Questions can be a little difficult in English. The first thing to remember is that there are two main kinds, 'yes / no' and 'wh':
The 'yes / no' kind need the answer 'yes' or 'no'.
For example:
- Do you like chocolate?
- Is he from India?
- Have you been to Japan?
A 'wh' one needs more information in the answer. It uses a question word like 'where', 'why', 'how' etc.
- Where do you live?
- What did she do yesterday?
- Where is the station?
They are made in three different ways in English grammar depending on the verb tense:
| 1: |
We change the position (or 'invert') the verb and the subject. This is used for the present simple and the past simple of 'be' and for modal verbs |
| 2: |
We add an extra word, like 'do / does' or 'did'. This is used for the past simple and the present simple of all other English verbs (not 'be'). |
| 3: |
We change the position of the first auxiliary verb and the subject. This is for all other tenses, for example the present perfect, the present continuous or the future perfect continuous. |
To make the 'wh' kind, just put the question word in front of any 'yes / no' question: Is he coming ('yes / no') becomes When is he coming? ('wh')
Here is a summary of the tenses and their interrogative forms (click on each tense for more information):
Yes / No:
| Present simple 'be' | Are you hungry? |
| Present simple other verbs | Do you like ice cream? |
| Present continuous | Are you coming to the party? |
| Past simple 'be' | Were you at home yesterday? |
| Past simple other verbs | Did you go out last night? |
| Past continuous | Were you watching TV at 8 last night? |
| Present perfect | Have you eaten? |
| Present perfect continuous | Have you been working hard? |
| Past perfect | Had you slept? |
| Past perfect continuous | Had you been running? |
| Future simple | Will you come? |
| Future continuous | Will you be coming? |
| Future perfect | Will you have finished at 6? |
| Future perfect continuous | Will you have been working? |
| Modals | Can you swim? |
| Modals | Must you leave? |
Wh:
| Present simple 'be' | Who are you? |
| Present simple other verbs | Where do you play tennis? |
| Present continuous | When are you coming to the party? |
| Past simple 'be' | Where were you last night? |
| Past simple other verbs | How did you do it? |
| Past continuous | What were you doing when I called you? |
| Present perfect | What have you eaten? |
| Present perfect continuous | Where have you been working hard? |
| Past perfect | What had you eaten? |
| Past perfect continuous | Why had you been working hard? |
| Future simple | Who will you meet? |
| Future continuous | Why will you be sleeping? |
| Future perfect | When will you have finished? |
| Future perfect continuous | What will you have been doing? |
| Modals | Where can we swim? |
| Modals | Why must you leave? |
Try some exercises about questions here:
- Present Simple with 'be' (yes / no)
- Present Simple with 'be' ('wh')
- Present Simple other verbs (yes / no)
- Present Simple other verbs ('wh')
- Present Continuous Exercise 1 (yes / no and 'wh')
- Present Continuous Exercise 2 (yes / no and 'wh')
- Present Perfect (yes / no and 'wh')
- Present Perfect Continuous (yes / no and 'wh')
- Past Simple with 'be' (yes / no and 'wh')
- Past Simple other verbs (yes / no)
- Past Simple other verbs ('wh')
- Past Continuous (yes / no and 'wh')
- Past Perfect (yes / no and 'wh')
Click here for information about tag questions.
Click here for information about subject questions.
Click here for information about indirect questions.
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