Learn English – Is this question grammatically correct

phrase-requestterminology

I want to ask;

What are the first 3 question marks on your head while you enter into a store for the first time?

Is this sentence correct grammatically?
Isn't it clumsy or wordy?
Is there a better way to say it?

Best Answer

A Google Ngram (link) shows that "questions you (may/might) have" is more common than the idiomatic "questions on your mind" by at least an order of magnitude. And I think the former is more neutral and natural.

Below are two examples, showing how different phrasing leads to different answers. This first example uses "things you want to know" as another way to write this concept:

VARIATION #1: "What are the three most important things you want to know when you visit a new store?"

  • "three most important" - Focus is on importance rather than time.
  • "you want to know" - Focus is on the knowledge desired.
  • "when you visit" - This diminishes the focus of exact timing; the answer may be before, during, or after entering.

Typical answers might be:

  • "The location of the store (directions)"
  • "The quality of the merchandise."
  • "The price of the merchandise."

Now suppose you are creating a more focused (perhaps psychological) questionnaire, and you want people to provide questions that they believe might occur spontaneously upon entering a store:

VARIATION #2: "Name the first three questions you might have the moment you enter a store for the first time."

  • "Name" - I used the action verb, "name" instead of the question, "what are" because the answer to "what are" implies there's a factual answer rather than the creative answer we are seeking. This reduces cognitive dissonance (i.e. confusion; more on this later). This is subtle!
  • "the first three questions" - This focuses the reader on immediacy of questions. (I think if people are forced to make quick decisions or consider immediate concerns, they will tend to choose safety issues.)
  • "you might have" - People don't have three literal questions in mind at the moment they enter stores, and asking too matter-of-factly could create cognitive dissonance: they might wonder if they understand the question correctly. The phrase "you might have" anticipates the reader's thinking and suggests a creative mindset. Compare to, "What are the first three questions you have when..." and the person thinks, "Huh? I have three questions each time?"
  • "the moment you enter" - Focuses the reader to consider the time as exactly the moment of entry.

Typical answers might be:

  • "How is the store layout organized?"
  • "Does anyone in the store look dangerous?"
  • "Which way do I want to go first?"
Related Topic