Interrogative Sentence
An interrogative sentence is a sentence form used to ask a question or seek information. It should be distinguished from embedded questions and from requests phrased as imperatives or declaratives.
An interrogative sentence asks a question or requests information; direct interrogatives are conventionally written with a question mark.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Not every request is grammatically interrogative, and embedded or indirect questions can appear inside declarative sentences without taking direct-question word order.
Further guidance
Application
Use interrogative structure when the sentence directly asks for information; in writing, direct questions conventionally end with a question mark.
Core Rule
An interrogative sentence is a sentence used to ask a question or request information.
Practical Application
Use an interrogative sentence when the sentence directly asks for information; direct questions conventionally take a question mark. Distinguish that structure from an embedded question inside a declarative sentence and from requests phrased as imperatives.
Reader Check
Is the whole sentence itself a direct question, or is the question content embedded inside another sentence?
Worked Example
“Where is the archive?” is interrogative and takes a question mark. “Please tell me where the archive is.” contains question content but is not itself a direct interrogative.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Direct grammar definition of an interrogative sentence as a sentence that asks a question or requests information.