Some Questions to Help us Ask Questions
- To Whom is the Question Directed?
- To oneself – rhetorical
- To one member of the group – direct
- To the one who asked the previous questions – reverse
- To the group, other than the previous questioner – relay
- To the group as a whole – general
Avoid rhetorical questions; they usually kill discussion at once.
Beware of direct questions; the person asked may have nothing relevant to say.
Normally use general and relay questions; they stimulate the group most.
- What is the underlying purpose of the question?
It is to accumulate facts, to define, to explain, to compare, to contrast, to develop, to relate, to bring the group back to the subject, to change direction, to involve, to arrive at conclusions, to summarize findings, or to stimulate application.
- What answer does the question expect or suggest?
| TYPE OF QUESTION | EXAMPLES | ANSWER | VALUE AS A GUIDING QUESTION IN LEADING DISCUSSION |
| Leading | Of course you all agree, don’t you? Surely you don’t think that, do you? | Yes No | None – it neither stimulates thought nor discussion |
| Limiting | What are the three great truths in this chapter? Do you agree with that? | What the group things you think Yes or No | None-it is clear to all that you have an exact answer in mind. Instead of stimulating discussion, you have started a mind-reading competition. It would be much better to ask: “What are some great truths in this chapter?” Then it becomes an open question.Some-it insists on a decision. But it must be followed by an open or wide-open question if you want to stimulate further discussion. |
| Open | Who is this all about? Where did this happen? When was this? Why was it? What was the outcome? How can anyone benefit? | People Places Reasons Results Conditions | Much – it stimulates discovery, understanding or application according to how you word it. The key words are: who, where, when, why, what, how. |
| Wide-open | What do others think? What does anyone think about that? What does anyone else think? | Any relevant thoughts | Very much-it stimulates maximum thought and discussion. It is best used after an open question has just been answered. |
- How are the hearers involved personally by the question?
- What should other people do about this? – not at all
- What should Twentieth Century man do about this? – little
- What should unbelievers or Christians do about this? – only if the hearers are of the group named.
- What should you do about this? – all except the questioner
- What should we do about this? – all, including the questioner
- What will you do about this? – all fully committed, except the questioner
- What shall we do about this? – all fully committed, including the questioner
Notice how Jesus Christ helps His disciples to think first objectively (without being personally involved) and only then subjectively (being personally involved) about so important a matter as who He is (Mark 8:27-29, NEB).
Verse 27 – “Who do men say I am?”
Verse 29 – “Who do you say I am?”
- What degree of urgency does the question suggest?
- What could we have done about this? – none
- What could we do about this? What can we do about this? – vague
- What shall we do about this? What should we do about this? – urgent
- What should we do about this? As soon as possible? – most urgent
- What should we do about this now? – most urgent
- What should we do about this whenever possible? – recurring
Credit: Questions about Prayer from Share Prepare manual of Christ for Eastern Pennsylvania.
