yes-no question

[ yes-noh ]

/ ˈyɛsˈnoʊ /

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noun Grammar.

a question calling for an answer of yes or no, as Are you ready?

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Compare WH-question.

Origin of yes-no question

First recorded in 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use yes-no question in a sentence

And yes, someone has already called Spencer a “Small Fry,” har har.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, we do typically do better than Europe (and Canada, too, which is frequently awful on this score).
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But yes, I pictured a James Bond-type just sauntering over to her.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And yes, our values include tolerance of those who wish to make fun of religion.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He also bragged about earning a PhD, a point Smerconish did not question.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was no doubt thought of his own loss in this question: yet there was, one may hope, a germ of solicitude for the mother too.
Children's Ways|James Sully
In fact, except for Ramona's help, it would have been a question whether even Alessandro could have made Baba work in harness.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
It's an idle question, I know; wise men and musty philosophers say that regrets are foolish.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Accordingly, the question "How far does the note issue under the new system seem likely to prove an elastic one?"
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The moment was an awkward one, and Cynthia wished madly that she had not been prompted to ask that unfortunate question.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman

British Dictionary definitions for yes-no question

yes/no question

noun

grammar a question inviting the answer "yes" or "no"Compare WH question

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012