Behaviour

Questions are an important part of conversation and listening. Asking questions lets the person with whom you are communicating know that you are interested in what they are saying, and that you want to know more. Questions are also a good way of checking that you have heard and understood the message correctly.

There are two main types of questions: open and closed.

Read the two questions below and decide which is a closed question and which is an open question. Drag them into the right place.

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Closed questions

You may have noticed that the closed question 'Did you have breakfast this morning?' required a yes/no response.

Closed questions can be used when you want to:

clarify that you have understood something
get specific information.

Below are some examples of closed questions.

Is that your brother?
Is Julie arriving at 10am?
Are you feeling tired?

Open questions

Open questions require more than a short, one-word answer. They open up the conversation and encourage the other person to communicate freely.

Below are some examples of open questions.

What do you think of the new outdoor equipment that arrived today?
What are your dreams for the future?
What happened between you and Sam?

Using questions

Using a combination of both open and closed questions will make you a more responsible and effective communicator. Using too many closed questions can make the other person feel intimidated, while too many open questions can make the other person feel confused about what you want to know. The combination method, plus some tact and sensitivity, could give you a fresh approach to your conversations.

A new child, Ingrid, has joined the group in the 3-5’s room today. She has attended a day care centre before but this is her first time at Cybertots.

Think of some of the things it would be useful to know to help Ingrid to settle in. Use your knowledge of effective communication and questioning to devise the questions you could ask Ingrid’s mother, Beth. Remember to make Beth feel welcome at the same time.

Write these questions in your notebook.