The operative question is, did she come back?

The operative question for weeks has been: "What do you think is going to happen?"

The only operative question is 'was it necessary and value for money?'

Thus, the operative question is "what were the particular risks that made an actor's conduct negligent?"

The operative question should be why you English are so enamoured of Scottish castoffs?

"I think the operative question is, how many generations till the haut-lords no longer regard us as human."

The operative question is no longer how American representatives could dare negotiate with Milosevic.

But the operative question clearly is no longer: Why is corporate America so conservative?

"It is the operative question," the first woman said.

Ah, that was the operative question, wasn't it?