2020-12-12
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด Q – Query & question & inquiry
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง Query = ‘KWEER-ee’
ออกเสียง question = ‘KWES-chuhn’
ออกเสียง inquiry = ‘in-KWAHYUHR-ee’ or ‘IN-kwuh-ree’
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
How To Ask The Right Questions
Real talk?
Dealing with people can be … exhausting.
Of course, it can also be beautiful, rewarding, and joyous,
but when you’re looking for answers,
it can be tiring trying to get a full and complete one.
Maybe there’s a master evader in your life (a teenager, perhaps?),
or maybe it’s your job to pin down a certain, er, politician,
who has a problem with the truth.
When it comes to dealing with others,
you’re going to have to ask all the right questions in an effort to get real answers.
How do you do that?
Well, to start, you should signal your willingness to converse.
Tone, body language, and the actual words we use
can make all the difference when we start a conversation.
How does body language affect communication?
When it comes to body language,
you may be giving off unintentional vibes
that make others uncomfortable, defensive,or insecure.
Are you scowling? Shrugging? Eye-rolling?
Are you a low-talker? A close-talker? Or, horrors,
do you check your phone even as you carry on an in-person conversation?
All these are no-nos.
Do a quick attitude check:
Don’t position yourself defensively.
What does that mean? Read on.
- Crossed arms, tapping feet, and hands on hips
can all communicate a frustratedand annoyed persona
—and that’s a quick way to make sure people don’t want to deal with you.
- Hands should hang loosely at your side.
Having engaging, open palm gestures can indicate you’re interested
and open to whatever someone has to say.
- Make sure you are eye level with the other person.
Eye contactindicates that you’re interested and
listening to the person and are wholly undistracted.
What does tone have to do with it?
Tone here means “a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation,
or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc.”
If you are asking questions in an accusatory tone,
it may yield exactly zero results
because the other person’s gut reaction will be defensive.
If you ask a question in a condescending tone,
the other person may feel insecure and not provide a concrete answer
because they are afraid of judgment or being wrong.
For example,
the simple question What do you mean by that?
can be received entirely differently depending on what tone it is asked in.
Asking it in a condescending way makes you look defensive
and implies you already have an answer for whatever the other person has to say.
Whether you are trying to figure out what happened during an event
or asking questions during a job interview,
keeping a calm, genuinely inquisitive tone isessential
and will inspire the person you’re questioning to be more open
and forthcoming with their knowledge.
Word choice matters, of course
As for words, well, we all know that
using the right ones can make a difference,
but that’s especially true for when you’re asking questions.
Here we’ve listed some important words and phrasings
that will help you get full and complete answers
in the most efficient way possible.
Avoid should, could, would
When you want more than a “yes” or “no” answer,
you have to make sure you’re using words that require more thought.
Should, would, and could pave the way for a simple yes or no response
with little other explanation.
These three words are known as modal auxiliary verbs,
meaning you use them in conjunction with a verb
to indicate, necessity, possibility, or ability.
Opening a question with these words
typically falls in the possibility category,
allowing for an answer but not an elaborateone.
For example, asking, “Should we talk about this?”
can prompt a “yes” or “no” answer,
but it doesn’t necessarily inspire more elaboration than that.
Who, what, when, where, and why
Instead, use interrogatives
like the “5 W‘s:” who, what, when, where, and why.
Interrogatives, defined as “a grammar tool used to convey questions,”
inspire people to answer with a little more thought.
For example,
asking, “Do you know why I am upset?” can yield a terse “yes” or “no” answer.
Asking, “Why do you think I am upset?” opens up the opportunity for someone to elaborate.
Providing specificity when using interrogativesis important, too.
Simply asking, “What?” (or an awkward “Hello, Peter. What’s … happening?”) gives the respondent an opportunity to evade the main pointof your question.
Instead say something along the lines of “Why do you feel that way?”
In addition to utilizing the 5 W‘s,
try to avoid wording questions in an “either/or” way.
Say there is a problem in the workplace that has two possible solutions.
You can propose the question: “Should we try to rework the story or scrap it entirely?” This gives the person two choices.
You might try asking, “I think the story needs some work. What do you think we can do to save it?”
Your colleagues now have an opportunity to think outside the box for a solution.
Neutral words
Try to use neutral wording as well when asking questions.
If you ask someone “What did you think about the terrible movie?”
you’re effectively shading their answer with your own implications.
If you genuinely want to know their opinion, simply ask, “How did you like the movie?”
They’ll feel comfortable enough to divulge their honest opinion.
Try any of these neutral phrases (and adapt them to fit your own situation):
- Share your thoughts about …
- Can you explain why …
- Tell me about …
- How can we do this differently?
- What would you do if you were me?
Patience always pays off
Trying to get a straight and complete answer out of someone can be tough,
especially if the situation is a little precarious.
In order to get full answers,
you (the listener) need to give the other person room to speak.
More simply put: stop interrupting.
If you want to be great at asking questions,
you need to give your respondent space to speak.
Stay quiet while someone answers you,
and then proceed to ask your next question based on what they said.
Be “repetitive”
Being repetitive is technically thought of as a bad thing.
It is defined as
“characterized by or given to unnecessary repetition; boring, dull, repetitive work,”
but when it comes to asking good questions,
repetition is a really handy tool.
Repeating an answer back to people,
while keeping in mind tone and body language,
can not only prove you were listening,
it can help ensure that the answer given is one you can accept.
Follow up
Want better answers?
It’s pretty simple: ask better and more questions.
After a person is done answering,
follow up with something that expands upon what they said
to keep the discussion going.
Follow up with those insightful interrogatives.
For example: What makes you say that? Or even Why do you feel that way?
The best part is you can utilize these strategies and words for social situations that range from job interviews to first dates! Let us know if you have questions!
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for query
Verb
ASK, QUESTION, INTERROGATE, QUERY, INQUIRE
mean to address a person in order to gaininformation.
ASK implies no more than the putting of a question.
ask for directions
QUESTION usually suggests the asking of series of questions.
questioned them about every detail of the trip
INTERROGATE suggestsformal or official systematic questioning.
the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day
QUERY implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.
queried a librarian about the book
INQUIRE implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions.
began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for question
Verb
ASK, QUESTION, INTERROGATE, QUERY, INQUIRE
mean to address a person in order to gaininformation.
ASK implies no more than the putting of a question.
ask for directions
QUESTION usually suggests the asking of series of questions.
questioned them about every detail of the trip
INTERROGATE suggests formal or official systematic questioning.
the prosecutor interrogated the witness all day
QUERY implies a desire for authoritative information or confirmation.
queried a librarian about the book
INQUIRE implies a searching for facts or for truth often specifically by asking questions. began to inquire of friends and teachers what career she should pursue
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Usage Notes
To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests
"Would you read this, please." (Wait, where's the question mark?)
Boss: Can you include this week's numbers in the report for this morning's meeting.
You: Yes.
Boss: Also, could you make 18 collated copies of it.
You: Will do.
Depending on time and workload, you might be tempted to respond with
"since you ask, I'm actually a little slammed right now";
however, because you're a model employee, you comply.
You also probably noticed the terminal periods
where one might expect a question mark,
and (perhaps after an initial bolt of worry that someone was mad at you)
realized these were not questions but rather directives given in a polite manner.
Your boss does, in fact, expect an affirmative response followed by a revision and 18 copies in hand, pronto
—in other words, it's less of an ask and more of a tell.
Grammatically, the boss's requests are imperatives,statements that express a command or order.
The phrasing of the imperative as a questionis a convention of common courtesy
—it is certainly nicer to ask someone to do somethingrather than tell them to do it.
At Merriam-Webster, "Proofread these pages" never breaks the library-silence of the editorial floor; however, "Can you please proofread these pages" can often be heard coming from slightly croaky voices unaccustomed to use.
Typically, the "imperative incognito" begins with a modal verb
—e.g., could, can, would, will, and may, all of which indicate a polite request
—and reads as a question until the end, at which a single dot is placed,
changing the meaning of the preceding words into a command.
Could you sign here.
Can you please turn off your cellphone.
Would you kindly fill out this form.
Will you please sit down.
May I have your attention, please.
If a writer wants to retain the nicety of a question when stating an imperative, adding a question mark will do.
The mark completes the statement as a"yes/no" question,
giving the person being addressed
an option of responding with "no" or "sorry, I can't."
In most cases, that probably won't happen;
however, it's nice to have given the person a choice
(especially when that person may truly not be able or willing to carry out the request).
In the end, the "yes" person will likely fulfill the favor, request, order, etc.,
whether out of courtesy or obligation.
For those who find disguising an imperative as a question a bit too unconventional
—but who also want to make a polite request that conveys a sense of expectation of fulfillment
—traditional, grammatically correct questions or statements will still get the job done (though in a wordy fashion).
Just be sure to use modal verbs of politenessand the magic word please.
Would you be able to have the report ready for this morning's meeting?
I would appreciate it if you can have the report ready for this morning's meeting.
Please have the report ready for this morning's meeting.
Collins English Dictionary
questioner n
Usage:
The question whether should be used rather than the question of whether
or the question as to whether:
this leaves open the question whether he acted correctly
Collins COBUILD English Usage
question
1. 'out of the question'
If you say that something is out of the question,
you mean that it cannot be done, and is therefore not worth considering.
She knew that a holiday this year was out of the question.
It has been so cold that gardening has been out of the question.
2. 'beyond question'
You do not use 'out of the question'
to say that there is no doubt about something.
The expression you use is beyond question.
She knew beyond question that I was a person who could be trusted.
It remains, beyond question, one of the premier races in the international calendar.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression
Query & question & inquiry
A query is a question, not an inquiry.
As a verb, query means “to question.”
An inquiry is a series of queries or questions, an extended investigation:
“The inquiry by the coroners lasted for several hours.”
Question is a general term, whereas a queryis usually confined to
a specific, definite, and limited matter:
“The clerk has a query about this particular charge.”
“After a lengthy sequence of queries (or questions), the judge ended his inquiry by releasing the accused man on bail.”
