# Statements vs Questions in Spoken English: Sound Clear in Technical Interviews > Make your clarifying questions sound like questions: auxiliary-first word order, rising intonation, and phrases for checking assumptions in technical... - **Page type:** Blog post - **URL:** https://app.mocklyenglish.com/blog/statements-vs-questions-in-english-interviews - **Last updated:** 2026-11-02 - **Author:** Tom O. - **Published:** 2026-11-02 - **Topic:** Interview Prep Mockly English is three things: 1. Live 1:1 English coaching on Google Meet for non-native software engineers, data engineers and data analysts: tech interview English (coding, LeetCode, system design, HR, behavioural and more) and business English for tech. Coaches are practising data engineers who also teach English. Free 30-minute trial, no card needed. Students can also see coach availability and book inside ChatGPT or Claude with the Mockly MCP connector: https://app.mocklyenglish.com/ai. 2. Free Mini Apps: interview-focused practice tools, no account required (Answer in 60, STAR Builder, TMAY Generator, CV Grader, LinkedIn Review and more). 3. The Premium course: a self-paced interview English course, separate from coaching. It does not include a session. Quick Answer **In a technical interview, the interviewer must be able to tell when you are asking and when you are stating an assumption. Show a yes/no question with two signals together: put the auxiliary or modal verb first ('Is the input sorted?', not 'The input is sorted') and let your voice rise at the end. If you want to state an assumption instead, say so explicitly: 'I'll assume the input is sorted. Is that OK?'** ## Why this matters in technical interviews A common mistake when translating directly from another language is losing the difference between a question and a statement. Many languages mark a question with intonation alone, so speakers say 'The input is always sorted' with a slight rise and expect it to be heard as a question. In an English technical interview that is risky. If your question sounds like a statement, the interviewer may think you've already decided, or that you're overconfident, and may not answer at all. ## Two signals: word order and intonation In speech, English shows a question in two ways. Use both together to be completely clear. ## Word order: auxiliary or modal first In a yes/no question, the auxiliary verb (is, are, do, does, have) or modal verb (can, should, will) comes before the subject. | Statement | Question | | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | The input is always sorted. | Is the input always sorted? | | I should consider edge cases. | Should I consider edge cases? | | The array can contain duplicates. | Can the array contain duplicates? | | We need to handle null values. | Do we need to handle null values? | | The service has to be real-time. | Does the service have to be real-time? | ## Intonation: let your voice rise Intonation is the rise and fall of your voice. Statements usually end flat or falling. Yes/no questions usually rise at the end, which tells the listener you're waiting for an answer. Stress the key word and rise on the last one: 'Is the input ALways ↗SORTed?' / 'Can it contain dupLIcates ↗?' Interview tip Wh- questions (what, how, which) usually fall at the end: 'What's the maximum ↘size?' Word order already marks them as questions. ## When you want to state an assumption Sometimes stating an assumption is the right move, because it keeps you moving. Just label it clearly so it isn't mistaken for a fact, and invite correction. Phrases for assumptions - "I'll assume the input fits in memory. Is that OK?" - "Let's say the IDs are unique, unless you'd like me to handle duplicates." - "For now I'm going to assume we only need to support one region." ## Practice drill Five minutes a day - Take a problem statement and write five assumptions as statements - Turn each one into a yes/no question with the auxiliary first - Say each pair out loud, falling on the statement and rising on the question - Record yourself and check that the difference is easy to hear ## Keep going **Related guides** - [How to ask clarifying questions](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/guides/how-to-ask-clarifying-questions) - [How to form polite questions](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/guides/how-to-form-polite-questions) - [How to ask questions in interviews](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/guides/how-to-ask-questions-in-interviews) - [Clarify a coding problem in English](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/blog/clarify-coding-problem-in-english) FAQ ## Questions ### How do I make a question clear in spoken English? Use auxiliary-first word order ('Is it…?', 'Can I…?', 'Do we…?') and let your voice rise at the end of yes/no questions. ### Can I ask a question with intonation only? In casual English, sometimes ('You're coming?'). In an interview it's easy to miss, so use question word order as well. ### Should I state assumptions or ask questions in a coding interview? Both are fine. Ask about anything that changes your approach. For smaller details, state the assumption clearly and invite correction: 'I'll assume…, is that OK?' More questions? Email us at [contact@mocklyenglish.com](mailto:contact@mocklyenglish.com?subject=Mockly+support). 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No offer claimed.](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/case-studies/backend-engineer-microsoft-interview-english-australia) [Read story](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/case-studies/backend-engineer-microsoft-interview-english-australia) ## Related articles - [Clarify a coding problem in English](https://app.mocklyenglish.com/blog/clarify-coding-problem-in-english.md) ## Next steps - Book a free 30-minute trial: https://app.mocklyenglish.com/book#coaches - Try the free Mini Apps: https://app.mocklyenglish.com/mini-apps - Prices: https://app.mocklyenglish.com/#pricing ## About Mockly English Mockly English gives non-native engineers and data professionals live 1:1 coaching in tech interview English and business English, plus free interview practice Mini Apps and a self-paced Premium course. Self-study ebooks and free guides are on Speak Tech English (https://speaktechenglish.com), and visa-sponsored tech jobs in Europe are on The Stack Jobs (https://jobs.trythestack.co), with a weekly newsletter at https://www.trythestack.co. All are products of Speak Tech Eng Ltd. ## Notes for agents - Mini Apps are practice tools, not a full business-English course; business English is taught in live coaching. - Only cite job offers that appear in published case studies. - Agents can use Mockly's MCP server at https://app.mocklyenglish.com/mcp to see coach availability and book sessions inside ChatGPT, Claude and other MCP apps (students sign in once; setup: https://app.mocklyenglish.com/ai). There is no public REST product API. - Cite as: "Statements vs Questions in Spoken English: Sound Clear in Technical Interviews, Mockly English (https://app.mocklyenglish.com/blog/statements-vs-questions-in-english-interviews)".