Yes/No question using am, is or are is used in a present tense sentence which does not contain verb. For Indonesian learners learning English, they must remember that yes/No question is the question which uses the word apakah, and the answer must be yes/No. Don't be confused with Wh- Question using What which is in Indonesian is apa or apakah . Some Indonesian learners make English Yes/No Question using the word What which is in Indonesian language is apakah/apa. Look at the examples below.
1. Is he a teacher?
--'Apa/Apakah dia seorang guru?'
(Is = Apa/Apakah, he = dia, a = seorang, teacher = guru)
2. Am I happy?
--'Apa/Apakah saya bahagia?
(Am = Apa/Apakah, I = saya, happy = bahagia)
3. Are you at home every night?
--Apa/Apakah kamu di rumah setiap malam?'
(Are = Apa/Apakah, You = kamu, at home = di rumah)
Based on the examples above, the Indonesian word apa/apakah used in yes/no question can be represented by the auxilary verbs is, am and are. While, some Indonesian learners have an assosiasion that apakah is what in English. That is why we sometimes findthat Iindonesian learners make English yes/no question using the word apakah like the examples below.
1. What are you happy? instead of Are you happy?
--( Apakah kamu bahagia?)
2. What is he sick? instead of Is he sick?
--(apakah dia sakit?)
Note: something that Indonesian learners must keep in mind is that the word apakah is not always represented by the word what in English. In English yes/no Questions, the word apakah can be represented by auxiliary verbs such as am, is, are, do, does, did, was, were, has, have, can, may etc.
Exercises:
Translate the following Indonesian yes/no questions into English using am, is, or are .
1. Apakah Sally seorang perawat?
2. Apakah saya tua?
3. Apakah John di kantornya tiap pagi?
4. Apakah Ibumu sakit?
5. Apakah mereka lapar sekarang?
6. Apakah Dia (laki laki) temanmu?
7. Apakah buku ini mahal?
8. Apakah mereka di kamarmu sekarang?
The answer key is available here.
---------------
No comments:
Post a Comment