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Basic Question Types

There are 3 basic types of question: 1. Yes/No Questions (the answer to the question is "Yes" or "No") 2. Question Word Questions (the answer to the question is "Information") 3. Choice Questions (the answer to the question is "in the question")

1. Yes/No Questions
auxiliary verb Do Can Has Did subject you you she they main verb want drive? finished go her work? home? dinner? Answer Yes or No Yes, I do. No, I can't. Yes, she has. No, they didn't.

Exception! verb be simple present and simple past Is Was Anne Ram French? at home? Yes, she is. No, he wasn't.

2. Question Word Questions


question word Where When Who(m) Who Who* Why hasn't Tara auxiliary verb do will did has subject you we she main verb live? have meet? run ran done out? out? it? Answer Information In Paris. lunch? At 1pm. She met Ram. Ati has run out. Ati ran out. Because she can't.

Exception! verb be simple present and simple past Where How is was Bombay? she? In India. Very well.

*When who is subject there is normally no auxiliary verb in past simple and present simple.

3. Choice Questions
auxiliary verb Do Will Did subject you we she main verb want meet go tea John to London OR or or or coffee? James? New York? Answer In the question Coffee, please. John. She went to London.

Exception! verb be simple present and simple past Is Were your car they white $15 or or black? $50? It's black. $15.

Yes No Questions
By Kenneth Beare, When to Use Yes No Questions Yes No questions are questions that do not take a question word such as 'what', 'when', 'where', etc. Yes No questions are used to check information, ask for a confirmation and check facts. Here are some examples: Do you live in Seattle? Was he late for work yesterday? Are you coming to the meeting tomorrow? Yes No questions are generally answered with Yes No answers that include an auxiliary verb. Here are some examples: Do you live in Seattle? - Yes, I do. Did he go to work yesterday? - Yes, he did. Are you coming to the meeting tomorrow? - No, I'm not. Notice that Yes answers include the subject and the full auxiliary verb:

Are they working on that report? - Yes, they are. Have you ever visited Paris? - Yes, I have. Will you help me? - Yes, I will. No answers include the auxiliary verb plus not and often employs the short form (contraction): Do they live in Chicago? - No, they don't. Is she watching TV? - No, she isn't. Did we get the contract? - No, we didn't. Here is an overview of Yes No questions in a wide variety of tenses: Present Simple Do / Does + S + Verb? - (Do you like ice cream?) Yes, I do. No, I don't. Yes, he / she / it does. No, he / she / it doesn't. Yes, we / you / they do. No, we / you / they don't. Present Continuous Am / Is / Are + S + Verb + ing? - (Are they studying English?) Yes, I am. No, I'm not. Yes, he / she / it is. No, he / she / it isn't. Yes, we / you / they are. No, we / you / they aren't. Present Perfect Have / Has + S + Past Participle? - (Has she lived here long?) Yes, I have. No, I haven't. Yes, he / she / it has. No, he / she / it hasn't. Yes, we / you / they have. No, we / you / they haven't. Past Simple Did + S + Verb? - (Did she stay in New York?)

Yes, I / you / he / she / it / we / you /they did. No, I I / you / he / she / it / we / you /they didn't. Past Continuous Was / Were + S + Verb + ing? - (Were they working at three in the afternoon?) Yes, I was. No, I wasn't. Yes, he / she / it was. No, he / she / it wasn't. Yes, we / you / they were. No, we / you / they weren't. Future Simple Will + S + Verb? - (Will you come to the party?) Yes, I / you / he / she / it / we / you /they will. No, I I / you / he / she / it / we / you /they won't. Future with Going to Am / Is / Are + S + going to + Verb? - (Is he going to attend the meeting?) Yes, I am. No, I'm not. Yes, he / she / it is. No, he / she / it isn't. Yes, we / you / they are. No, we / you / they aren't.

English Yes/No Questions


In English, there are two basic types of questions: yes/no questions and wh- questions. Yes/no questions are asked using be, have, do, or a modal verb. Yes/no questions always begin with one of these verbs and can be answered with a simple yes or no, or with the question repeated as a statement. Note: It's impossible to ask a yes/no question without one of these auxiliary verbs. He want a car? Does he want a car?

You going to eat with us? Are you going to eat with us?

BE Use the verb be to ask about identity, description, location, and present or past activities and situations. Identity / Description You can use be plus a noun or adjective to ask about the identity or description of a person, place, or thing. Am I your best friend? Is this interesting? Yes (you are). No (it is not).

Are these islands part of Greece? Yes (they are). Was his idea good? Were they happy? No (it wasn't). Yes (they were).

Location Be plus a prepositional phrase asks about present or past location. Am I near your house? Is he in Panam? Are we at the border yet? Was his apartment above a bakery? No (you aren't). Yes (he is). No (we're not). Yes (it was).

Were the demonstrations downtown? No (they weren't).

Current activity / situation

To ask about a current activity or situation, use the present progressive: present tense of be + present participle (verb+ing). Am I going with you and Tom? Yes (you are). Is England adopting the euro? Are we seeing a play tonight? Is she working today? No (it isn't). Yes (we are). No (she isn't).

Past activity / situation To ask about a past activity or situation, use the past progressive: past tense of be + present participle. Was it raining? Was Anna cooking? Yes (it was). No (she wasn't).

Were the prisoners rebelling? Yes (they were). Were they singing? No (they weren't).

Past event To ask about something that happened to someone or something, use the passive voice: past tense of be + past participle (verb + ed or en): Was he given a reward? Was I chosen? Were you driven home in a taxi? Yes (he was). No (you weren't). Yes (we were).

Were dinosaurs killed by meteors? No (they weren't).

HAVE Use the verb have to ask if some action has taken place or whether somebody has done something. Notice that the auxiliary verb have is in the present tense* and the main verb is always a past participle. Has your brother left? No (he hasn't).

Have you flown before? Yes (I have). Has the party started? Yes (it has).

Have the guests eaten?

No (they haven't).

*It is possible to ask a yes/no question with had, but this is done in very specific situations and will be explained in a future lesson.

DO Use the verb do to obtain facts about people, places, or things. Do is always followed by the subject and then a verb in the infinitive without to. Do they smoke? Does Bogot get cold? Did it work? Do flying fish really fly? No (they don't). Yes (it does). No (it didn't). No (they don't).

Does running hurt your knees? Yes (it does). Did teaching challenge you? Yes (it did).

MODALS Use modal verbs to obtain more information about possibilities or uncertainties. Modals are always followed by verbs in the infinitive without to. Can we stay? Could this be true? Should they stop? May I help you? Will it rain? Yes (we can stay). Yes (it could be true). No (they shouldn't). Yes (you may). No (it won't rain).

Would you go with me? Yes (I would).

Remember: When asking a question with do or a modal verb, the main verb remains in the infinitive without to. Incorrect Correct

Do you to drink coffee? Do you drink coffee? Does she to work here? Does she work here? Can I to go with you? Can I go with you?

Should we to email her? Should we email her?

However, if there are two verbs in the infinitive after do, the second infinitive must use to. Incorrect Correct

Do you want drink coffee? Do you want to drink coffee? Does she like work here? Did you need go home? Does she like to work here? Did you need to go home?

Remember: It's impossible to ask a yes/no question without an auxiliary verb. He know your phone number? Does he know your phone number? They returning today? Are they returning today?

Note that there are several ways to answer yes/no questions, especially with contractions. Is he busy? No. No, he isn't. No, he's not. No, he is not. No, he isn't busy. No, he's not busy. No, he is not busy.

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