1. The Most Important Clue: The Question Mark
* Interrogative sentences always end with a question mark (?). This is the most reliable indicator.
2. Word Order (Often, but Not Always)
* Subject-Verb Inversion: Interrogative sentences usually begin with an auxiliary verb (like "do," "have," "can," "will," etc.) followed by the subject.
* Example: "Do you like pizza?" (Instead of "You do like pizza.")
* Wh- Questions: Interrogative sentences asking specific questions often start with a "wh-word" (who, what, where, when, why, how).
* Example: "Where did you go?"
3. Rising Intonation
* Spoken Language: When spoken, interrogative sentences often have a rising intonation at the end. This makes the sentence sound like a question.
Important Notes:
* Not all sentences starting with auxiliary verbs are interrogative: "I do like pizza" is a declarative sentence.
* There are exceptions: Some interrogative sentences don't follow the typical word order. For example, "Isn't that beautiful?" or "Have you ever been to Paris?"
Let's Test It:
* "The cat sat on the mat." This is a declarative sentence.
* "Did the cat sit on the mat?" This is an interrogative sentence.
Let me know if you'd like to try identifying more sentences!