Name_______________________ PearlK.Wise Library at CRLS

The Art of Asking Questions Learning how to ask good questions will make your writing more sophisticated and interesting to read. There are two categories of questions; factual and interpretive. In the process of writing, you will want to ask and answer both kinds.

I. Asking Factual Questions: Assume your reader knows nothing about your subject. Make an effort to give them the background they need to know to understand what you will be talking about in your essay.  Make a list of specific questions that ask : Who? What? When? Where?

Examples: (For a report about Abraham Lincoln) Who was Abraham Lincoln? Where and when was he born? What political party did he belong to? When was he elected president? Where did he and Steven Douglas debate? etc...

List some factual questions about your topic that you will answer in your project: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________

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II. Asking Interpretive Questions: These kinds of questions are the result of your own original thinking. They can be based on the preliminary research you have done on your chosen topic. Select one to answer in your essay.

A. Hypothetical : How would things be different today if something inthe past had been different?

Examples: How would our lives be different today if the Confederate (southern) states had won the United States Civil War? What would have happened to the course of World WarTwo if the Atomic Bomb hadn't been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Write a hypothetical question about your topic:

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B. Prediction:How will something look or be in the future, based on the way it is now?

Example: What will happen to sea levels if global warming due to ozone layer depletion continues and the polar caps melt significantly? If the population of China continues to grow at the current rate for the next fifty years, how will that impact its role in world politics?

Write a prediction question about your topic:

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C. Solution :What solutions can be offered to a problem that exists today?

Examples: How could global warming be stopped? What can be done to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers?

Write a solution question about your topic:

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D. Comparison: Find the similarities and differences between your main subject and a similar subject; or with another subject in the same time period or place.

Examples: In what ways isthe Civil War in the former Yugoslavia similar to (or different from) the United States Civil War? What is the difference in performance between a Porsche and a Lamborghini?

Write a comparison question about your topic:

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E. Judgment: Based on the information you find, what can you say as your informed opinion about the subject?

Examples: How does tobacco advertising affect teen cigarette smoking? What are the major causes of eating disorders among young women? How does teen parenthood affect the future lives of young women and men?

Write a judgement question about your topic:

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