Direct and Indirect Questions

Question 1

What is a way in which any sentence can be made a question?

Answer 1

adding ; to the end

Question 2

How are closed questions (with the answer yes or no) commonly signalled?

Answer 2

By ἆρα at the beginning

Question 3

How can a question be loaded to expect/invite the answer ‘yes’?

Answer 3

By adding οὐ after ἆρα (elided to ἆρ’ οὐ,) - the οὐ can be οὐκ or οὐχ depending on the usual rules

Question 4

ἆρ’ οὐχ ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;

Answer 4

Isn’t the boy stupid? / Surely the boy is stupid?

Question 5

How can a question be loaded to expect/invite the answer ‘no’? How else can this meaning be expressed?

Answer 5

• With the alternative negative μή
• by using μῶν (a contraction of μή and οὖν

Question 6

ἆρα μὴ ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;

Answer 6

The boy isn’t stupid, is he / Surely the boy isn’t stupid?

Question 7

μῶν ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;

Answer 7

The boy isn’t stupid, is he / Surely the boy isn’t stupid?

Question 8

How are open indirect questions normally introduced?

Answer 8

by εἰ

Question 9

What are the two ways in which ‘whether…or’ is expressed?

Answer 9

• εἴτε … εἴτε
• πότερον … ἤ