There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside (not answered).

15 - Q&A: getting facts and solutions (PSE)

The Buddha says:
"There are these four ways of answering questions. Which four? There are questions that should be answered categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that]. There are questions that should be answered with an analytical (qualified) answer [defining or redefining the terms]. There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside (not answered). These are the four ways of answering questions."

What is a question?

A question is a construct (a pattern or an arrangement) of words. A question is used to get information (facts or knowledge) or things we want.

What is an answer?

In a simple way, an answer is a respond (or a reaction) to a question.

We can now see that we use questions to ask for what we want. We usually get answers or things back for what we ask.

How do we construct questions?

One simple way to ask some questions is like this:

   You want an ice-cream, 'right? (high note on "right")
   He has a ticket, 'yes?
   They are here now, no?

We just add the word that we expect to hear in the answer to a simple sentence.

Do we have in our boxes these words:
   What, Who, (Which,) When, Where, Why, How
   Do, Does(ด๊าส), Has, Have, Is, Are, Will, May, Can
  and (their time-signal-added forms)
   Did, Had, Was, Were, Would(วู้ด), Could(คู้ด), Should...?

These are words we use to construct or make questions. Most questions begin with one of these words and end in a musically high note or high a pitch sound. For examples:

   What is "this thing? (stress the word 'this')
   Who is "that girl? (stress the word 'that')
   Which of these "fruits do you like?
   When can we "go?
   Where did you find the "cat?
   Why did he "jump?
   How do we "eat green mangoes?

   Do you have a "bag?
   Does she play "soccer?
   Has Jan a "team shirt to wear?
   Have we any "room for more?
   Is she "pretty?
   Am I "mad?
   Are they "ET? (ee tee)
   May we "leave, Sir?
   Can he run "faster?

We usually stress or pronounce a word (or a group of words) clearly in a question to signal what is the thing we are interested in.

How do we answer questions?

Questions that begin with one of these words
   Do, Does, Has, Have, Is, Am, Are, May, Can,
usually get answers that confirm (Yes) or deny (No).

Questions that begin with one of these words
   What, Who, Which, When, Where, Why, How
usually get answers that tell names or places or time (nouns words for what, who, which and a time for when) or actions (verbs words for how).

Which questions are used to ask to choose one of many choices; like in (a multiple-choice exam question):
  'which of these is correct?'
            a:... b:... c:... d:...

Why questions are difficult to answer.
If we don't know enough about the thing we are asked,
 we should answer "I don't know why".

May questions are usually used to ask for "a permission" to do something. We can expect "Yes" or "No" answers.

Can questions are used to get an opinion or assessment of ability. We usually expect "Yes" or "No" answers.

There are more...

[Dear Teachers

We can practice PSE by drawing a word from 'nouns' box and a word from 'verbs' box and construct a simple sentence, then construct questions using the patterns above and discuss what possible answers may be.

For example: (we draw 2 words "cat" and "sleep").
- We first construct 2 possible simple sentences using 'add-a-spice': 1) a cat sleeps. and 2) Cats sleep.
The we make simple questions like:
  A cat sleeps, right?
  Cats sleep, yes? Cats sleep, no?

- we now construct questions with the 2 words:
  Does a cat sleep?   Do cats sleep?
  Can a cat sleep?    Will cats sleep?
  When does a cat sleep?  Where do cats sleep?
  Why would a cat sleep?  How could cats sleep?
  ...

(Not all patterns above can be used to construct 'good-to-use' questions. Please allow students to discuss why some patterns are not good-to-use.)

It is also good to let students work out what possible answers to the questions we have constructed are.

The list of 'questions' words is of course not complete. We should look for more 'questions' words. There are also more ways we can use to construct questions. Please, collect them and 'experience' them.

Note.
There are questions like:

   Would you pass the pepper?
   Could you give me more rice?

They are not really questions but they are 'commands' or requests. We use certain 'question forms' to show politeness. ]