Forms and functions of questions. Questions in grammatical descriptions, empirical findings and textbooks for German as a foreign language

Analysis of how questions are treated in grammar books shows that the main focus is on word order phenomena. At the same time, statements are often made about functions or the relationship between form and function; these are not always consistent with more systematic approaches or with empirical findings. Empirical analyses of spoken language reveal a very complex picture; comparison of the question realizations of native speakers and non-native speakers shows that the questions produced by non-native speakers are limited in various respects. Moreover, analysis of textbooks shows that some relationships between form and function are underrepresented. Adapted from the source document