(Level: Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate / A2 to B1 / **)
There are two types of questions.
1. Yes
or No questions
2. Wh-questions
1. Yes
or No questions.
The type of question for which either
‘Yes’ or ‘No’ (followed by a short answer) is expected.
Is she from England? Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
Do you have a car? Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Have you got cats? Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
Is she studying at the moment? Yes, she is. / No, she isn't.
The rules are simple:
1. If the main verb is ‘to be’
(auxiliary), simply invert the subject and the verb.
Are you at home? Yes, I am. / No, I’m
not.
Is she working on your project? Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.Are they reading now? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
Was she on holiday last week? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Were they at the station yesterday? Yes, they were. / No, they weren't.
2. If the main verb is another auxiliary
(have, can, may, must, will, shall, would, should…), simply invert the subject
and the auxiliary
Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.
They have spent the evening watching
films.
Have
they spent the evening watching
films?Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.
She should see her doctor.
Should she see her doctor?Yes, she should. / No, she shouldn’t.
I’ll
(will) phone her as soon as
possible.
Will
you phone her as soon as possible?Yes, I will. / No, I won’t (will not)
I can use your bathroom.
Can I
use your bathroom?Yes, you can. / No, you can't.
3. If the main verb of the sentence is
an ordinary verb conjugated in the Simple Present or the Simple Past, insert
the auxiliary ‘do’ or does’ depending on the person if it is the Simple Present
or ‘did’ if it is the Simple Past.
The main verb keeps its base form (no
endings).
Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
Do
they have a big garden?
Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.
Did
they meet when they were students?
Yes, they did. / No, they didn't.
2. Wh-questions
Wh- questions are used when certain types of questions need being asked
because specific information is required.
Interrogative words or question words (also called wh-words as most of
them start with wh- in English) are
therefore used to ask questions.
These words are used in direct questions (Where do you live?) and in indirect questions (I am asking him where he lives).
|
Question
Words
|
Function
|
Examples
|
|
What
|
Used
when asking information about something.
Can be
used as an object.
Can be
used as a subject.
Note: What… like? (See: how)
|
What do
you do?
What did
you buy for dinner?
What did
you see?
What
happened?
What’s
wrong with you?
|
|
What...for
|
Used
when asking for a reason
|
What did
he do that for?
|
|
What kind of What sort of
|
Used
when asking for some precision
|
What
kind of books do you like reading?
|
|
What size
|
Used
when asking about… size
|
What
size are you?
|
|
What time
|
Used
when asking the time (it is / something happened / someone did something
etc.)
|
What
time is it?
What
time did she leave?
What
time is your train?
|
|
When
|
Used
when asking for a time or period
|
When did
he leave?
When are
you leaving?
When did
you last go to the cinema?
|
|
Where
|
Used
when asking for a place…
|
Where do
they live?
Where
are you going on holiday this year?
Where
did you meet her?
|
|
Which
|
Used
when asking about choosing between different things / Used when a choice needs to be made; when
there is an alternative
When
there is no choice, no alternative, use What
|
Which
colour do you want? (The red one or the green one?)
Which
drink did you order? (The beer or the wine?)
What
colour is your car? (Obviously the car has just one colour)
|
|
Who
|
Used
when asking what or which person or people.
Can be
used as a subject
Can be
used as an object
|
Who
opened the door?
Who
phoned you?
Who went
on holiday with you?
Who
drives you to school?
Who did
you see?
Who did
you phone?
Who do
you drive to school?
|
|
Whom
|
Used
when asking what or which person or people
= direct
object: no preposition
=
indirect object: with preposition
Used in
very formal English, formal writing and speech
See: Prepositions in wh-questions
|
Whom did you see?
(= Who
did you see?)
With whom did you travel?
(= Who
did you travel with?)
|
|
Whose
|
Used
when asking about ownership; when wanting to know who something in particular
belongs to
|
Whose car
is this?
Whose turn is it? |
|
Why
|
Used
when asking for a reason
|
Why did
she tell you that?
Why is
she angry?
|
|
How
|
Used
when asking about manner; about the way in which something happens or is done
etc.
Used
when asking about someone’s condition, health
|
How do
you spell your name?
How did
the accident happen?
How is
he now?
How are
you?
|
|
+ What (+ be) like (for things ; situations)
|
When used
when asking about quality, how can be replaced by what… like
|
How were
your exams?
= What
were your exams like?
How was
the hotel?
= What
was the hotel like?
|
|
+ What (+be) like (for people)
|
What…like for a person: used when wanting to know
about what a person is like; about their character, personality.
|
What is
she like? = What can you say about her as a person?
|
|
+ What … look like (for people)
|
What…look like for a
person: used when wanting to know about the way someone looks; about their
physical appearance.
|
What
does she look like? = I want to know about her appearance, her physique…
|
|
How far
|
Used
when asking about distance.
|
How far
is London from here?
How far
do you live from work?
|
|
How long
|
Used
when asking about duration
Used
when asking about length
|
How long
does the film last?
How long
does it take you to write an essay?
How long
is this room?
|
|
How old
|
Used
when asking about someone’s age
|
How old
was she when she died?
How old
are you?
|
|
How many
|
Used
when asking about a quantity (with countable nouns)
|
How many
houses does he own?
How many
friends does she have on Facebook?
|
|
How much
|
Used
when asking about a quantity (with uncountable nouns)
|
How much
milk do we still have in the fridge?
How much
is it? (= How much money is it?)
How much
patience do you have?
|
|
How often
|
Used
when asking about the frequency
|
How
often do you meet your friends?
|
|
How tall
How high
|
Used
when asking about someone’s height e.g.
Used
when asking about the height of something (building…)
Used
when asking about the height of something (mountain…)
|
How tall
are you?
How tall
is The Shard?
But: How high is the Shard? OK
How high
is the mountain?
But: How tall is the mountain? OK
How high
are the interest rates?
|
|
How deep
|
Used
when asking about depth
|
How deep
is the Loch Ness?
|
|
How well
How good
How bad
|
Used
e.g. when asking about how good / bad someone can be at something…
|
How well
can you play tennis?
How good
are you at English?
How bad
was the weather last week?
|
|
how come (informal)
|
Used
when asking for a reason; less formal than why
|
How come
I can't see her?
How come
you didn’t attend the lesson?
|
Prepositions in wh-questions
Look at the following examples:
What are you looking for? (you can’t say: For what are you looking?)
What
is she worried about? (You can’t
say: About what is she worried?)What are you interested in? (You can’t say: In what are you interested?)
The preposition comes in the same
position as in a statement or positive sentence:
I’m looking for my keys.
She’s worried about her job.I’m interested in art and literature.
BUT:
With which
Which supermarket do you do your
shopping in?
You can also say: In which supermarket do you do your
shopping? (more formal; normally not so
commonly used in a conversation)
With Who
Who did
you get that money from?
You can also say: From whom did you get that money? (more
formal; normally not so commonly used in a conversation)
Questions – drills
1. Rearrange the order of the words and
ask the question.
a. been / have / you / where / ?
b. do / sell / newspapers / you/?
c. car / does / who / to / belong / that
/ ?
d. whose / is / house / this / ?
e. like / your / was / holiday / last /
what / ?
f. are / finished / you / work / your/
with / ?
g. do / why / silly / such / ask /
questions/ you / ?
h. these / from / where / are / people /
?
i. how / staying / Paris / you / are /
long / in / ?
j. which / did / choose / books / you /
?
2. Find the appropriate question words.
|
a. ………………… did you buy?
b. ................. is the tower?
c. ………………… does our flag have?
d. ……………….. are you driving?
e. ……………….. do you go on holiday?
f. ……………….. do you fly a year?
g. ……………….. is the supermarket?
h. ……………….. first name will she give
her baby?
i. …………………………………………………….?
j. …………………………………………………… ?
|
Two pairs of jeans.
It’s more than 3 centuries old.
Red, yellow and black.
My dad’s.
By car.
Maybe twice or three times.
About 2 kilometres.
Maybe her grandma’s first name.
She’s rather tall and still looks
young.
Not friendly, actually. And he
always seems bad-humoured.
|
3. Write the questions which the
underlined parts in the sentences are the answers to.
a. He didn’t come to school because
he was fed up. (2 possible questions)
b. That film was rubbish.
c. Jane phoned her boyfriend this morning.
d. The teacher’s car is black.
e. John went abroad with his
colleagues.
f. She lived in London for 5
years.
g. She’s much better now.
h. She had a job during the summer
holiday?
i. He’s a lawyer?
j. I’m watching my favourite series.
k. They’re looking for his wallet.
l. The police were investigating into the
girl’s disappearance.
m. They go to the library twice a
month.
n. I’m 5 foot 9. (1.8 metres)
tall.
o. The baby’s 9 months old.
p. It’s almost midnight.
q. It’s very wet and cold today.
r. The ticket cost £54.
s. I bought the blue shirt.
t. She is writing a Christmas card to her
friends.
u. She’s ashamed of forgetting to
come.
v. Something’s worrying me.
w. 23 people came to the conference.
x. A terrible accident happened last Monday.
y. No, I didn’t.
z. Yes, she has.
When you are finished, check your answers!
a. Where have you been?
b. Do you sell newspapers?
c. Who does that car belong to?
d. Whose house is this?
e. What was your last holiday like?
f. Are you finished with your work?
g. Why do you ask such silly questions?
h. Where are these people from?
i. How long are you staying in Paris?
j. Which books did you choose?
2.
|
a. What
did you buy?
b. How
old is the tower?
c. What
colours does our flag have?
d. Whose
car are you driving?
e. How do you go on holiday?
f. How
often do you fly a year?
g. How
far is the supermarket?
h. Whose first name will she give her baby?
i. What
does she look like?
j. What
is she like?
|
Two pairs of jeans.
It’s more than 3 centuries old.
Red, yellow and black.
My dad’s.
By car.
Maybe twice or three times.
About 2 kilometres.
Maybe her grandma’s first name.
She’s rather tall and still looks
young.
Not friendly, actually. And he
always seems bad-humoured.
|
3.
a. Why didn’t he come to school? / How
come he didn’t come to school?
b. What was the film like? (How was the film?)
c. Who phoned her boyfriend this
morning? // Who did Jane phone this morning? // When did Jane phone her
boyfriend?
d. Whose car is black?
e. Who did John go abroad with?
f. Where did she live for five years? //
How long did she live in London?
g. How is she now?
h. When did she have a job?
i. What does he do? (What is he? / What’s his job?)
j. What are you doing?
k. What are they looking for?
l. What were the police investigating
into?
m. How often do they go to the library?
n. How tall are you?
o. How old is the baby?
p. What time is it? (What’s the time?)
q. What’s the weather like today?
r. How much did the ticket cost?
s. Which shirt did you buy?
t. Who is she writing a Christmas card
to?
u. What is she ashamed of?
v. What’s worrying you?
w. How many people came to the
conference?
x. What happened last Monday.
y. (Did you break that vase?)
z. (Has
she finished doing her homework?)
