How to make questions with: I'd like to ask

Question

Hello,I'm always a bit confused every time I try to build a question using a sentence beginning with 'I would like to ask you'.1.I would like to ask you if you ARE happy with your wife.I guess that's the proper use. How about:I would like to ask you ARE you happy with your wife.Is it still perfectly correct?2.Another example:I would like to ask you what it IS?Or:I would like to ask you what IS it?3.I would like to ask you how ARE your children?Or:I would like to ask you how your children ARE?That's it I think. I'd be grateful for clarifying these three for me. I can't remember any other "tricky" uses of this sentence right know, but if you can, please add them to the explanation. Thanks in advance!If you want to contact me via e-mail, remove NOSPAM before '@'. Best regards~di0xid~

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hello, I'm always a bit confused every time I try to build a question using a sentence beginning with 'I ... use. How about: I would like to ask you ARE you happy with your wife. Is it still perfectly correct?[/nq]
No, because you've spliced a question onto a statement.

Another pair of examples:
*I'd like to ask you was he happy.
I'd like to ask you whether he was happy.
[nq:1]2. Another example: I would like to ask you what it IS? Or: I would like to ask you what IS it?[/nq]
The former.
[nq:1]3. I would like to ask you how ARE your children? Or: I would like to ask you how your children ARE?[/nq]
The latter.
(And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)
Adrian

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I would like to ask you how your children ARE?[/nq]
[nq:1]The latter. (And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)[/nq]
Ok, thank you very much Adrian. You really clarified that for me. I guess I didn't perceive this clause as a statement, that was my problem. But, to be perfectly honest, I've also seen sentences like:

I would like to ask you, are you happy?
In this case the coma is supposed to separate the statement from the question itself. I wonder if that makes any difference. I mean if it is still incorrect.
Thanks again.

If you want to contact me via e-mail, remove NOSPAM before '@'. Best regards
~di0xid~

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The latter. (And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)[/nq]
[nq:1]Ok, thank you very much Adrian. You really clarified that for me. I guess I didn't perceive this clause as ... still incorrect. Thanks again. If you want to contact me via e-mail, remove NOSPAM before '@'. Best regards ~di0xid~[/nq]
It does make a difference. A comma, or a colon, can do much. In speech, a pause or a change in inflection does much.

Cece

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]No, because you've spliced a question onto a statement. Another pair of examples: *I'd like to ask you was he happy. I'd like to ask you whether he was happy.[/nq]
di0xid has not spliced a question onto a statement. He (or maybe she) has used a declarative statement in order to ask a question.
[nq:1](And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)[/nq]
They are very probably questions. I say "probably" because in order to interpret a sentence as a question, you need to take the context in which the sentence is uttered into consideration.
Adrian, please realize that when you talk of "questions" and "statements", you are, in fact, talking about the FUNCTION of sentences. A sentence can be declarative, imperative, exclamative, or interrogative in form. Each of these forms of sentences can function differently.
Picture a situation in which you are feeling very cold and you see the window is open. You may turn to your friend and say:

Would you close the window?
Here, you are using an interrogative sentence to make a request, NOT a question.
Or you may see someone who you had already met but you can't remember his name. You may say:
I have forgotten your name.
You are using a declarative (NOT an interrogative) sentence to ask a question.
The question mark (and by extension, all the other punctuation marks) applies for sentence FORMS, not for sentence FUNCTIONS.

Farhad

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]di0xid has not spliced a question onto a statement. He (or maybe she) has used a declarative statement in order to ask a question.[/nq]
Oops! I would like to correct my mistake in my previous posting. I was meaning to say:
He (or maybe she) has used a declarative SENTENCE in order to ask a question.
Farhad

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]No, because you've spliced a question onto a statement.[/nq]
[nq:1]di0xid has not spliced a question onto a statement.[/nq]
He has too. (The sentence in question was: "I would like to ask you are you happy with your wife.")
[nq:1]He (or maybe she) has used a declarative statement in order to ask a question.[/nq]
The sentence isn't correctly formed. One might allow: "I would like to ask you: are you happy with your wife?"
[nq:2](And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)[/nq]
[nq:1]They are very probably questions. I say "probably" because in order to interpret a sentence as a question, you need to take the context in which the sentence is uttered into consideration.[/nq]
One of the "questions" referred to is: "I would like to ask you what it is." Although this is likely to be interpreted as a question, it would be wrong to use a question mark. Ergo, it ain't a question. I understand that you're a clever man, Farhad, but I don't understand why you think it's helpful to encourage learners to use question-marks incorrectly. Because that's the effect of your attempt to introduce a higher level into the discussion.
[nq:1]Adrian, please realize that when you talk of "questions" and "statements", you are, in fact, talking about the FUNCTION of sentences.[/nq]
Not always. My approach isn't hard-and-fast; it's more "suck it and see".
[nq:1]A sentence can be declarative, imperative, exclamative, or interrogative in form. Each of these forms of sentences can function differently. ... say: Would you close the window? Here, you are using an interrogative sentence to make a request, NOT a question.[/nq]
That rather depends on how it is said. A similar problem occurs with question tags. "He did it, didn't he(?)" might be a question - it depends on how it is said.
[nq:1]Or you may see someone who you had already met but you can't remember his name. You may say: I have forgotten your name. You are using a declarative (NOT an interrogative) sentence to ask a question.[/nq]
Although that sentence might be expecting an answer, it isn't, in layman's terms, a question. It would look daft with a question mark.
[nq:1]The question mark (and by extension, all the other punctuation marks) applies for sentence FORMS, not for sentence FUNCTIONS.[/nq]
No. I disagree with that statement.
Adrian

Usenet · Answer

There's one circumstance when I could see a practical use for ending that with a question mark: in a script or piece of writing where it is necessary to indicate to the person reading it that this must be read with the inflection of a question.
Example:
/Joe enters through the french doors upstage, and sees Sue. He pauses, looking at her, then crosses DSL to her./
Joe: I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name?
Otherwise, I agree, ending it with a question mark looks daft.

In these cases, "I'd like to ask you" is an introduction to the question. It could be replaced by any number of other indroductory clauses with no real change to the meaning of the sentence: "My question is..." "What I want to know is..." "Do you mind if I ask..." "By the way, I've been wondering..."
The other way that the OP could puncuate his example sentences is comma-quote-question mark:
I'd like to ask you, "Are you happy with your wife?" I'd like to ask, "What is it?" But that's odd enough that I wouldn't recommend it. It carries the connotation that I am somehow unable to ask the question.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The latter. (And 2 and 3 aren't questions either, so the question marks need to be removed.)[/nq]
[nq:1]Ok, thank you very much Adrian. You really clarified that for me. I guess I didn't perceive this clause as ... from the question itself. I wonder if that makes any difference. I mean if it is still incorrect. Thanks again.[/nq]
Just ask them if they are happy, skip the preamble its irrelevent. If for some reason you feel compelled to say what you want to do just say" i'd like to ask you some questions and then ask the questions.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Ok, thank you very much Adrian. You really clarified that ... like: I would like to ask you, are you happy?[/nq]
In that case, Are should be capitalized.
[nq:2]In this case the coma is supposed to separate the ... difference. I mean if it is still incorrect. Thanks again.[/nq]
[nq:1]Just ask them if they are happy, skip the preamble its irrelevent.[/nq]
He seems to be asking personal, probably rude questions, and wants something to weaken the rudeness. He's not the only one who tries to do it that way, but some of us are not easily fooled.

One can certainly ask, How are your children? If one is close enough to ask if the other person is happy, I think he can just say, Are you happy?
OK, not to be too harsh, I suppose sometimes the preamble will serve a useful purpose, and the questions have been answered for those cases.
[nq:1]If for some reason you feel compelled to say what you want to do just say" i'd like to ask you some questions and then ask the questions.[/nq]
If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

How to make questions with: I'd like to ask

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