单词	question
释义	question1 nounquestion2 verb questionques‧tion1 /ˈkwestʃən/ ●●● S1 W1 noun Entry menu MENU FOR questionquestion1 asking for information2 subject/problem3 doubt4 without question5 there is no question of something happening/somebody doing something6 in question7 be a question of something8 it’s just/only/simply a question of doing something9 be out of the question10 (that’s a) good question!11 pop the question Word Origin WORD ORIGINquestion1 Origin: 1200-1300 Old French, Latin quaestio, from quaestus, past participle of quaerere ‘to ask’ Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES Does anyone have any further questions? Eventually his questioners realized he was not the man they wanted and let him go. How can we best help less developed countries? That's the really important question. I hate it when strangers ask me questions about my private life. In the 1980s the question of whether photography was an art went to court. Jim Lehrer was the only questioner of the candidates in the debate. Mr Hayes is being kept at Newham police station for questioning. Several questions had still not been resolved. That's a very difficult question to answer. The lawyer's questioning of the witness did not go on as long as expected. The real question here is how can we integrate asylum seekers into communities. There were several questions Melanie wanted to ask the interviewer. These operations can save lives, but they raise difficult questions about animal rights. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS Are you getting paid to ask questions or unload trucks? Beyond the question of weight loss, olestra raises some messy health issues. Gorbachev wrote that only he and Reagan, talking together, could resolve the questions he raised. It is all a question of time. Last fall, questions were raised about the purchase of a $ 9. 2 million worth of fencing. One more question you might ask yourself is: Is it Worth the Fight? Recent literature on public opinion has managed to shed fascinating new light on that age-old question. She answered the questions in her interrogation with perfect candour, but her answers had the effect of crystallising her basic thinking. Thesaurus THESAURUS► question something that you ask someone, either when speaking or when writing: · Would anyone like to ask any questions?· I’ve emailed the hotel with one or two questions. ► query especially British English a question that you ask when you are not sure you have understood something or that the information you have is correct: · If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent.· Our staff are always available to answer customers’ queries. ► inquiry (also enquiry especially British English) a question you ask in order to get information or find out the details about something: · We’ve advertised the house, and we’ve already received lots of enquiries.· The police have been making some inquiries in the area. ► request a polite or formal question asking for something that you want or need: · The bank said ‘no’ to our request for more money.· You must make your request in writing. Longman Language Activatorsomething that you ask someone► question what you say or write when you are asking for information: · That's a very difficult question to answer.· Does anyone have any further questions?· There were several questions Melanie wanted to ask the interviewer.question about: · I hate it when strangers ask me questions about my private life. ► query British a question that you ask when you have not completely understood something or you are not sure that something is true or correct: · If anyone has a query I'll deal with it at the end of the meeting.· I would be happy to answer people's queries if they write to me at my home address.query about: · Since the TV programme the advice bureau has received lots of queries about maternity rights.raise a query (=ask a question): · One of the students raised a query about the marking system. ► inquiry also enquiry especially British a question you ask in order to get information or find out the details about something: · We have only just put the house up for sale, and we've already received lots of enquiries.inquiry about: · For all inquiries about flight schedules, please call the following number. ► leading/loaded question a question that deliberately tricks someone, so that they give you the answer that you want or say something that they do not intend to say: · You don't expect me to answer a loaded question like that, do you?· The jurors said interviewers used leading questions and coached the children on how they should answer. ► trick question a question that seems easy to answer but has a hidden difficulty: · "Did you have a good time while I was gone?" "That's a trick question, right? If I say yes, you'll be angry that I didn't miss you." to ask someone a lot of questions► question to ask someone a lot of questions, in order to get information or find out what they think: · We all wondered where Sylvia got the money, but no one dared question her.question somebody about something: · Liz was very well informed and questioned me about the political situation in Africa.question somebody closely (=carefully, asking a lot of difficult questions): · The interviewer questioned Miss Jarvis closely about her computer experience. ► fire/shoot questions at to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly in order to confuse them or make them admit to something: · The lawyer fired questions at me so quickly I didn't have time to think.· The teacher kept shooting questions at the frightened girls until they confessed everything. ► grill also give somebody a grilling British to ask someone a lot of difficult questions in order to make them explain their actions, plans, or opinions: · I stood in the hall and listened as the interviewers grilled the next candidate.· Hilda's teacher gave her a real grilling about why she'd missed so many classes.grill somebody about/on something: · Maxine started grilling me on why I'd been spending so much time alone. ► give somebody the third degree informal to ask someone a lot of difficult questions in order to make them explain their actions, plans, or opinions: · I was just out with friends - you don't have to give me the third degree.· Whenever one of my boyfriends came to the house, Dad would give them the third degree. ► pump somebody for to ask someone a lot of questions about a particular subject or event in order to get as much information as possible: pump somebody for information/details: · Viktor sat with Vassily and me and pumped me for information about hockey teams.· He wants to pump Jody for the details of some job her company is advertising. ► quiz to ask someone a lot of questions, especially because you want to find out what they have been doing, and often in a way that annoys them: · When Stan eventually came home from the party, his wife quizzed him for hours.quiz somebody about/on something: · My parents never stop quizzing me about where I go at night.· Reporters quizzed the President on tax policy and Central America. ► pick somebody's brains to ask someone for information about something because you think they know more about it than you: · You know all about tax law - can I pick your brains for a minute?· The workshop is designed so that new managers can pick the brains of managers with more experience. when something is definitely true► certainly/definitely use this to emphasize that something is definitely true. Definitely is more common in spoken English than certainly: · Incredible as they seem, these events certainly took place.· We don't know exactly when the house was built, but it's certainly over 200 years old. · I definitely posted the cheque last week, so it should have arrived by now.· "I think it would be a great opportunity." "Yeah, definitely."definitely/certainly not: · "She's not thinking of going back out with Simon again?" "No, definitely not." ► undoubtedly/unquestionably/without doubt/without a doubt use this to say that, in your opinion, something is definitely true about someone or something: · The years my parents spent in Kenya were undoubtedly the happiest of their lives.· Japan has unquestionably one of the most successful economies in the world.· Without a doubt, taxation is going to be the key issue in the President's campaign. ► there's no doubt/there's no question use this to say that, in your opinion, something definitely is true about someone or something: there's no doubt/there's no question that: · There's no doubt that he completely dominates her.· There is no question that Maridan had known all about the deal.· There was no doubt that, without the peacekeeping force, the civil war would have continued.there's no doubt/there's no question about it/about that: · You can see they're short of staff -- there's no doubt about it.· "We made some mistakes. No question about that," Glavine said. ► beyond a shadow of a doubt use this to say that, in your opinion, there is definitely no doubt at all that something is true: · The evidence proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this man was in the victim's apartment on the day of the murder. ► surely spoken say this when you want to emphasize that something must be true and you want the person you are talking to to agree with you: · Surely he must have realized that the money was stolen.· "I'm not sure how the heating system works." "Surely it can't be that complicated." · Your car must be worth more than $500, surely! ► be beyond dispute if something is beyond dispute it certainly happened or exists and no one thinks differently: · Her professionalism is beyond dispute.· That the reports were stolen is beyond dispute. What we need to know is who took them. when something cannot be done► impossible something that is impossible cannot be done: · We're supposed to do all this work by tomorrow, but it's impossible.· It's a seemingly impossible task.it is impossible (for somebody/something) to do something: · The twins are so alike that it's impossible to tell them apart.· The street was narrow and it was impossible for the two buses to pass.make it impossible: · Her back injury has made it impossible for her to play tennis anymore.find it impossible (=discover that you cannot do something): · When people leave prison, they often find it impossible to get a job. ► not possible impossible or extremely difficult to do: · We can't buy a new computer for every student - it's just not possible.it is not possible (for somebody/something) to do something: · It is not possible, in a book of this size, to cover every aspect of the subject.· She's in a meeting, so I'm afraid it's not possible for you to see her now. ► there's no way especially spoken say this when you strongly believe that something is impossible: there's no way (that): · There's no way we can get to the airport in less than an hour.there's no way of knowing something: · There's no way of knowing when the volcano will erupt again. ► impractical an idea, suggestion, or action that is impractical is not really possible because it would cost far too much money, waste too much time, be much too difficult etc: · Officials stated that building a dam for irrigation purposes was hopelessly impractical.· Telling people to avoid any exposure to the sun is impractical advice.it is impractical to do something: · It would be impractical to attempt to review all the types of multimedia technology in this study. ► out of the question if an idea or suggestion is out of the question , it is completely impossible or it cannot be allowed: · I'd love to come with you, but with all the work I have to do it's out of the question.· The cost would be over $5000, which is quite out of the question.it's out of the question for somebody (to do something): · I'm afraid it's out of the question for you to go alone. ► can't possibly especially spoken use this in order to emphasize that you think something is impossible: · You know we can't possibly pay as much as that in rent.· That was delicious but I couldn't possibly eat another thing! ► hopeless if something that you try to do is hopeless , there is no possibility of it being successful: · Police now face the hopeless task of trying to find the bombers.it is hopeless: · "Please let me go to the party'' Ali begged her mother, but she knew it was hopeless.it is hopeless to do something: · It's hopeless to try to persuade him while he's in this mood. Let's talk to him tomorrow.a hopeless cause (=something that cannot possibly succeed): · "I do not believe that working to block the movement of cocaine into the US is a hopeless cause," McCaffrey told the panel. ► not stand a chance/not have a hope informal to not have any chance of doing what you want, for example because it is much too difficult, someone else will do it first etc: · Everyone in the town votes Republican. The Democrats don't stand a chance.· There's no point in me applying for the job. I wouldn't have a hope.not stand a chance of doing something: · "The driver of the train didn't stand a chance of stopping in time," a Railtrack spokesman said.not have a hope/have no hope of doing something: · The bank said that it will no longer lend to enterprises that have no hope of making a profit. ► impossibility something that is impossible to do: · At first they thought that building a bridge across to the island was an impossibility.· The equal division of all roles is a practical impossibility for many parents.· I was suddenly struck by the impossibility of achieving our aims. to ask someone to marry you► ask somebody to marry you · Don't tell anyone, but Timothy has asked me to marry him.· Are you asking me to marry you? ► propose formal to ask someone to marry you: · Did he get down on one knee to propose?propose to: · I thought he was going to propose to me, but in fact he just wanted to borrow some money. ► pop the question informal to ask someone to marry you: · Jane was delighted when Matt eventually popped the question. something you talk about, write about etc► subject something that is talked about or written about, for example at a meeting, in an article, or in a conversation: · I read a lot of books about astronomy. It's a very interesting subject.· We talked about all sorts of subjects.· Bottle-collecting even has a website devoted to the subject. the subject of crime/politics/animal rights etc (=crime etc as a subject): · Until about 20 years ago, the subject of the environment was hardly discussed.on the subject (of something) (=about a particular subject): · The first book on the subject was published in 1900.· He has very little to say on the subject of the accusations made against him.change the subject (=start talking about something different): · I could see John was embarrassed, so I changed the subject.drop the subject (=to stop talking about something): · This is getting us nowhere. Let's just drop the subject, okay? ► subject matter what is being talked about, or what a film, book, play etc is about: · There has been no attempt to arrange the books according to subject matter.· Sagan published a book relating to the subject matter in his TV show. · 'The People versus Larry Flynt' was given an '18' certificate because it contains adult subject matter. ► topic a subject that people often discuss or write about, in books, newspapers, at school etc: · The rise of Islam is a popular topic these days.· Type the topic into the search field, and let the browser search all relevant sites.· Dole's absence was the topic of radio talk shows. ► thing especially spoken something that people talk about or think about: · The first thing we have to discuss is the price.· The only thing she ever talks about is her boyfriend.· We talked about the old days and other things. ► issue an important subject that people discuss and argue about: · We'll be looking at a broad range of important issues in this chapter.· Genetic manipulation is a fairly topical issue these days.· a book dealing with environmental issuesissue of: · the issue of drugs in sportsmajor/big/key/main issue (=a very important issue): · Global warming and youth crime are the key issues in the election campaign. ► question a difficult subject or problem that has often been discussed but still needs to be solved: · The real question here is how can we integrate asylum seekers into communities.· How can we best help less developed countries? That's the really important question.question of: · In the 1980s the question of whether photography was an art went to court.raise a question (=make people consider a problem): · These operations can save lives, but they raise difficult questions about animal rights. ► matter a subject that people disagree about or are concerned about, and that needs to be considered and discussed in order to deal with it: · The matter is being argued and discussed in families up and down the country.· Foreign affairs were not the only matters we discussed.· This meeting is being held to deal with the serious matter of possible racism in our hiring practices.matter of: · The first item on the agenda today is the matter of public transportation. ► theme an important idea that appears several times in a book, film etc, and slowly influences the way it develops: · One of the themes of the book is the relationship between people and nature.· George Eliot shows real concern for religious and moral themes. · The play's central theme is greed and its corrupting effects. ► business something that needs to be discussed at a business or political meeting: · Right, could we get started please? We've a lot of business to get through this morning. ► any other business British in a meeting, subjects that are not on the list of things to discuss, but that people may want to talk about: · Is there any other business before we close the meeting? when there are several different opinions about something► debatable : it is debatable whether · It is debatable whether these alternative medical treatments actually work.a debatable point · Whether or not the government was right to arrest the protesters is an extremely debatable point. ► questionable something that is questionable seems doubtful and is likely to be wrong or untrue: · The conclusions of the survey are questionable because the research was based on a very small sample of people.it is questionable whether: · It is questionable whether the advertisements will increase sales. ► open to question/debate something that is open to question or open to debate seems doubtful and needs to be checked or discussed: · Many people feel that the safety of the drug is now open to question.· Just why the guerrillas decided to shoot down the unarmed plane remains open to debate.it is open to question/debate whether: · It is open to debate whether the new government is any better than the old one. ► moot point something that different people have different opinions about: · I'm not sure that bringing in computers has made our job easier. It's a moot point.· Whether or not increasing taxes will result in a fairer society remains a moot point. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1verbs► ask (somebody) a question · Don’t be afraid to ask questions. ► have a question (=want to ask a question)· I just have one question: is the treatment effective? ► pose a question formal (=ask a question)· He poses the question, ‘What should we teach our children?’ ► put a question to somebody (=ask a question in a formal situation)· I recently put some of these questions to a psychologist. ► answer a question · You haven’t answered my question. ► avoid/evade/dodge a question (=not give a direct answer)· He had skilfully evaded Margie’s questions. ► set a question (=invent a question for a test)· He used to set the questions for a TV quiz show. ► rephrase a question (=ask it in a different way)· He didn’t answer, so I rephrased my question. ► bombard somebody with questions (=ask someone a lot of questions)· They bombarded him with questions about the case. ► field questions (=answer a lot of questions)· He fielded questions from reporters about the announcement. ADJECTIVES/NOUN + question► difficult/hard · Some of the questions in the last section were very difficult. ► easy · These questions should be easy for you. ► a good question (=interesting or difficult to answer)· That’s a good question. ► a stupid/silly question (=one whose answer is obvious)· Did you win, or is that a stupid question? ► an awkward question (=one that someone does not want to answer)· How can we keep the press from asking awkward questions? ► a tricky/tough question (=one that is difficult to answer)· That’s a really tricky question. ► an embarrassing question · The media began to ask embarrassing questions about MPs' expenses. ► a personal question (=one relating to someone’s private life)· Can I ask you a personal question? ► a simple question (=one that is easy to answer)· All you have to do is answer the three simple questions below. ► a searching/probing question (=one designed to find things out)· The immigration officer asked me some searching questions. ► a direct question (=one that asks for information in a very direct way)· She was startled by the direct question. ► an exam/a test question · You have to answer twenty exam questions. ► an impertinent question (=one which you have no right to ask)· She did not answer the maid’s impertinent question. ► a rhetorical question (=one that you ask without expecting an answer, in order to make a point) ► a multiple choice question (=where you are given a set of possible answers) Meaning 2verbs► raise a question (=bring it to people’s attention)· This study raises several important questions. ► address a question (=start trying to deal with it)· Two questions need to be addressed. ► discuss a question · They discussed the question of the possible use of the atomic bomb. ► consider a question · We must also consider the question of compensation. ► deal with a question · This question will be dealt with in Chapter 4. ► tackle a question (=try to deal with a difficult question)· Who has the ability to tackle the tough questions facing the nation? ► resolve a question (=deal with it in a satisfactory way)· We will proceed just as soon as we can resolve the question of the fee. adjectives► an important/big question · The book raises important questions about nationality and the role of a citizen. ► a fundamental question · Their experiences have highlighted fundamental questions of human rights. ► serious questions · The incident has raised serious questions about police conduct. ► a vexed/thorny question (=one that is hard to deal with)· Finally, there’s the thorny question of money. ► a burning question (=an important one that needs dealing with)· Little progress was made on the burning question of Africa’s debt. ► a moral/ethical question (=one relating to principles of what is right and wrong)· This area of medical research poses serious ethical questions that doctors alone cannot answer. ► unanswered/open (=not dealt with)· At this point a key question remains unanswered. Meaning 3phrases► be open to question (=not be certain or definitely true)· Whether he will survive politically is open to question. ► be beyond question (=be definite)· Her loyalty is beyond question. ► call/bring/throw something into question (=make people doubt it)· He brought into question all the principles on which the Soviet system was based. ► come into question (=start to be doubted)· The special protection given to these animals has come into question in recent years. ► there’s no question (=it is certain)· There’s no question that they have done an outstanding job. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► address a problem/question/issue etc  Our products address the needs of real users. ► answered ... question  He still hadn’t answered my question. ► awkward questions  I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions. ► a basic question · The interviewer will ask you some basic questions about your education and work experience. ► a crucial question · She seemed to be trying to avoid the crucial question. ► deal with an issue/matter/question · New laws were introduced to deal with the issue. ► detained ... for questioning  Two suspects have been detained by the police for questioning. ► discuss the question/subject · We’d never discussed the question of having children. ► dodge an issue/question  Senator O'Brian skillfully dodged the crucial question. ► ducked ... question  Glazer ducked a question about his involvement in the bank scandal. ► embarrassing questions  She asked a lot of embarrassing questions. ► an essay question · We practised essay questions from previous exam papers. ► ethical issues/questions/problems  The use of animals in scientific tests raises difficult ethical questions. ► evaded ... question  The minister evaded the question. ► an exam question · Read the exam questions carefully before writing your answers. ► an examination question · Read the examination questions carefully before writing your answers. ► fielded questions  The Minister fielded questions on the Middle East. ► a fundamental question · To reach a solution several fundamental questions need to be answered. ► a matter/point/question of honour (=something you feel you must do because of your moral beliefs)· To my mum, paying bills on time is a point of honour. ► the question of how  This still leaves the question of how local services should be funded. ► hypothetical situation/example/question  Brennan brought up a hypothetical case to make his point. ► an interview question · Some of the interview questions were quite difficult to answer. ► a key issue/question/point · The environment became a key issue during the election. ► question the merits of something (=not be sure if something is a good idea)· People began to question the merits of nuclear energy. ► question/suspect somebody’s motive (=think that someone might have selfish or dishonest reasons for doing something)· They began to question the motives of the people who held positions of power. ► an obvious question · The obvious question is: why? ► an open question  The matter remains an open question. ► a personal question · That’s a rather personal question. ► pertinent questions  He asked me a lot of very pertinent questions. ► the police question/interview somebody · Police are questioning two men about the deaths. ► put a question (to somebody) · I will be putting that very question to her. ► raised ... question  Betty raised the important question of who will be in charge. ► a reasonable question · Here is one possible answer to that very reasonable question. ► reopen a case/question/debate etc  attempts to reopen the issue of the power station’s future ► rephrase ... question  OK. Let me rephrase the question. ► resolve an issue/matter/question · Has the issue been resolved yet? ► sarcastic remark/comment/question  He can’t help making sarcastic comments. ► searching questions/investigation/examination etc  Interviewees need to be ready for some searching questions. ► a question-and-answer session (=when people ask a speaker questions)· His talk was followed by a question and answer session. ► settle a question/matter · It is the area of pricing which may settle the question of which to buy. ► solve a question · Did they really think the Jerusalem question would be solved in a week? ► stupid idea/question  Whose stupid idea was this? ► question/interrogate/interview a suspect · Police confirmed that six suspects are being questioned. ► tackle a problem/issue/question · The government has failed to tackle the problem of youth crime. ► taken in for questioning  All five teenagers were arrested and taken in for questioning. ► a test question · Some of the test questions were really difficult. ► tough questions  The reporters were asking a lot of tough questions. ► questions remain unanswered  Many other questions remain unanswered. ► undergo questioning/interrogation (=answer questions from the police)· Mrs White underwent 20 hours of questioning, and admitted nothing. ► venture an opinion/question/word etc  If we had more information, it would be easier to venture a firm opinion. Roy ventured a tentative smile. ► question/doubt the wisdom of (doing) something  Local people are questioning the wisdom of spending so much money on a new road. ► question a witness · They were not permitted to question government witnesses. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► awkward · Don't be afraid to ask awkward questions.· Missile defence has a political momentum that makes a supposedly awkward question such as whether it really works pale almost into irrelevance.· Overfamiliarity at this stage also makes asking awkward questions more difficult.· The extra thirty days for a successful crossing raised some awkward questions.· But the Basle convention fails to offer a watertight answer to the awkward question: which waste is hazardous?· To have assumed otherwise would have been to raise a number of awkward questions.· He's asking awkward questions, he's probably a spy.· Start thinking Both sides spare themselves awkward questions that badly need to be answered. ► big · Ready for action A big question mark hangs over the wisdom of visiting any Arab state at present, writes Mike Harper.· Still, the movie fails to answer the big pirate question: Why are fictional pirates always burying their treasure?· The big question isn't so much how it happened as why?· The big question is just how is it all going to work.· The big question is: Will Dessie wear cycle shorts?· Well, law seemed the broadest umbrella for looking at those big questions.· Many of these leave a very big question mark as to their eternal significance.· The big question is whether other cable companies will follow pioneers such as Comcast. ► difficult · The second is the more difficult question.· I prefaced it by saying that these were difficult questions which he was at liberty not to answer.· Redundancies arising from a reduction in work present more difficult questions.· Practice interviewing with a friend who will ask you difficult questions.· This is a difficult question but in practice few spreadsheets need more than 1 or 2 MBytes of expanded memory.· Solicitors therefore take counsel's opinion on difficult or technical questions of law or procedure.· The more difficult question is how long he can continue as a one-man movement.· He then turned to the difficult question as to whether land is capable of passing by donatio mortis causa. ► important · Finally, there is the important question of inflation.· This leaves one important question: How does the Republican nominee get more of the black and minority vote?· In addition, there are important questions of interpretation to consider.· It is an important question, because it accounts for the detachment with which disasters were viewed at Salomon.· But this is where important questions are raised concerning the police in society.· Sometimes we can only raise important questions, not answer them.· This raises an important question: with what type of poem, what genre, are we faced here?· The matter of where the real values lie seems to me to be the final important question of this book. ► key · Fluoride can be harmful; the key question is, at what concentrations does it become toxic in the body?· The key question is, of course, how much inequality can government prevent before the too-much limit is reached.· The key question is how flexibility will be applied in sensitive areas such as foreign policy.· The key question has become how information is organized, who has access to it, and why.· Constantly ask yourself what key questions reading this book is going to help to answer.· It will ensure that these key questions are relevant.· A key question concerns the types of social contact that may be associated with a high risk of transmission of P cepacia.· A key question is whether firms should be able to decide which regulatory body to join. ► obvious · An obvious question is the nature of the morphogen.· The obvious question is how long the present authoritative regime will be able to resist the pressures.· The obvious question is: Why?· The obvious question to ask would be: why do mice give birth to mice and elephants to elephants?· Nurture Researchers probing the environmental side of the alcoholism coin begin with the obvious question: Why do people drink?· The next obvious question concerns the reasonableness of such a range of conditions.· Which raises an obvious question: Why do humans have such a powerful urge to consume this poison? ► unanswered · All this, while the field is festooned with unanswered question marks!· The space between them was filling up with unasked and unanswered questions.· Future chroniclers may, indeed, describe the 1996 confrontation as the campaign of unanswered questions.· These unanswered questions serve to highlight the practicalities which prescriptions of this kind ignore.· Please do not hesitate to make contact with me in the event that this letter leaves unanswered any questions you might have.· But it left some unanswered questions. NOUN► mark · Then there are notes and figures relating to the library with a lot of question marks.· Light brown jacket, question mark shirt, without a hat.· They grew up in the Depression, when the certainty of a meal was a question mark.· One of the keys dispensed with was the question mark.· Most people stick with basic punctuation marks: commas, periods, and question marks when appropriate.· All the mirrors grew convex, she fingered the globe in its pregnant question mark. VERB► address · However, such historical studies as do address this question indicate that all members do not benefit equally.· It addresses such questions as: Can a teacher who ridicules students be found guilty of slander?· This symposium will address the question of effects of chemical substances on reproductive systems to both females and males.· And because sperm now can be extracted after death, doctors must address the ethical questions raised by the lack of permission.· The majority of the sample did address the question about time off work.· Developers of organizational electronic commerce applications must address these questions if they are to be successful.· That is, he addresses the question of the state.· In coming toward the end of our book, we must address the question that is the title of this chapter. ► answer · Miss Menzies couldn't be very helpful about the Datsun, though she answered all his questions very readily.· Go to the previews that have the items on display and talk to the specialists who are on hand to answer questions.· In any case she didn't answer my question.· All of a sudden his cooperation ceased, and he refused to answer any further questions.· Shortly after, however, he was seen out on the campaign trail, but refused to answer any questions.· But nobody could answer the questions.· Civil servants are also instructed not to answer questions about their own part in the conduct of business.· Two of those people were then able to bring their score up to nineteen and one managed to answer all twenty questions. ► ask · Why waste everyone's time asking questions which need not be asked when the information is already there?· They asked my mom questions, and then they gave me a chance to say something after all the stuff was done.· Endill would ask Mr Litmus question after question and he was the only teacher who did not mind answering.· As we finish, the woman asks an-other question.· Don't ask questions or ask closed questions.· Even if you win, you lose. 9. Ask questions.· Let the hon. Gentleman ask his question - but briefly please.· Bob asks the questions then explains how the youngsters maintain his enthusiasm. ► beg · Plenty of helices are not so stick-like, and of course the argument begs the question of how, rather than why.· But that begs the real question: Who is Speedo Man?· For they beg the questions they ask by simply assuming the truth of individualism.· To say that sexuality exists in the brain simply begs the question.· But Maria's presence actually begs a question since it's the sole moment when a startling presence swoops out of the mix.· It begs the question of what pictures will be sacrificed in order to track Sanders.· But, it also begs some questions.· It is begging the question just to ask it. ► pose · None the less, he had clearly purported to pose the question of whether a caution was required, but had not answered it.· He survived the surgery, and I cautiously began to pose questions.· The segregation of school pupils who have disabilities or learning difficulties poses this question immediately.· Simply put, eVote lets people pose questions and conduct votes using e-mail.· Yet nostalgia movies pose a curious question of cinema sociology: what precisely will their posterity be?· Fortunately, some scientists saw them as posing tractable scientific questions and offering new insights.· Even to pose such questions reminds us that there was a large element of chance in the emergence of Mrs Thatcher.· The month before, they had an opportunity to pose some questions to a pediatrician. ► put · I think it unlikely that there is any further evidence which would put the question beyond doubt.· He let him approach and drink of the black blood, then put his question to him.· The right hon. Member has a right to put his question.· It was accounted great discourtesy to put any question to a guest before his wants had been satisfied.· There was one man who soon put that out of the question.· And I saw another man with a wheel on his head and put a question to him.· I want to put a specific question to the Minister.· The House is considering whether to put to voters the question of whether slots should be legal. ► raise · This raises the question as to whether the genuineness of the Church should be judged by its effectiveness in achieving growth.· The succession also raises immediate questions about the qualifications of Westin, who has no news background.· In effect this raises the question, to whom is the duty of fairness owed?· I raised the question of my own existence.· Shawcross raises these questions within the context of disaster relief but they have a broader setting.· The kind of dependence that marriage creates between adult spouses raises substantive questions of status and power.· This raises the question of whether it is necessary to represent objects at the single cell level.· This raises the question, did the plumes cause the Pangaean crust to fracture? ► resolve · Although I can not give a date, we intend to proceed just as soon as we can resolve the question of the contract.· They subsequently found it difficult to talk about organization structure without first resolving questions of strategy.· There have been book-length studies devoted to trying to resolve the question of Doctor Faustus's text.· Gorbachev wrote that only he and Reagan, talking together, could resolve the questions he raised.· Consider the origin of both of these sources, and comment on their value in resolving this question. 13.· Would starting my own business help me resolve these questions? 5.· There is no obvious way of resolving the question of crowd composition.· Flores, to resolve the question. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► be a question of something More train stations will be approved, it's just a question of when and where. For Christians its precise location was a question of supreme importance; but they had no criteria for answering it. It is a question of character. It is a question of whether they are good at managing. It is a question of which side of the river you take - the Maidenhead or the Buckinghamshire side. It may not be a question of free will. It was a question of buying or not buying a locomotive. It was a question of the light. This is a question of people's personal decisions. ► it’s just/only/simply a question of doing something Sometimes, it's simply a question of somewhere safe to go after school while parents are working. ► be out of the question Some of these families are so poor that Christmas presents are out of the question. Defending yourself was out of the question. Either way, it looks as though 103 Dalmatians may now be out of the question. I guess a game of Scrabble is out of the question. 8: 55. Investors and analysts took that to mean a rate cut before mid-year is out of the question. It was out of the question to put on an exhaustive exhibition, because it would have been too voluminous. That is out of the question. The captain said that it was out of the question. ► (that’s a) good question! "Does the program allow you to do that?" "That's a good question - I don't know." ► pop the question Boy goes back on radio and pops the question. He put a ladder up to her office window to pop the question as she sat at her desk. Meanwhile, his girlfriend of 17 years, Jenette, was delighted when Brian popped the question. ► without question Insurance companies once paid medical bills almost without question, but no longer. Their weapons technology is without question a threat to us. ► there is no question of something happening/somebody doing something Each has much to offer to the other and there is no question of one tradition being right and the other wrong. Even if the practice overspends its funds, there is no question of patients not getting the treatment they need. Since there is no means of changing the weather, there is no question of protest. This again suggests that the boys may have been in the wrong, which there is no question of in Ballantyne. This particularly applies where there is no question of a divorced previous spouse. This phenomenon is distinct from onomatopoeia - it is sometimes called sound symbolism: there is no question of auditory resemblance. Yet there is no question of one's hair rising. ► in question Housing in the area in question would not violate zoning laws. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► beg the question All this begs the question about the reliability of Mr Dole's gut. It begs the question of what pictures will be sacrificed in order to track Sanders. It is begging the question just to ask it. Plenty of helices are not so stick-like, and of course the argument begs the question of how, rather than why. Such measures, of course, beg the question in many ways. To say that seems to me really to beg the question. To say that sexuality exists in the brain simply begs the question. Which rather begs the question-shouldn't there be a governing body that regulates such questionable decisions? ► broach the subject/question/matter etc But what was still troubling her was the fact that she had still not broached the subject of Janice. He broached the matter carefully while Marshall put a match to some logs in the grate. I never broached the subject with him again. It was half a year, he thought, since she had last broached the subject of his bachelor status. It was nine o'clock and they had been driven in by the mosquitoes before he broached the subject of the night before. Now, popular magazines regularly broach the subject. Popular magazines now broach the subject of mental illness, while the government is encouraging research into mental health. When, two months later, Father van Exem broached the subject, the Archbishop was actually quite upset about the idea. ► burning issue/question Another burning issue is unfair dismissal. But the burning question is: How many times a day do kids wander in looking to buy rolling papers? It can also lead to the efficacy of our advice becoming the burning issue of discussion. Quality, of design and typography rather than editorial matter, is a burning issue as far as desktop publishing is concerned. The burning question is - how soon? The star trek is over for today, but the burning questions are still unanswered. Transmission has always been the burning issue for scientists interested in studying this epidemic. ► call (something) into question And while the injunctions are subject to unwitting acceptance, it is impossible to call them into question. Nothing that has happened since has called that judgment into question. ► fire questions at somebody The Professor had finished, and Ace and Daak were firing questions at her. The young man took the seat behind the cold metal desk and began to fire questions at me. ► (that’s a) good idea/point/question► the larger issues/question/problem/picture But the larger picture is systematically distorted by the military and political calculations concerning the strategic uses of information and disinformation. Here we are concerned with the larger problem of the relationship between men as a class and other animals as a class. It has come to have a bearing on the larger questions of civilized survival. Mission-driven budgets relieve legislators of micromanagement decisions, freeing them to focus on the larger problems they were elected to solve. She was blind to the larger picture that involves building and maintaining good relationships with both fellow-workers and superiors. That ignorance is at the root of geophysicists' struggle with the larger problem of how the whole earth works. Too much, and the larger picture might become apparent. You failed to connect the various elements together or to move through the detail to the larger issues of the painting. ► leading question All right, I won't ask leading questions. For example, a leading question may take the respondent outside the bounds of the context of everyday life. In answer to a leading question about the temperature Of the room, he reflected that it had been cold and draughty. It makes me worry, all those leading questions with hidden assumptions that detectives like to ask suspects. Never did she ask leading questions or provide suggestions. To arrive there the counsellor has to stop talking, and in order to stop talking, answerable and leading questions are required. ► a loaded question► a moot point/question It's a moot point whether this is censorship. It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes. Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point. This, of course, is a moot point. When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point. Whether the law should be this is a moot point. Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point. Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point. ► be open to question/doubt The authenticity of the relics is open to doubt. Their motives are open to question. But whether Republicans want to cooperate is open to question. Even if, as is open to question, screen violence really does invite emulation, that is the wrong approach. In particular, the significance of the small number who say their work has been deskilled is open to question. It also is open to question how well equipped courts are to make this kind of determination-about the workings of economic markets. The entire business of basing regulations on animal tests is open to question. The President acceded to the Chancellor's request for two reasons, both of which were open to question. Whether the yeast could ever be as abundant as this is open to question. Whether this kind of Labour Party is capable of winning a general election is open to doubt. ► pepper somebody with questions At every stop, reporters peppered her with questions. As the doctor tends the grandfather, the young man peppers him with questions. Later, students peppered King with questions. The justices peppered the attorneys with questions. ► ply somebody with questions She had been there before and was very tolerant of the young man plying her with questions. Ungerer spent a long time plying them with questions. ► a pointed question/look/remark As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob. ► pop the question Jane was delighted when Matt eventually popped the question. When are you going to pop the question? Boy goes back on radio and pops the question. He put a ladder up to her office window to pop the question as she sat at her desk. Meanwhile, his girlfriend of 17 years, Jenette, was delighted when Brian popped the question. ► pose a question The magazine posed a list of questions to each of the candidates. He survived the surgery, and I cautiously began to pose questions. In their minds, buying a gown poses questions more complicated than chiffon or lace. It is open to the House to ask for reports, and it can pose questions at any time. Olajuwon stopped by to visit and pose a question: Could Pond help him get to college in the United States? Simply put, eVote lets people pose questions and conduct votes using e-mail. That poses a question about their very nature. Yet these two enemies are also enemies of each other, which poses a question. ► pursue the matter/argument/question etc Anxious to avoid further difficulty, Harriet did not pursue the matter. I regret that they were unable to pursue the matter any further. If you feel upset by an apparent unfairness, pursue the matter through the grievance procedure. It is capable of extension, but we shall not pursue the matter here. She wouldn't put it past him but in the brilliant afternoon heat she wasn't inclined to pursue the matter. There was no need to pursue the matter any further prior to arrest. ► there is a question mark over something/a question mark hangs over something► rhetorical question A rhetorical question, but asked with deep feeling. But rhetorical questions can be over-used, especially where answers to the questions do not follow immediately. Consider these two rhetorical questions, from an essay on Othello: Does this tell us about Shakespeare? His critics even smile in anticipation of a rhetorical question meeting with a devastating reply. That is not a rhetorical question. The rhetorical question rightly goes unanswered, and the following paragraph consigns the missio unmourned to the shades. The two extremes can be expressed in the form of two rhetorical questions. These and other rhetorical questions are asked in a spirit of humility with no stones clutched, hidden in the hand. ► shoot questions at somebody The prosecutor shot a series of rapid questions at Hendrickson. ► sidestep a problem/issue/question But she sidesteps a question about her priorities in a time of limited funding. ► stock excuse/question/remark etc► table a proposal/question/motion etc Baldwin tabled proposals which involved payments of £34 million a year. Even our own wets will summon up the courage to table a question or two. He has tabled a question on the issue for tomorrow's council meeting. If the hon. Gentleman wants to table a question or write to me, I shall be glad to enlarge upon that. The move came after a vote by regents indefinitely tabling a motion to rescind their July 20 vote revising admissions policies. The Umpires' Association had planned to table a motion giving an official vote of support for Lamb. ► a thorny question/problem/issue etc In addition, sending encrypted data over international boundaries represents a thorny issue: it is still illegal in some countries. Melding the top managements also would be a thorny issue. None of these struck me as particularly penetrating answers to a thorny problem. ► throw a question/remark etc (at somebody) One day, as she was scolding me, I suddenly threw a question at her. Sally arranged herself on his other side and they walked him away, throwing questions at him. These disparities throw a question mark over the accuracy of social costs data. ► it’s (only/just) a matter/question of time But they believe it's only a matter of time before the disease crosses the county boundary. If he hasn't already killed somebody, then it's only a matter of time. They think it's only a matter of time before he breaks. ► touchy subject/question etc He also knew the answers to some touchy questions. Morris's lasting influence is a touchy subject at the White House. You know money is a touchy subject with me. ► a trick question► vexed question/issue/problem etc A paradigm example of this is the vexed question of spatial visualisation. And there is another vexed question. I shall not turn to the vexed question of the national minimum wage. Potentially an even bigger bombshell is about to burst on the vexed question of pension rights. The vexed question has always been: Who should write the programs which control these machines? Then there is the vexed issue of paying for tax cuts. Until recently what was on the child's school record and whether parent or child could see it was a vexed question. Was the vexed question of extradition discussed at the Council? Word family WORD FAMILYnounquestionquestioningquestionerquestionnaireadjectivequestionable ≠ unquestionablequestioning ≠ unquestioningunquestionedadverbunquestionablyquestioningly ≠ unquestioninglyverbquestion 1asking for information [countable] a sentence or phrase that is used to ask for information or to test someone’s knowledge OPP  answer:  Can I ask you a question? I’m afraid I can’t answer that question.question about/on They asked me quite a lot of difficult questions about my job. The survey included questions on age and smoking habits.in answer to somebody’s question In answer to your last question, ‘Yes’.2subject/problem [countable] a subject or problem that needs to be discussed or dealt with SYN  issuequestion of We discussed the question of confidentiality. This raises the question of government funding. an urgent need to address the question of crime Several questions have still not been resolved. The question is should I take the job in Japan, or should I stay here? Some important questions remain unanswered (=still have not been dealt with or explained).3doubt [countable, uncountable] if there is some question about something, there is doubt about it, or people feel uncertain about it:  The exact cause of death is still open to question (=not certain).call/bring/throw something into question (=make people doubt something) This has called into question people’s right to retire at 60. He’s by far the best candidate, there’s no question about it (=it is completely certain). There is no question that (=it is completely certain that) the government knew about the deal.beyond question (=completely certain or definite) Her efficiency and intelligence are beyond question.questions about/over something There are questions about the system’s practicality.4without question a)used to emphasize that what you are saying is true or correct:  Marilyn was, without question, a very beautiful woman. b)if you accept or obey something without question, you do it without expressing any doubt about whether it is correct or necessary:  Clara accepted his decision without question.5there is no question of something happening/somebody doing something used to say that there is no possibility of something happening:  There is no question of the project being postponed.6in question a)the things, people etc in question are the ones that are being discussed:  Where were you during the evening in question? b)if something is in question, there is doubt about it:  I’m afraid his honesty is now in question.7be a question of something used to say what the most important fact, part, or feature of something is:  Dance is a question of control and creative expression. I would love to come, but it’s a question of time.8it’s just/only/simply a question of doing something spoken used to say that what needs doing is easy or not complicated:  It’s just a question of putting in a couple of screws.9be out of the question if something is out of the question, it is definitely not possible or not allowed:  You can’t go in that old shirt – it’s out of the question.10(that’s a) good question! spoken used to admit that you do not know the answer to a question:  ‘How can we afford this?’ ‘Good question!’11pop the question informal to ask someone to marry you – used humorously → leading question at leading1(4), → rhetorical question at rhetorical(1), → beg the question at beg(6)COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbsask (somebody) a question· Don’t be afraid to ask questions.have a question (=want to ask a question)· I just have one question: is the treatment effective?pose a question formal (=ask a question)· He poses the question, ‘What should we teach our children?’put a question to somebody (=ask a question in a formal situation)· I recently put some of these questions to a psychologist.answer a question· You haven’t answered my question.avoid/evade/dodge a question (=not give a direct answer)· He had skilfully evaded Margie’s questions.set a question (=invent a question for a test)· He used to set the questions for a TV quiz show.rephrase a question (=ask it in a different way)· He didn’t answer, so I rephrased my question.bombard somebody with questions (=ask someone a lot of questions)· They bombarded him with questions about the case.field questions (=answer a lot of questions)· He fielded questions from reporters about the announcement.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + questiondifficult/hard· Some of the questions in the last section were very difficult.easy· These questions should be easy for you.a good question (=interesting or difficult to answer)· That’s a good question.a stupid/silly question (=one whose answer is obvious)· Did you win, or is that a stupid question?an awkward question (=one that someone does not want to answer)· How can we keep the press from asking awkward questions?a tricky/tough question (=one that is difficult to answer)· That’s a really tricky question.an embarrassing question· The media began to ask embarrassing questions about MPs' expenses.a personal question (=one relating to someone’s private life)· Can I ask you a personal question?a simple question (=one that is easy to answer)· All you have to do is answer the three simple questions below.a searching/probing question (=one designed to find things out)· The immigration officer asked me some searching questions.a direct question (=one that asks for information in a very direct way)· She was startled by the direct question.an exam/a test question· You have to answer twenty exam questions.an impertinent question (=one which you have no right to ask)· She did not answer the maid’s impertinent question.a rhetorical question (=one that you ask without expecting an answer, in order to make a point)a multiple choice question (=where you are given a set of possible answers)COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsraise a question (=bring it to people’s attention)· This study raises several important questions.address a question (=start trying to deal with it)· Two questions need to be addressed.discuss a question· They discussed the question of the possible use of the atomic bomb.consider a question· We must also consider the question of compensation.deal with a question· This question will be dealt with in Chapter 4.tackle a question (=try to deal with a difficult question)· Who has the ability to tackle the tough questions facing the nation?resolve a question (=deal with it in a satisfactory way)· We will proceed just as soon as we can resolve the question of the fee.adjectivesan important/big question· The book raises important questions about nationality and the role of a citizen.a fundamental question· Their experiences have highlighted fundamental questions of human rights.serious questions· The incident has raised serious questions about police conduct.a vexed/thorny question (=one that is hard to deal with)· Finally, there’s the thorny question of money.a burning question (=an important one that needs dealing with)· Little progress was made on the burning question of Africa’s debt.a moral/ethical question (=one relating to principles of what is right and wrong)· This area of medical research poses serious ethical questions that doctors alone cannot answer.unanswered/open (=not dealt with)· At this point a key question remains unanswered.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3phrasesbe open to question (=not be certain or definitely true)· Whether he will survive politically is open to question.be beyond question (=be definite)· Her loyalty is beyond question.call/bring/throw something into question (=make people doubt it)· He brought into question all the principles on which the Soviet system was based.come into question (=start to be doubted)· The special protection given to these animals has come into question in recent years.there’s no question (=it is certain)· There’s no question that they have done an outstanding job.THESAURUSquestion something that you ask someone, either when speaking or when writing: · Would anyone like to ask any questions?· I’ve emailed the hotel with one or two questions.query /ˈkwɪəri $ ˈkwɪri/ especially British English a question that you ask when you are not sure you have understood something or that the information you have is correct: · If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent.· Our staff are always available to answer customers’ queries.inquiry (also enquiry especially British English) /ɪnˈkwaɪəri $ ɪnˈkwaɪri, ˈɪŋkwəri/ a question you ask in order to get information or find out the details about something: · We’ve advertised the house, and we’ve already received lots of enquiries.· The police have been making some inquiries in the area.request a polite or formal question asking for something that you want or need: · The bank said ‘no’ to our request for more money.· You must make your request in writing. question1 nounquestion2 verb questionquestion2 ●●● S2 W3 verb [transitive] Verb Table VERB TABLE question Simple Form Present I, you, we, they question he, she, it questions Past I, you, he, she, it, we, they questioned Present perfect I, you, we, they have questioned he, she, it has questioned Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had questioned Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will question Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have questioned Continuous Form Present I am questioning he, she, it is questioning you, we, they are questioning Past I, he, she, it was questioning you, we, they were questioning Present perfect I, you, we, they have been questioning he, she, it has been questioning Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had been questioning Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will be questioning Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have been questioning Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES After questioning the suspect closely, investigators decided he was not a part of the drug operation. His leadership and integrity are being questioned. Liz was very well informed and questioned me about the political situation in Africa. Roughly 1000 people were questioned in the November poll. The interviewer questioned Miss Jarvis closely about her computer experience. The lawyer questioned me about how money was transmitted to Mexico. They questioned her for three hours before releasing her. We all wondered where Sylvia got the money, but no one dared question her. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS But Justice Stanley Mosk questioned whether minors are, indeed, entitled to the same privacy rights as adults. From a historical standpoint, no one can question the Huskers' right to be called a great team. His sin, anticipating Keynes, was to question the value of limitless saving. I have had many letters asking for advice and questioning the use of bark and shavings because of coral spot fungus appearing. They were stopped and questioned by the police, who thought they were the real thing. What is happening to me? she questioned herself in dismay. Thesaurus THESAURUS► question to ask someone questions in order to get information about something such as a crime: · The police questioned him for three hours before releasing him without charge.· When questioned by reporters, he denied all knowledge about the affair. ► interrogate to keep asking a lot of questions for a long time, sometimes using threats, in order to get information: · He was interrogated by US agents about his alleged links to al-Qaeda. ► interview to ask someone questions for a newspaper, TV programme etc, or to ask someone questions to find out if they are suitable for a job, course etc: · Did you hear him being interviewed on ‘the Today Programme’?· The woman who interviewed me offered me the job. ► grill informal to ask someone a lot of difficult questions about something, in a way that is tiring or annoying: · She started grilling me about why I was so late coming home. ► cross-examine to ask someone a series of questions in court about their previous statements, in order to find out whether they have been telling the truth: · The defence lawyer cross-examined the witness in order to test his evidence. ► be helping police with their inquiries British English to be questioned by the police about a crime – used especially in news reports when the police think that this person may be guilty of the crime: · Last night, a 21-year-old woman was helping police with their inquiries. Longman Language Activatorto ask someone a lot of questions► question to ask someone a lot of questions, in order to get information or find out what they think: · We all wondered where Sylvia got the money, but no one dared question her.question somebody about something: · Liz was very well informed and questioned me about the political situation in Africa.question somebody closely (=carefully, asking a lot of difficult questions): · The interviewer questioned Miss Jarvis closely about her computer experience. ► fire/shoot questions at to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly in order to confuse them or make them admit to something: · The lawyer fired questions at me so quickly I didn't have time to think.· The teacher kept shooting questions at the frightened girls until they confessed everything. ► grill also give somebody a grilling British to ask someone a lot of difficult questions in order to make them explain their actions, plans, or opinions: · I stood in the hall and listened as the interviewers grilled the next candidate.· Hilda's teacher gave her a real grilling about why she'd missed so many classes.grill somebody about/on something: · Maxine started grilling me on why I'd been spending so much time alone. ► give somebody the third degree informal to ask someone a lot of difficult questions in order to make them explain their actions, plans, or opinions: · I was just out with friends - you don't have to give me the third degree.· Whenever one of my boyfriends came to the house, Dad would give them the third degree. ► pump somebody for to ask someone a lot of questions about a particular subject or event in order to get as much information as possible: pump somebody for information/details: · Viktor sat with Vassily and me and pumped me for information about hockey teams.· He wants to pump Jody for the details of some job her company is advertising. ► quiz to ask someone a lot of questions, especially because you want to find out what they have been doing, and often in a way that annoys them: · When Stan eventually came home from the party, his wife quizzed him for hours.quiz somebody about/on something: · My parents never stop quizzing me about where I go at night.· Reporters quizzed the President on tax policy and Central America. ► pick somebody's brains to ask someone for information about something because you think they know more about it than you: · You know all about tax law - can I pick your brains for a minute?· The workshop is designed so that new managers can pick the brains of managers with more experience. when the police, a court etc asks someone about a crime► question to ask someone a lot of questions to find out what they know about a crime: · They questioned her for three hours before releasing her.question somebody about something: · The lawyer questioned me about how money was transmitted to Mexico.question somebody closely (=carefully, asking a lot of difficult questions): · After questioning the suspect closely, investigators decided he was not a part of the drug operation. ► interrogate to keep asking a lot of questions for a long time, sometimes using threats, in order to get information: · The police interrogated Waters for 24 hours until he confessed.· Army officers have been accused of using unorthodox methods when interrogating enemy prisoners.interrogate somebody about something: · I was interrogated at length about my conversation with the two men. ► cross-examine also cross-question British if a lawyer cross-examines or cross-questions someone in a law court, they ask them a series of questions about their previous statements in order to find out whether they have been telling the truth: · The first lawyer cross-examined the defendant for over three hours.· When the witness was cross-questioned, it became clear that his earlier testimony was not entirely true. ► carry out door-to-door inquiries British if the police carry out door-to-door inquiries, they go to all the houses in a particular area to ask the people living there what they know about a crime: · Police are carrying out door-to-door inquiries on the Hazelwood Estate. ► be helping police with their inquiries to be formally being asked questions by the police about a crime - used especially in news reports about someone who the police think is guilty of a crime but who has not been officially charged: · A man is helping police with their inquiries after a mother and her young baby were found dead at their home last night. WORD SETS► Police agent, nounbaton, nounbeat, nounbobby, nounbody armour, nounbody search, nounbook, verbchief constable, nounchief inspector, nounchief superintendent, nounCID, the, commander, nouncommissioner, nouncomposite, nounconstable, nounconstabulary, nouncop, nouncopper, nouncop shop, nouncruiser, noundetective, noundragnet, nounFBI, the, flying squad, nounFraud Squad, nounfrisk, verbgendarme, nounguard dog, nounhighway patrol, nounhomicide, nouninformant, nouninspector, nounInterpol, nouninvestigation, nounlaw enforcement agent, nounlawman, nounmanor, nounMetropolitan Police, the, MI5, nounmissing person, nounMountie, nounmugshot, nounnab, verbnail, verbnarc, nounnark, nounnick, verbnightstick, nounofficer, nounoperation, nounpaddy wagon, nounPanda car, nounpatrol, nounpatrol car, nounpatrolman, nounpig, nounplain-clothes, adjectiveplastic bullet, nounpolice constable, nounpolice department, nounpolice dog, nounpolice force, nounpoliceman, nounpolice officer, nounpolice station, nounpolicewoman, nounprecinct, nounquell, verbquestion, verbradar trap, nounraid, nounraid, verbrank, nounrap sheet, nounriot police, nounroadblock, nounScotland Yard, search warrant, nounsheriff, nounshield, nounsnout, nounspecial agent, nounSpecial Branch, nounspecial constable, nounsquad, nounsquad car, nounstate trooper, nounstation house, nounstore detective, nounsupergrass, nounsuperintendent, nountraffic cop, nountrooper, nountruncheon, nounwarrant, nounwater cannon, nounWPC, noun Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► questioned ... closely  Joseph questioned the doctors closely (=asked them a lot of questions). COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► address a problem/question/issue etc  Our products address the needs of real users. ► answered ... question  He still hadn’t answered my question. ► awkward questions  I hoped he would stop asking awkward questions. ► a basic question · The interviewer will ask you some basic questions about your education and work experience. ► a crucial question · She seemed to be trying to avoid the crucial question. ► deal with an issue/matter/question · New laws were introduced to deal with the issue. ► detained ... for questioning  Two suspects have been detained by the police for questioning. ► discuss the question/subject · We’d never discussed the question of having children. ► dodge an issue/question  Senator O'Brian skillfully dodged the crucial question. ► ducked ... question  Glazer ducked a question about his involvement in the bank scandal. ► embarrassing questions  She asked a lot of embarrassing questions. ► an essay question · We practised essay questions from previous exam papers. ► ethical issues/questions/problems  The use of animals in scientific tests raises difficult ethical questions. ► evaded ... question  The minister evaded the question. ► an exam question · Read the exam questions carefully before writing your answers. ► an examination question · Read the examination questions carefully before writing your answers. ► fielded questions  The Minister fielded questions on the Middle East. ► a fundamental question · To reach a solution several fundamental questions need to be answered. ► a matter/point/question of honour (=something you feel you must do because of your moral beliefs)· To my mum, paying bills on time is a point of honour. ► the question of how  This still leaves the question of how local services should be funded. ► hypothetical situation/example/question  Brennan brought up a hypothetical case to make his point. ► an interview question · Some of the interview questions were quite difficult to answer. ► a key issue/question/point · The environment became a key issue during the election. ► question the merits of something (=not be sure if something is a good idea)· People began to question the merits of nuclear energy. ► question/suspect somebody’s motive (=think that someone might have selfish or dishonest reasons for doing something)· They began to question the motives of the people who held positions of power. ► an obvious question · The obvious question is: why? ► an open question  The matter remains an open question. ► a personal question · That’s a rather personal question. ► pertinent questions  He asked me a lot of very pertinent questions. ► the police question/interview somebody · Police are questioning two men about the deaths. ► put a question (to somebody) · I will be putting that very question to her. ► raised ... question  Betty raised the important question of who will be in charge. ► a reasonable question · Here is one possible answer to that very reasonable question. ► reopen a case/question/debate etc  attempts to reopen the issue of the power station’s future ► rephrase ... question  OK. Let me rephrase the question. ► resolve an issue/matter/question · Has the issue been resolved yet? ► sarcastic remark/comment/question  He can’t help making sarcastic comments. ► searching questions/investigation/examination etc  Interviewees need to be ready for some searching questions. ► a question-and-answer session (=when people ask a speaker questions)· His talk was followed by a question and answer session. ► settle a question/matter · It is the area of pricing which may settle the question of which to buy. ► solve a question · Did they really think the Jerusalem question would be solved in a week? ► stupid idea/question  Whose stupid idea was this? ► question/interrogate/interview a suspect · Police confirmed that six suspects are being questioned. ► tackle a problem/issue/question · The government has failed to tackle the problem of youth crime. ► taken in for questioning  All five teenagers were arrested and taken in for questioning. ► a test question · Some of the test questions were really difficult. ► tough questions  The reporters were asking a lot of tough questions. ► questions remain unanswered  Many other questions remain unanswered. ► undergo questioning/interrogation (=answer questions from the police)· Mrs White underwent 20 hours of questioning, and admitted nothing. ► venture an opinion/question/word etc  If we had more information, it would be easier to venture a firm opinion. Roy ventured a tentative smile. ► question/doubt the wisdom of (doing) something  Local people are questioning the wisdom of spending so much money on a new road. ► question a witness · They were not permitted to question government witnesses. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► why · This leads Ponyboy to question why he and his friends' attack people.· By election day, many observers will question why Bill Clinton and Bob Dole were nominated and why they are running.· From these you can begin questioning why you are spending so much time on certain activities and less on others.· She never questioned why she was working so hard.· At school and university people are encouraged to question why things must be done, rather than accept orders passively.· Some days it makes me question why I went to jail.· The report will question why medical staff working with him did not blow the whistle on his activities. NOUN► assumption · One must also question the assumption that single-discipline degrees are themselves immaculately unified.· Because we are still questioning the assumptions, there are no theories.· And she knew she was annoying them whenever she questioned their assumptions.· Odilon Redon questioned the universal assumption that the photographic image was a transmitter of truth.· Reworking her rich and cultural history to question Western attitudes and assumptions.· The Regional Council also questioned the assumptions on costs in the Government's paper.· There is therefore a need to question this assumption that aggression is a given element which somehow has to be accounted for.· There are at least two reasons to question the assumptions underlying such notions. ► decision · He expected her to leave the company without questioning his decision, but he was wrong.· Indeed, many of their old peers questioned their decision to become managers.· He was questioned about the decision not to build a lift at Watford but instead to renew the narrow locks.· The estimated 75,000 people who remain are questioning their decision to stay.· This means primary care needs to continue to develop its own capacity to question the decisions that are being taken.· The journey is going to be hard enough without you questioning every decision I make.· This allows you to question decisions and have your case heard by another senior manager.· He has to question every decision. ► motive · Lawyers and supporters of the parents in Orkney questioned both the motives and the methods of this once trusted organisation.· Others question corporate motives and wonder how much we want businesses involved in the schools.· Your Miss MacQuillan says she questions my motives and emphatically will not encourage me to identify her father's killer.· What has happened in the last decade to make anyone question his motives?· He predicted that devolution would be divisive and questioned the very motives behind the policy. ► police · The police questioned policy-wheel operators, gamblers, and hoodlums of all kinds.· He reportedly told police who questioned him after the school attack that he had taken an overdose of tranquilizers.· I only know this, because a police inspector questioned me about it in Venice just a few weeks ago.· Last night police were still questioning the other three men and one woman who were arrested at the site.· Three suspects were taken into custody and police were questioning them Friday morning. ► validity · However, no one today would question the validity of these groups.· In this moment of excitement, there is no time to question the validity of these presences.· Yet, as education began to spread, women all over questioned its usefulness and validity.· They have taught their employees never to question its validity.· This doctrine means that a person can not question the validity of a piece of legislation through the courts.· I question the usefulness and validity of this explanation. ► value · They are not questioning the potential value of, in this context, high-quality environmental information perse.· No one questions the value or the wisdom of these arrangements.· The people of the world's second-largest economy are questioning the values and ramifications of overheated capitalism.· If competition saves money only by skimping on wages or benefits, for instance, governments should question its value.· Some might even question the value of discussing his work at all.· As recently as 1991 at least one authority still questioned the value of routine measurement of blood pressure under 35.· Am I alone, though, in questioning the value of the poppers on the bellows side pockets? ► wisdom · The reader might question the wisdom of leaving oil prices to be determined by purely market forces.· At least one money manager who focuses on emerging markets questions the wisdom of that approach.· Some teachers have questioned the wisdom of supplying tape machines at all for the computer.· In fact, it terrified him, and it made him question the wisdom of getting involved with Gabby.· They question conventional wisdom, they ask awkward questions, they do not speak the jargon.· And he even questioned the wisdom of having such a thing as a World Cup. VERB► detain · Any Negro seen on the streets was detained and questioned.· The captain was detained for questioning.· The Trabant driver was being detained and questioned, as were a dozen onlookers. ► lead · This leads Ponyboy to question why he and his friends' attack people.· A study of the tasks that need doing may lead you to question whether there is a vacancy.· This leads me to question the completely illusory quality of such identifications.· The shock of seeing these living fossils of Xinjiang first led him to question their authenticity.· Free inquiry within the liberation movements, then, led to a deep questioning of problematic assumptions in the modern political worldview.· Marcia Pointon's fascinating essay on the contemporary portrait leads us to question the central relationship between artist, sitter and spectator.· Two recent incidents have led me to question my responses in a job that I continue to enjoy and do well. Phrases PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► beg the question All this begs the question about the reliability of Mr Dole's gut. It begs the question of what pictures will be sacrificed in order to track Sanders. It is begging the question just to ask it. Plenty of helices are not so stick-like, and of course the argument begs the question of how, rather than why. Such measures, of course, beg the question in many ways. To say that seems to me really to beg the question. To say that sexuality exists in the brain simply begs the question. Which rather begs the question-shouldn't there be a governing body that regulates such questionable decisions? ► broach the subject/question/matter etc But what was still troubling her was the fact that she had still not broached the subject of Janice. He broached the matter carefully while Marshall put a match to some logs in the grate. I never broached the subject with him again. It was half a year, he thought, since she had last broached the subject of his bachelor status. It was nine o'clock and they had been driven in by the mosquitoes before he broached the subject of the night before. Now, popular magazines regularly broach the subject. Popular magazines now broach the subject of mental illness, while the government is encouraging research into mental health. When, two months later, Father van Exem broached the subject, the Archbishop was actually quite upset about the idea. ► burning issue/question Another burning issue is unfair dismissal. But the burning question is: How many times a day do kids wander in looking to buy rolling papers? It can also lead to the efficacy of our advice becoming the burning issue of discussion. Quality, of design and typography rather than editorial matter, is a burning issue as far as desktop publishing is concerned. The burning question is - how soon? The star trek is over for today, but the burning questions are still unanswered. Transmission has always been the burning issue for scientists interested in studying this epidemic. ► call (something) into question And while the injunctions are subject to unwitting acceptance, it is impossible to call them into question. Nothing that has happened since has called that judgment into question. ► fire questions at somebody The Professor had finished, and Ace and Daak were firing questions at her. The young man took the seat behind the cold metal desk and began to fire questions at me. ► (that’s a) good idea/point/question► the larger issues/question/problem/picture But the larger picture is systematically distorted by the military and political calculations concerning the strategic uses of information and disinformation. Here we are concerned with the larger problem of the relationship between men as a class and other animals as a class. It has come to have a bearing on the larger questions of civilized survival. Mission-driven budgets relieve legislators of micromanagement decisions, freeing them to focus on the larger problems they were elected to solve. She was blind to the larger picture that involves building and maintaining good relationships with both fellow-workers and superiors. That ignorance is at the root of geophysicists' struggle with the larger problem of how the whole earth works. Too much, and the larger picture might become apparent. You failed to connect the various elements together or to move through the detail to the larger issues of the painting. ► leading question All right, I won't ask leading questions. For example, a leading question may take the respondent outside the bounds of the context of everyday life. In answer to a leading question about the temperature Of the room, he reflected that it had been cold and draughty. It makes me worry, all those leading questions with hidden assumptions that detectives like to ask suspects. Never did she ask leading questions or provide suggestions. To arrive there the counsellor has to stop talking, and in order to stop talking, answerable and leading questions are required. ► a loaded question► a moot point/question It's a moot point whether this is censorship. It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes. Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point. This, of course, is a moot point. When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point. Whether the law should be this is a moot point. Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point. Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point. ► be open to question/doubt The authenticity of the relics is open to doubt. Their motives are open to question. But whether Republicans want to cooperate is open to question. Even if, as is open to question, screen violence really does invite emulation, that is the wrong approach. In particular, the significance of the small number who say their work has been deskilled is open to question. It also is open to question how well equipped courts are to make this kind of determination-about the workings of economic markets. The entire business of basing regulations on animal tests is open to question. The President acceded to the Chancellor's request for two reasons, both of which were open to question. Whether the yeast could ever be as abundant as this is open to question. Whether this kind of Labour Party is capable of winning a general election is open to doubt. ► pepper somebody with questions At every stop, reporters peppered her with questions. As the doctor tends the grandfather, the young man peppers him with questions. Later, students peppered King with questions. The justices peppered the attorneys with questions. ► ply somebody with questions She had been there before and was very tolerant of the young man plying her with questions. Ungerer spent a long time plying them with questions. ► a pointed question/look/remark As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob. ► pop the question Jane was delighted when Matt eventually popped the question. When are you going to pop the question? Boy goes back on radio and pops the question. He put a ladder up to her office window to pop the question as she sat at her desk. Meanwhile, his girlfriend of 17 years, Jenette, was delighted when Brian popped the question. ► pose a question The magazine posed a list of questions to each of the candidates. He survived the surgery, and I cautiously began to pose questions. In their minds, buying a gown poses questions more complicated than chiffon or lace. It is open to the House to ask for reports, and it can pose questions at any time. Olajuwon stopped by to visit and pose a question: Could Pond help him get to college in the United States? Simply put, eVote lets people pose questions and conduct votes using e-mail. That poses a question about their very nature. Yet these two enemies are also enemies of each other, which poses a question. ► pursue the matter/argument/question etc Anxious to avoid further difficulty, Harriet did not pursue the matter. I regret that they were unable to pursue the matter any further. If you feel upset by an apparent unfairness, pursue the matter through the grievance procedure. It is capable of extension, but we shall not pursue the matter here. She wouldn't put it past him but in the brilliant afternoon heat she wasn't inclined to pursue the matter. There was no need to pursue the matter any further prior to arrest. ► there is a question mark over something/a question mark hangs over something► rhetorical question A rhetorical question, but asked with deep feeling. But rhetorical questions can be over-used, especially where answers to the questions do not follow immediately. Consider these two rhetorical questions, from an essay on Othello: Does this tell us about Shakespeare? His critics even smile in anticipation of a rhetorical question meeting with a devastating reply. That is not a rhetorical question. The rhetorical question rightly goes unanswered, and the following paragraph consigns the missio unmourned to the shades. The two extremes can be expressed in the form of two rhetorical questions. These and other rhetorical questions are asked in a spirit of humility with no stones clutched, hidden in the hand. ► shoot questions at somebody The prosecutor shot a series of rapid questions at Hendrickson. ► sidestep a problem/issue/question But she sidesteps a question about her priorities in a time of limited funding. ► stock excuse/question/remark etc► table a proposal/question/motion etc Baldwin tabled proposals which involved payments of £34 million a year. Even our own wets will summon up the courage to table a question or two. He has tabled a question on the issue for tomorrow's council meeting. If the hon. Gentleman wants to table a question or write to me, I shall be glad to enlarge upon that. The move came after a vote by regents indefinitely tabling a motion to rescind their July 20 vote revising admissions policies. The Umpires' Association had planned to table a motion giving an official vote of support for Lamb. ► a thorny question/problem/issue etc In addition, sending encrypted data over international boundaries represents a thorny issue: it is still illegal in some countries. Melding the top managements also would be a thorny issue. None of these struck me as particularly penetrating answers to a thorny problem. ► throw a question/remark etc (at somebody) One day, as she was scolding me, I suddenly threw a question at her. Sally arranged herself on his other side and they walked him away, throwing questions at him. These disparities throw a question mark over the accuracy of social costs data. ► it’s (only/just) a matter/question of time But they believe it's only a matter of time before the disease crosses the county boundary. If he hasn't already killed somebody, then it's only a matter of time. They think it's only a matter of time before he breaks. ► touchy subject/question etc He also knew the answers to some touchy questions. Morris's lasting influence is a touchy subject at the White House. You know money is a touchy subject with me. ► a trick question► vexed question/issue/problem etc A paradigm example of this is the vexed question of spatial visualisation. And there is another vexed question. I shall not turn to the vexed question of the national minimum wage. Potentially an even bigger bombshell is about to burst on the vexed question of pension rights. The vexed question has always been: Who should write the programs which control these machines? Then there is the vexed issue of paying for tax cuts. Until recently what was on the child's school record and whether parent or child could see it was a vexed question. Was the vexed question of extradition discussed at the Council? Word family WORD FAMILYnounquestionquestioningquestionerquestionnaireadjectivequestionable ≠ unquestionablequestioning ≠ unquestioningunquestionedadverbunquestionablyquestioningly ≠ unquestioninglyverbquestion 1to ask someone questions in order to get information about something such as a crime → interrogate:  Two men have been arrested and questioned.question somebody about something She hates being questioned about her past. Joseph questioned the doctors closely (=asked them a lot of questions).► see thesaurus at ask2to have or express doubts about whether something is true, good, necessary etcquestion what/how/when etc Are you questioning what I’m saying? No one dared to question his decisions.question whether One questions whether he’s telling the truth.THESAURUSquestion to ask someone questions in order to get information about something such as a crime: · The police questioned him for three hours before releasing him without charge.· When questioned by reporters, he denied all knowledge about the affair.interrogate to keep asking a lot of questions for a long time, sometimes using threats, in order to get information: · He was interrogated by US agents about his alleged links to al-Qaeda.interview to ask someone questions for a newspaper, TV programme etc, or to ask someone questions to find out if they are suitable for a job, course etc: · Did you hear him being interviewed on ‘the Today Programme’?· The woman who interviewed me offered me the job.grill informal to ask someone a lot of difficult questions about something, in a way that is tiring or annoying: · She started grilling me about why I was so late coming home.cross-examine to ask someone a series of questions in court about their previous statements, in order to find out whether they have been telling the truth: · The defence lawyer cross-examined the witness in order to test his evidence.be helping police with their inquiries British English to be questioned by the police about a crime – used especially in news reports when the police think that this person may be guilty of the crime: · Last night, a 21-year-old woman was helping police with their inquiries.
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