Open Ended Questions
An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as “Why” and “How”, or phrases such as “Tell me about…” Often they are not technically a question, but a statement which implicitly asks for a response. Some examples are:
· Tell me, what do you think about that?
· What is it you like about the idea?
· Why would you suggest that?
· How do you plan to achieve that?
· What do you think will happen now?
· How would you change things?
· What do you want to happen?
· What’s causing the problem?
· What’s the best case scenario?
Examples of how to begin an open-ended question:
· What would happen if…
· I wonder…
· What do you think about…
· In what way…
· Tell me about…
· What would you do…
· How can we…
· How did you…
· How do you feel about…
· Why?
· What do you mean?
· What if…
· Explain more about…
· What do you think about…
· Can you elaborate on…
· Tell me more about…
An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as “Why” and “How”, or phrases such as “Tell me about…” Often they are not technically a question, but a statement which implicitly asks for a response. Some examples are:
· Tell me, what do you think about that?
· What is it you like about the idea?
· Why would you suggest that?
· How do you plan to achieve that?
· What do you think will happen now?
· How would you change things?
· What do you want to happen?
· What’s causing the problem?
· What’s the best case scenario?
Examples of how to begin an open-ended question:
· What would happen if…
· I wonder…
· What do you think about…
· In what way…
· Tell me about…
· What would you do…
· How can we…
· How did you…
· How do you feel about…
· Why?
· What do you mean?
· What if…
· Explain more about…
· What do you think about…
· Can you elaborate on…
· Tell me more about…