B:
Black, please.

A:
Are you renting an apartment in London?

B:
Yeah, very near Paddington Station.

A:
Sharing or on your own?

B:
I’m sharing with some old friends.

Responding to alternative questions

We can answer an alternative question in different ways, but we do not normally answer yes:

A:
Would you like mayonnaise or butter on it?

Possible responses:

B:
Mayonnaise, please.

Butter, please.

Both, please.

Neither, thanks. (Neither means that you don’t want mayonnaise or butter.)

No, thanks. (No means that you don’t want either alternative.)

Not: Yes.

随便看

反思网英语在线翻译词典收录了377474条英语词汇在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的中英文双语翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。