Asking a question sometimes comes like second nature to someone, other times it can be a difficult task.  Asking a question can have a lot then just inflecting ones voice at the end of a sentence.  The main steps of asking a question are thinking things through, assessing the damage that the question could cause to ones image, and actually asking the question.

Thinking things through, or evaluating why you have a question, is an important step to avoid asking a silly question and/or wasting time.  Although no questions are bad questions, my science teacher always says something to the effect that "people may think you're stupid, but its better to appear that way then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."  Some moments like these can be avoided by listening intently in class (ha..hahaha....cough) or thinking about the question before it leaves ones lips.  Thinking a question through may also include figuring out how you will word the question and how you want it to sound coming from you.  Its usually just a big waste of time worrying about asking a question and is much better to just ask it, but if it is a question that you are feeling fairly shy/hesitant about asking, its probably good to think it through a bit before you ask.

Next, assessing the damage a question could cause.  This usually refers to the personal, self-inflicted damage that could be induced by possibly looking like an air-head.  One must be careful, however, that a question isn't harmful to others, as some questions do genuinely offend others.  As stated earlier, it is best to ask questions and learn, and the stupidest question is the one never asked, its still good to think about how everyone will respond to how and what you ask.  If you're just shy about answering something, don't feel to bad because none of the classmates, or the questionee, will really care that much and won't poke much fun at you, and if they do it won't be for very long usually.  Sometimes its beneficial to think of how others will react to what you ask.

Finally, asking a question is probably the hardest step to do in the process.  You actually have to put yourself, and your intelligence, out there on the line.  Nine times out of ten, its better to ask a question then to remain silent and remain in wonder of the answer.  Just ask and get satisified!  Again, if you're nervous, just relax and realize that it isn't a big deal.

 Asking a question sometimes comes like second nature to someone, other times it can be a difficult task.  Asking a question can have a lot then just inflecting ones voice at the end of a sentence.  The main steps of asking a question are thinking things through, assessing the damage that the question could cause to ones image, and actually asking the question.