Questions Examples

Examples of questions that can spur good discussions:

Questions of clarification

• What do you mean when you say ______?
• What is your main point?
• How does _____ relate to _____?
• Could you put that another way?
• Let me see if I understand you; do you mean _____ or _____?
• How does this relate to our problem/discussion/issue?
• Jane, can you summarize in your own words what Richard said? ... Richard, is this what you meant?
• Could you give me an example?
• Would _____ be a good example of that?

Questions that probe assumptions

• What are you assuming here?
• What is Jenny assuming?
• What could we assume instead?
• You seem to be assuming _____. Do I understand you correctly?
• All of your reasoning depends on the idea that _____. Why have you based your reasoning on _____ instead of _____?
• You seem to be assuming _____. How do you justify taking that for granted?
• Is that always the case? Why do you think the assumption holds here?
• Why would someone make that assumption?

Questions that probe reasons and evidence

• Could you explain your reasons to us?
• How does that apply to this case?
• Is there a reason to doubt that evidence?
• Who is in a position to know that is true?
• What would you say to someone who said that ____?
• Can someone else give evidence to support that view?
• By what reasoning did you come to that conclusion?
• How could we find out if that is true?

Questions about viewpoints or perspectives

• What are you implying by that?
• When you say _____, are you implying _____?
• But, if that happened, what else would happen as a result? Why?
• What effect would that have?
• Would that necessarily happen or only possibly/probably happen?
• What is an alternative?
• If _____ and _____ are the case, then what might also be true?
• If we say that ____ is ethical, how about _____?

Questions that probe implications and consequences

• How can we find out?
• What does this question assume?
• Would _____ ask this question differently?
• How could someone settle this question?
• Can we break this question down at all?
• Is this question clear? Do we understand it?
• Is this question easy or hard to answer? Why?
• Do we all agree that this is the question?
• To answer this question, what other questions must we answer first?
• How would _____ state the issue?
• Why is this issue important?
• Is this the most important question, or is there an underlying question?
• Can you see how this might relate to ________?

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Questions adapted from Paul, R. (1993). Critical Thinking: How To Prepare Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Foundation for Critical Thinking, Santa Rosa, CA.