To make an assertive sentence from an interrogative sentence, you restructure it to put the subject first then the verb, and you remove interrogative elements like question marks, helping verbs used for questions (like 'do', 'does', 'did' at the beginning), and interrogative pronouns or adverbs if they were used to form a yes/no question.
Understanding the Shift
An interrogative sentence asks a question and, as the reference states, typically ends with a question mark. It seeks information.
- Example: Are you coming?
An assertive sentence, also known as a declarative sentence, makes a statement or declares something. It provides information and ends with a period (.).
- Example: You are coming.
The core of the conversion is changing the sentence's function from asking to stating, which is achieved by altering its structure.
The Conversion Process
Based on the references and standard grammatical rules, the process involves a few key steps:
- Identify the Subject and Verb: Find the main subject and verb in the interrogative sentence.
- Reorder: Put the subject first then the verb in the new sentence structure.
- Remove Interrogative Elements:
- Remove the question mark (?).
- Remove helping verbs used only to form the question (e.g., 'do', 'does', 'did' at the beginning).
- Remove or adjust interrogative pronouns/adverbs (like 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', 'how') if the question is a simple yes/no question structure (often these questions don't contain these words).
- Adjust Verb Form (if necessary): If you removed 'do', 'does', or 'did', you might need to change the main verb's form to match the subject and tense.
- Did you go? -> You went. (Past tense)
- Does she like it? -> She likes it. (Third person singular present tense)
- Do they play? -> They play. (Verb form remains the same)
- End with a Period: Conclude the new assertive sentence with a period (.).
Practical Examples
Let's look at some common transformations:
| Interrogative Sentence | Subject | Verb | Interrogative Element Removed | Assertive Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is he happy? | He | is | Is (at start), ? | He is happy. | Simple reordering |
| Did they arrive? | They | arrive | Did (at start), ? | They arrived. | 'Did' removed, verb changed to past. |
| Does she sing well? | She | sing | Does (at start), ? | She sings well. | 'Does' removed, verb gets 's'. |
| Can you swim? | You | can swim | Can (at start), ? | You can swim. | Modal verb handled like main verb. |
| Are we ready? | We | are | Are (at start), ? | We are ready. | Simple reordering |
| Do I need this? | I | need | Do (at start), ? | I need this. | 'Do' removed, verb form unchanged. |
Special Cases: Interrogative Pronouns/Adverbs
If the interrogative sentence uses words like who, what, where, etc., to ask a specific question (not a simple yes/no question), converting it directly to a simple assertive statement that provides the answer is the goal. The specific word often helps form the new statement.
-
Interrogative: Who is at the door?
-
Assertive (stating the answer): John is at the door. (Here, 'Who' is replaced by the subject 'John')
-
Interrogative: Where did they go?
-
Assertive (stating the answer): They went to the park. (Here, 'Where did... go' is replaced by the subject 'They' + appropriate past tense verb 'went' + location).
However, if the task is strictly restructuring the original question into a statement form without providing an answer, it might result in a more complex structure, often an embedded clause within a larger sentence (e.g., "I asked who was at the door"). But the primary method for simple interrogative-to-assertive conversion focuses on direct statements.
Why This Method Works
This method works because it fundamentally changes the sentence's grammatical mood from interrogative (questioning) to indicative (stating). By prioritizing the subject-verb order and removing question indicators, the sentence is reconfigured to perform the function of making a declaration rather than seeking information.
