QUESTION FORMATION

DIRECT QUESTIONS

1. We make most questions by putting a modal/auxiliary verb before the subject.

*You can use this formula to make most questions (QuASM-Question word-Auxiliary
verb-Subject-Main verb)

We should go for lunch. Should we go for lunch?

She will buy a car tomorrow. Will she buy a car tomorrow?

Could you recommend a movie?

Would you like to dance?

Should we go shopping?

What would you like to drink?

Where would you like to live next year?

*Simple Present/Past-add do/does/did before the subject.

(She went shopping.) Did she go shopping?

(She lives in Toronto.) Does she live in Toronto?

Do you like pizza?

Does your mother have siblings?

Did you get the email?

What time do you go to school?

What time did you do your homework?

2.Negative Questions-to show surprise or when we expect someone to agree with us.

Why don't you like chocolate?/Don't you like chocolate?

Isn't it cold today?

Didn't she like the cake you made?

Aren't the flowers beautiful?

Isn't the sunset beautiful?

3. If a verb is followed by a preposition, the preposition goes at the end of the question.
e.g Think about

What are you thinking about?

Who were you talking to?

Who did you go to the cinema with?

What are you talking about?

What was the movie about?

Who are you going to the party with?

Who are you taking care of?

What music do you listen to?

*4. If WHO/WHAT/WHICH etc is the subject of the question, we don't use the
auxiliaries do/does/did. The word order in subject questions is SUBJECT+VERB

Romeo(s) loved(v) Juliet(o). subject question=Who (s) loved (v) Juliet(o)?

=Romeo
(object question=Who did Romeo love? (Juliet)

James Cameron directed Avatar. Who directed Avatar? James Cameron (subject
question)

What makes you happy? (Music makes me happy)

Which bus goes downtown? (Bus 197 goes downtown.)

Who wrote The Hobbit?

Who called you?

Who ate the food?

Who wrote the song 'Yesterday'?

Who wrote Harry Potter?

INDIRECT QUESTIONS

We use them to sound more polite.

· Start with can you tell me/could you tell me, do you know, do you
remember, etc + subject+verb

· don't use the auxiliaries DO/DOES/DID in indirect questions

· use IF/WHETHER in questions without a question word.

Where is the Eiffel Tower? (direct) Could you tell me where the Eiffel Tower is?
(indirect)

Can you tell me where the cinema is?

Do you know who broke the glass?

Is he sleeping? (direct) Could you tell me if/whether he is sleeping?

(Is she here?-direct ) Do you know if she is here?

Do you know if the store is open?

Can you tell me where the restaurant is?

Do you know where my cell phone is?

Could you tell me where the bathrooms are?

More expressions that use the word order of indirect questions

· I wonder where the library is.

· I'm not sure if I should study English.

· I can't remember where the keys are.

· I can't remember where the bathroom is.

 · I'm not sure if I can charge my cellphone.

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/beginner-grammar/question-
words