GV

Echo Questions

Repeating questions to show surprise or ask for clarification

intermediate

When to Use Echo Questions

  • •Surprise: 'I quit my job.' — 'You did what?!'
  • •Disbelief: 'She's moving to Mars.' — 'She's moving where?'
  • •Clarification: 'Meet me at the blurgh.' — 'Meet you where?'
  • •Checking information: 'Call John.' — 'Call who?'
  • •Expressing shock: 'It costs $10,000.' — 'It costs how much?!'

How to Form Echo Questions

Affirmative (+)

Repeat statement with question word replacing unknown/surprising part

Negative (-)

Same structure with negative: 'You didn't what?'

Question (?)

Statement word order + rising intonation

💡 Echo questions keep statement word order but replace the surprising element with a question word.

Examples of Echo Questions

✓'I saw a ghost.' — 'You saw what?'

✗'I saw a ghost.' — 'What did you see?'

Echo questions keep statement order; standard questions invert.

✓'She went to Antarctica.' — 'She went where?'

✗'She went to Antarctica.' — 'Where she went?'

Keep the original word order, just replace the surprising part.

✓'He paid $5,000.' — 'He paid how much?'

✗'He paid $5,000.' — 'How much he paid?'

Statement order with question word at the position of the surprising info.

Common Mistakes with Echo Questions

💡 Practice Tips for Echo Questions

  • • Echo = repeat with question word replacing surprising part
  • • Rising intonation shows surprise or need for clarification
  • • Common: You did what? She said what? He went where?
  • • Different from normal questions: no inversion
  • • Often shows strong emotion: surprise, disbelief, shock
Quick Quiz
  1. 1.'I met the Queen yesterday.' Echo for surprise: ' ?'
  2. 2.'He paid $5,000.' Echo: ' ?'
  3. Question 3: 'She went to Antarctica.' Echo: 'She went blank?'
    3.'She went to Antarctica.' Echo: 'She went ?'
  4. Question 4: 'I quit my job.' Strong-surprise echo: 'You did blank?!'
    4.'I quit my job.' Strong-surprise echo: 'You did ?!'
  5. Question 5: 'She said she's leaving.' Echo (keep statement order): 'She said blank?'
    5.'She said she's leaving.' Echo (keep statement order): 'She said ?'
  6. Question 6: 'He's 95 years old.' Echo for shock: 'He's blank old?!'
    6.'He's 95 years old.' Echo for shock: 'He's old?!'
  7. Question 7: 'Meet me at the blurgh.' Clarification echo: 'Meet you blank?'
    7.'Meet me at the blurgh.' Clarification echo: 'Meet you ?'
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