Questions at a glance
Are you ready?
Read the rule, inspect the example, then check yourself.
Overview
English questions usually move an auxiliary verb before the subject.
Auxiliary before subject
In most questions, put be, do, have, will, or a modal before the subject.
- Are you ready?
- Do you understand?
- Can she help?
Main Rules
Question structure depends on whether the sentence already has an auxiliary verb.
Use do/does/did when there is no auxiliary
Use do support for Present Simple and Past Simple questions with ordinary verbs.
- Do you study?
- Does he work?
- Did they leave?
Put question words at the beginning
Who, what, where, when, why, how, which, and whose usually come first.
- Where do you live?
- Why did she call?
Question Words
Question words show what kind of information the answer should give.
Choose the question word by the answer you expect
Use who for people, where for places, when or what time for time, why for reasons, and how for manner.
Use how + adjective or adverb for more specific questions about quantity, duration, frequency, distance, and age.
- How many asks about countable nouns.
- How much asks about uncountable nouns or price.
Common question words
| Question word | Asks about | Example question | Short answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | person | Who is that man? | That is Peter. |
| Where | place | Where do you live? | In London. |
| When | time | When did he arrive? | In the afternoon. |
| Why | reason | Why did you leave? | Because I was tired. |
| How | manner | How did you go? | By car. |
| What | object, idea, or action | What are you doing? | Nothing. |
| Which | choice from a limited group | Which car is better? | The red one. |
| Whose | possession | Whose book is this? | It is mine. |
| What time | exact time | What time did he call? | At seven. |
| What kind | type or description | What kind of car is it? | A hybrid. |
| How many | countable quantity | How many beds are there? | Three. |
| How much | uncountable quantity or price | How much tea is there? | A lot. |
| How long | duration or length | How long did you stay? | Two weeks. |
| How often | frequency | How often do you go? | Every day. |
| How far | distance | How far is the town? | One mile away. |
| How old | age | How old is your sister? | She is 27. |
Patterns
Use these question patterns as templates.
Question patterns
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yes/no | auxiliary + subject + verb? | Do you like grammar? |
| wh-question | question word + auxiliary + subject + verb? | What do you need? |
| subject question | who/what + verb? | Who called you? |
| question with be | be + subject + complement? | Is the answer correct? |
Examples
Subject questions are different because the question word is the subject.
Who teaches this course?
Who is the subject, so there is no do support.
Who did you call?
You is the subject, so did is needed.
How long have you studied English?
How long asks about duration.
Common Mistakes
Do not use two auxiliaries when one is enough.
Where you live?
Where do you live?
Ordinary verbs in Present Simple need do support in questions.
Why did she left?
Why did she leave?
After did, use the base verb.