questions Definition and 15 Threads

A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are interrogative in form but may not be considered bona fide questions, as they are not expected to be answered.
Questions come in a number of varieties. Polar questions are those such as the English example "Is this a polar question?", which can be answered with "yes" or "no". Alternative questions such as "Is this a polar question, or an alternative question?" present a list of possibilities to choose from. Open questions such as "What kind of question is this?" allow many possible resolutions.
Questions are widely studied in linguistics and philosophy of language. In the subfield of pragmatics, questions are regarded as illocutionary acts which raise an issue to be resolved in discourse. In approaches to formal semantics such as alternative semantics or inquisitive semantics, questions are regarded as the denotations of interrogatives, and are typically identified as sets of the propositions which answer them.

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  1. D

    New member exploring old questions ;)

    Just another new member reading previously asked questions
  2. L

    New Member

    Hi I'm 50 years on from certain scientific questions running through my head as a child, and hopefully can now contribute something useful to the discussions.
  3. S

    Engineering Please help me make sense of this question in plumbing textbook

    TL;DR Summary: I need to make sense of this question: What was the distance from the line-of-sight of the builder's level to the outlet end of the first 10' length of pipe? I am enrolled in an online course in plumbing at Stratford Career Institute. At the end of each chapter in my plumbing...
  4. G

    Hello world!

    HI all! New here, have tons of questions about physics :)
  5. F X

    Where is the correct forum to ask questions?

    For example. I have a question, about what branch of physics would the question be asked? And is that how you do it here? Ask questions based on which branch it might concern? Is there a questions topic anywhere? I looked. Many times. I'm not even sure if this section is the place to ask...
  6. davidjoe

    Lots of questions since college

    Just joined. Not a physicist. Attorney since 1997 but repressed natural sciences mind. That “textbook” ad above may not be a good sign, kiddos(?). Eventually one’s brother, no matter how smart, like my old physics teachers, finds no more entries in the “index”, and we passed pat answers long...
  7. Deathz

    Can New Members Get Answers to All STEM Questions on This Forum?

    Hello, I'm new here. I hope someone can answer my questions. Happy to be here
  8. Q

    How to Ask Effective Technical Questions on PF

    Hi, I've been reading questions and their answers for a while now, and now, I have lots of questions to ask!
  9. TheePhysicsStudent

    Need help on some mechanics questions from a text book

    These are the questions I am failing to comprehend despite their very basic nature This is the wonderful support from the book explaining how to get the answer ! (It just gives you the answer no working out which is annoying) I
  10. Frankster

    Need Help with Math and More? Welcome to PF - Your Online Resource!

    Looking for online help with math and other questions.
  11. AndreasC

    Weird tendency of many professors

    I've noticed lots of physics professors reply before you finish talking. Not specifically talking about questions in a lecture etc, I mean more generally. Not sure how common it is in other disciplines or why, but generally they don't tend to let you finish. As a result often when someone has a...
  12. lavendersmell

    I [Questions] Modeling a Baseball Pitch Trajectory in 3D Space

    I am currently taking some time off of college (I am a sophomore), and I'm trying to continue coding and experimenting with Calculus-y math as I'll be going into Calculus II and then III when I go back. I am currently trying to develop a 3D baseball pitch visualizer for my own purposes. I am not...
  13. A

    What are the implications of physics? Join the discussion on PF!

    I'm here to chat about physics and its implecations, discuss research, and ask question bothering me.
  14. L

    Asking physics questions based on very little information? (YouTube videos)

    Is there a category to ask physics questions based on very little information? Namely a YouTube video that discusses a topic in a way that confuses me that I merely want clarification on?
  15. Saint Elmo

    Can a Non-Expert Understand Complex Physics Questions?

    A layperson who often bumps into tricky physics questions which require somebody who knows more than me.
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