7.5 Grammar in Use
Detectives ask questions, follow clues, and “figure things out.” So we focus on question forms, phrasal verbs, and a little wordplay that fits this puzzle-story perfectly.
1. Forming questions
A detective’s main tool is the question. English forms questions in two main ways.
Yes/No questions begin with a helping (auxiliary) verb: Did Nolan hide the jewels? Is the clue a code?
Wh- questions begin with a question word — who, what, where, when, why, how — and are perfect for investigations:
- Who committed the robbery?
- Where were the jewels hidden?
- How did Encyclopedia solve it?
Practice. Make a question for each answer (use the word in brackets):
- The jewels were hidden under a fir tree. (Where)
- Encyclopedia solved it by spotting a pattern. (How)
- Where were the jewels hidden? 2. How did Encyclopedia solve the case?
2. Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (preposition/adverb) that together take on a new meaning. Detective writing is full of them:
- figure out = work out / understand: He figured out the code.
- point to = indicate: The clue pointed to a fir tree.
- dig up = uncover: They dug up the jewels.
- break in / hold up = enter by force / rob: The men had held up the store.
Practice. Replace the words in brackets with a phrasal verb (figure out, point to, dig up):
- The police (uncovered) ___ the buried jewels.
- Encyclopedia (worked out) ___ the puzzle.
- The word “Fir” (indicated) ___ a tree.
- dug up 2. figured out 3. pointed to
3. Wordplay: anagrams
The whole mystery rests on an anagram — a word made by rearranging the letters of another. After removing D, A, Y, the letters of Friday (F, R, I) rearrange to “Fir.” Anagrams are a favourite of puzzle-makers because they hide a word in plain sight.
Quick check An anagram uses exactly the same letters, just in a different order: listen → silent, fri → fir. Count the letters — if they match exactly, it’s a true anagram.
Practice. Make an anagram of each: 1. eat 2. star
- tea (or ate) 2. rats (or arts, tars)