Which type of questions should be reserved to confirm specifics after gathering open-ended information?

• A. Open-ended questions to gather details; reserve closed-ended questions to confirm specifics.
• B. Always use open-ended questions and never close.
• C. Use closed-ended questions exclusively.
• D. Use only rhetorical questions.

Answer: (A)

Starting with open-ended questions invites a detailed, free-form narrative, which helps you understand what happened in the broader context and gather rich information. After you’ve heard the full story, you switch to closed-ended questions to confirm specifics—things like exact times, dates, locations, and names. This sequence ensures you have a clear, corroborated set of facts without losing context, while also preventing misinterpretation by narrowing down to precise details.

Using only open-ended questions can leave you with ambiguous or incomplete specifics. Relying exclusively on closed-ended questions may miss important nuances or context. Rhetorical questions don’t solicit factual information and aren’t effective for confirming details.