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What is an interrogative marker?

An interrogative marker is a grammatical element that signals a question in a language. They can take various forms, including:

1. Word Order:

* English: The most common marker is placing the auxiliary verb before the subject (e.g., "Are you coming?" instead of "You are coming").

* Some languages: Use a different word order entirely for questions.

2. Specific Question Words:

* English: Words like "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" are used to introduce questions.

* Other languages: May use a different set of question words or even have specific particles that function similarly.

3. Intonation:

* English: Rising intonation at the end of a sentence often marks a question, even with standard word order.

* Many languages: Rely heavily on intonation to distinguish questions from statements.

4. Particles or Suffixes:

* Japanese: Uses particles like "ka" at the end of a sentence to mark questions.

* Other languages: May have dedicated suffixes or particles that specifically signal a question.

Examples:

* English: "Do you like pizza?" (auxiliary verb before subject)

* Japanese: "Kimi wa pizza ga suki desu ka?" (particle "ka" at the end)

* Spanish: "¿Te gusta la pizza?" (inverted word order and question mark)

Important Note: Not all languages use a single, consistent interrogative marker. The specific markers and their usage can vary greatly between languages.

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