Question Forms
Build yes/no questions and wh- questions correctly in the present, the past, and with modal verbs.
How English makes questions
Most questions use inversion: an auxiliary verb (do, does, did, is, are, can…) moves in front of the subject. Get the auxiliary and word order right and the rest falls into place.
From statement to question: You like coffee. → Do you like coffee? She works here. → Does she work here? (base verb!) They went home. → Did they go home? (base verb!)
Yes / No questions
Put the auxiliary first, then the subject, then the base verb.
Present simple — do / does
Past simple — did
Be & modal verbs
Wh- questions
Wh- questions ask for information. Put the question word first, then the same order as a yes/no question.
Wh- word + auxiliary + subject + base verb?| Word | Example |
|---|---|
| What | What do you do? · What did she say? |
| Where | Where does he live? |
| When | When did they arrive? |
| Who | Who are you? · Who did you see? |
| Why | Why are you late? |
| How | How do you spell it? |
| How many / much | How many languages can she speak? |
Special case: Wh- word as subject
Tag questions
Common mistakes
Practice & score yourself
Ten quick questions. You get instant scoring and a short explanation for every answer — especially when you get one wrong.
Part A — Choose the correct question
Teaching ideas
Active ways to drill word order and auxiliaries.
Question builder chips
Give word cards; students physically arrange them into a correct question. Makes word order tangible.
Jeopardy-style answers
Show an answer; students write the question that fits ("…London." → "Where do you live?"). Strong wh- practice.
Find someone who
A grid of prompts students turn into questions to ask classmates. Lots of do/does/did repetition with a real goal.
Hot seat interview
One student is a famous person; the class asks questions. Mixes present, past, and modal question forms naturally.
Auxiliary swap drill
Say a statement; students convert it to a question, choosing the right auxiliary. Quick and focused.
Subject-question puzzle
Contrast "Who did you see?" vs "Who saw you?" so students notice when no auxiliary is needed.
The one rule to remember
Most questions are built by putting an auxiliary before the subject. With do / does / did, the main verb goes back to its base form — the auxiliary already carries the tense.
Questions
Questions in English are typically formed using inversion, where the order of the subject and the auxiliary (or helping) verb is reversed. The specific structure of the question depends on whether the question is a yes/no question or a wh-question (questions that begin with words like who, what, where, when, why, how, etc.)
Question Formation in English
Forming questions in English varies depending on the type of question being asked: yes/no questions, wh- questions, or tag questions. Here’s a comprehensive guide to each type:
1. Yes/No Questions
Structure:
- Auxiliary Verb (do/does, did, am/is/are, was/were, have/has, will/can/may/must, etc.) + Subject + Main Verb + (Rest of the Sentence)?
Examples:
- Present Simple: Do you like pizza?
- Present Continuous: Are they playing soccer?
- Past Simple: Did she call you?
- Past Continuous: Was he studying last night?
- Present Perfect: Have you finished your homework?
- Future Simple: Will they come to the party?
2. Wh- Questions
Structure:
- Wh- Word (who, what, where, when, why, how) + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + (Rest of the Sentence)?
Examples:
- Present Simple: Where do you live?
- Present Continuous: What is she doing?
- Past Simple: When did he arrive?
- Past Continuous: Why were they arguing?
- Present Perfect: How long have you known her?
- Future Simple: Who will you invite?
Special Case: Wh- Word as Subject
- When the wh- word is the subject of the question, there is no need for an auxiliary verb.
Examples:
- Who wrote this book?
- What happened?
3. Tag Questions
Structure:
- Statement + Tag (Auxiliary Verb + Subject)?
Examples:
- Positive Statement, Negative Tag: You are coming, aren’t you?
- Negative Statement, Positive Tag: She doesn’t like tea, does she?
Yes/No Questions:
To form a yes/no question, follow this general structure:
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (base form) + ?
The auxiliary verb depends on the tense of the main verb. For example:
- For the simple present tense, use the auxiliary verb “do” (or “does” for the third person singular).
- For the simple past tense, use the auxiliary verb “did.”
- For the present continuous tense, use the auxiliary verb “am/is/are.”
- For the past continuous tense, use the auxiliary verb “was/were.”
- For the future tense, use the auxiliary verb “will.”
Examples:
- Are you coming to the party?
- Did she finish her homework?
- Will they arrive on time?
- Is he playing football?
Wh-Questions:
Wh-questions ask for specific information and begin with words like who, what, where, when, why, how, etc. To form a wh-question, follow this general structure:
Wh-word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (base form) + ?
Examples:
- What did you eat for breakfast?
- Where is the nearest grocery store?
- When will they start the meeting?
- How did they solve the problem?
- Who is going to the concert?
In some cases, the wh-word itself can act as the subject, so there may not be an additional subject in the sentence:
- Who arrived late?
- What happened next?
It’s important to note that when using the auxiliary verb “do” in questions, the main verb remains in its base form (infinitive). The auxiliary verb carries the tense information.
In informal spoken English, you might also hear questions formed without inversion, especially in casual speech or certain dialects. For example: “You’re coming to the party, right?” However, the standard grammatical form uses inversion as described above.