Why?
Lingua Franca 2014-09-15
Summary:
My favorite question word is: Why?
Why?
Because, as journalists and children know, it’s the best way to get people talking.
Questions are different from statements. If you’re listening to a statement (I’m happy with this), you aren’t expected to do anything. But a question calls for a response.
The least response is to a yes/no question. (Are you happy? Yes.)
An interviewer can get more out of a person by asking a wh- question: who, where, when, what.
Who? (a person).
Where? (a place).
When? (a ...