Guide to English grammar

31 Questions with or

1 A question can contain two or more alternative answers. The word or comes before the last alternative.
Are you coming back today or tomorrow? -Today.
Did you speak to a man or a woman? -It was a woman.
When are you coming back, today or tomorrow?
Who did you speak to, a man or a woman?
Were you running or jogging?
The voice rises for the first alternative, and then it falls after or.
Shall we take abus or ataxi?

NOTE
This question does not contain alternative answers.

Have you got any brothers or sisters? -Yes, I've got two sisters.
Here brothers or sisters is spoken as one phrase.

2 Or can link two clauses.

Are you coming back today, or are you staying overnight? -I'm coming back today.
The second alternative can be the negative of the first.
Are you coming back today or aren’t you/or not? -Yes, I am.
This emphasizes the need for a yes/no answer and can sound impatient.

32 Questions without inversion

In informal conversation a question can sometimes have the same word order as in a statement. The question has a rising intonation.
The machine gives change? -No, it doesn't.
You're travelling tomorrow? -Yes.
The car is blue? -That's right.
The car is what color? -Blue.
They went which way? -That way.
We use this kind of question only when it follows on from what was said before.
I need a return ticket to Paddington. -You're travelling when? -Tomorrow.

For echo questions, • 35(1).

I'm travelling tomorrow. ~ You're travelling when?
A practical guide to English grammar 33
33 Indirect questions

We can ask a question indirectly by putting it into a sub clause beginning with a question word or with if/whether. This makes the question sound less abrupt, more tentative.
We need to know what the rules are. (NOT We need to know what are the rules.)
Can I ask you how much you're getting paid for the job?
Could you tell me where Queen Street is, please?
I'm trying to find out who owns this building.
Do you know when the train gets in?
I was wondering if/whether you could give me a lift.
There is no inversion of the subject and auxiliary in the sub clause.
Could you tell me how to get there?

NOTE
If the main clause is a statement (We need to know), then there is no question mark.

For “question word + to-infinitive”, • 125.