QUESTIONS

There are 3 types of questions in English. They are:

1. Verbal Questions.
2. WH Questions.
3. Tag Questions.
VERBAL QUESTIONS
A Question which begins with a verb is called a Verbal Question.
EXAMPLE :
QS : Do you like cricket?
PA : Yes, I do.
NA : No, I don’t.
QS : Are you a student of BAUST?
PA : Yes, I am.
NA : No, I aren’t.
QS : Does it rain everyday here?
PA : Yes, it does.
NA : No, it doesn’t.
QS : Are you listening to me?
PA : Yes, I am.
NA : No, I aren’t.
QS : Has he gone to market?
PA : Yes, he has.
NA : No, he hasn’t.
If there is only one verb in the sentence, it is called Principal Verb.
 Positive Answer - Yes
Negative Answer – No
We need 3 words to answer a Verbal Question.
Contracted form – can’t, don’t
Contracted forms are used in informal conversations.
PRESENT SIMPLE
QS : Am I taller than you?
PA : Yes, you are.
NA : No, you aren’t.
QS : Aren’t I taller than you?
PA : Yes, you are.
NA : No, you aren’t.
QS : Is your father a teacher?
PA : Yes, he is.
NA : No, she isn’t.
QS : Do you always speak English?
PA : Yes, I do.
NA : No, I don’t.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
QS : Are you taking tea?
PA : Yes, I am.
NA : No, I aren’t.
QS : Is Rahim sleeping now?
PA : Yes, he is.
NA : No, he isn’t.
QS : Aren’t I helping you?
PA : Yes, you are.
NA : No, you aren’t.
QS : Is it getting dark?
PA : Yes, it is.
NA : No, it isn’t.
QS : Are the children playing?
PA : Yes, they are.
NA : No, they aren’t.
PRESENT PERFECT & PERFECT CONTINUOUS
QS : Have you done the sum?
PA : Yes, I have.
NA : No, I haven’t.
QS : Have the children come back from school?
PA : Yes, they have.
NA : No, they haven’t.
QS : Has it been raining long?
PA : Yes, it has.
NA : No, it hasn’t.
QS : Have you known him for a long time?
PA : Yes, I have.
NA : No, I haven’t.
PAST SIMPLE
QS : Was I rude to him?
PA : Yes, you were.
NA : No, you weren’t.
QS : Were you present in the class yesterday?
PA : Yes, I was. (Singular)
Or, Yes, We were. (Plural)
NA : No, I wasn’t.
Or, No, We weren’t. (Plural)
QS : Did those singers sing very well?
PA : Yes, they did.
NA : No, they didn’t.
QS : Could you swim at that age?
PA : Yes, I could.
NA : No, I didn’t.
PAST CONTINUOUS
QS : Were you sleeping at that time?
PA : Yes, I was.
NA : No, I wasn’t.
QS : Were the girls quarrelling?
PA : Yes, they were.
NA : No, they weren’t.
QS : Was it raining very hard then?
PA : Yes, it was.
NA : No, it wasn’t.
PAST PERFECT & PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
QS : Had the patient died before the doctor came?
PA : Yes, he had.
NA : No, he hadn’t.
QS : Had you been waiting long before I arrived?
PA : Yes, I had.
NA : No, I hadn’t.
FUTURE SIMPLE
QS : Will you go to the cinema tonight?
PA : Yes, we will.
NA : No, we won’t.
QS : Will you take a bath now?
PA : Yes, I will.
NA : NO,I won’t.
QS : Will this road be repaired this year?
PA : Yes, it will.
NA : No, it won’t.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
QS : Will you be sitting here?
PA : Yes, I will.
NA : No, I won’t.
QS : Will you be waiting till I come?
PA : Yes, we will.
NA : No, we won’t.
QS : Could you then help the girl?
PA : Yes, I could.
NA : No, I couldn’t.
QS : May it rain tonight?
PA : Yes, it may.
NA : No, it mayn’t or can’t.
QS : Shouldn’t you go there?
PA : Yes, you should.
NA : No, you shouldn’t.
WH QUESTIONS
A Question which begins with a Wh word is called a Wh
Question.
A Wh word is a word which contains the letters ‘W’ and ‘H’.
Usually W comes before H.
STRUCTURE OF WH QUESTION:
Wh word+Auxiliary Verb(be,do,have)+Subject+Main Verb
EXAMPLE:
1. Who is making a noise?
2. How many children do you have?
3. When were you born?
4. When and where were you born?
5. How did you go to Dhaka?
6. How long has he been sleeping?
7. How long has it been raining?
8. Since when has it been raining?
9. Since when has he been sleeping?
When – Time should be mentioned
Where – Place should be mentioned
Why – Reason should be mentioned
WHO
QS : Who is there?
AN : It is me.
QS : Who is standing there?
AN : A beggar perhaps.
QS : Who are you going there with.
AN : With my elder brother.
QS : Who are you flying with?
AN : With Bangladesh Biman.
QS : Who did you see there?
AN : I saw a friend of mine.
WHOM
QS : Whom did you give the money?
AN : To Tuhin.
QS : To whom are you writing this letter?
AN : To Joy.
QS : By whom is this novel written?
AN : By William Shakespeare.
WHOSE
QS : Whose car is this?
AN : It is mine.
QS : Whose is that house?
AN : That is ours.
QS : Whose books are those?
AN : They’re Joy’s.
QS : Whose are those bags?
AN : They’re his.
WHAT
QS : What are you doing here?
AN : I’m writing a letter.
QS : What is your name?
AN : I’m Ragib.
QS : What day is it today?
AN : Today is Monday.
QS : What colour is your car?
AN : Red.
QS : What is the date today?
AN : The 17th of August.
QS : How are you, Ragib?
AN : Fine, thanks, and you?
QS : How are you doing?
AN : OK. No problem.
HOW
QS : How much sugar do you want?
AN : One Kilo.
QS : How many children do you have?
AN : Three.
QS : How long have you been here?
AN : For about two hours.
QS : How come you’re now home?
AN : I’m feeling unwell.
QS : How long have you ben working here?
AN : For Four Years.
QS : How long have you been sitting here?
AN : For Two Hours.
WHEN
QS : Since when has it been raining?
AN : Since morning.
QS : Since when have you been waiting here?
AN : Since afternoon.
QS : When do you get up from sleep?
AN : Usually at 6’o clock.
QS : When will you come back home?
AN : Hopefully in May next year.
QS : By when should the film be over?
AN : Most probably, by 9.15.
WHERE
 QS : Where do you live?
AN : I live in Syedpur.
QS : Where are you from?
AN : I’m from Nillphamary.
QS : Where do you come from?
AN : I come from Nillphamary.
QS : Where are you coming from?
AN : I’m coming from new hall.
QS : Where are you off to?
AN : I’m off to the New Market.
QS : Now where was I?
AN : Oh, you were telling something about your mum.
WHY
QS : Why are you going there?
AN : To attend a meeting.
QS : Why don’t you sleep now?
AN : I don’t feel sleepy.
QS : Why on earth are you standing there/
AN : Waiting for a friend.
QS : Why the hell did you buy so many pens?
AN : Because they were very cheap.
QS : Why me? Why aren’t you asking this question to your
Dad?
AN : I asked him. He doesn’t know it.
 WHICH
QS : Which bag is yours?
AN : The red one.
QS : Which of these books do you want to buy?
AN : This one.
QS : Which club are you a member of?
AN : Of the debating club at out university.
QS : Which way shall we go?
AN : you can go along the river bank.
QS : Which would you prefer – tea or coffee?
AN : Tea.
TAG QUESTION
A Tag Question is not an independent question. A Tag
Question contains only two words (Verb & Subject).
It comes always after a statement. At the end of a question, a Tag Question
is used.
EXAMPLES:
1. You are a student of BAUST, Aren’t you?
2. It is not raining, Is it?
3. Your father is a teacher, Isn’t he?
A tag question always begins with a Verb & ends with a
Subject. The Verb is always in the contracted form.
A tag question either begins with a positive or negative Verb.
The subject of a Tag Question is always a Pronoun.
 Ex : Your father is a teacher, isn’t he?
The Be Verb of a Sentence will always be in the Tag Question.
If the statement is positive, the Tag Question will be negative.
If the statement is negative, the Tag Question will be positive.
If there is an Action Verb, an Auxiliary Verb will be used in a
Tag Question. Ex: Do, Does, Did.
Ex : 1. You teach English, don’t you?
2. He teaches English, doesn’t he?
If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, then the auxiliary
Verb will be used in the Tag Question.
Ex : 1. It is raining, isn’t it?
2. You have done the work, haven’t you?
If there is an Be Verb in the statement, then the Be Verb will
be used in the Tag Question.
Ex : I am a teacher, Aren’t I?
ACTION VERB
An Action Verb is a verb which indicates doing something.
EXAMPLES:
1. You teach English, Don’t you?
2. He teaches English, Doesn’t he?
Action Verb (Present Indefinite) – Do, Does
Action Verb (Past Indefinite) – Did
POSSESSION VERB
A Possession Verb is a verb which indicates owning
 something.
EXAMPLE:
1. You have a car, Don’t you?
2. He has a bike, Doesn’t he?
If any Possession Verb is used in a statement, Do/Does will be
used in the Tag Question.
PRESENT SIMPLE
QS : I’m your well wisher, aren’t I?
PA : Yes, you are.
NA : No, you aren’t.
QS : Humayun Ahmed’s a popular dramatist, isn’t he?
PA : Yes, he is.
NA : No, he isn’t.
QS : You smoke cigarettes, do you?
PA : Yes, I do.
NA : No, I don’t.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
QS : Someone’s knocking the door, aren’t they?
PA : Yes, they are.
NA : No, they aren’t.
QS : It’s raining very hard, isn’t it?
PA : Yes, it is.
NA : No, it isn’t.
QS : No one’s waiting there, are they?
PA : Yes, they are.
NA : No, they aren’t.
 LESSON EXERCISE
AS . He was our teacher. (was = Be Verb)
QS . Was he our teacher?
QS . When was he our teacher?
AS . He taught us English. (taught = Action Verb)
QS . Did he teach us English?
QS . What did he teach us?
 QS . How / When did he teach us English?
3 . He had a lot of money. (had = Possession Verb)
QS . How much money did he have?
QS . Did he have a lot of money?
QS . When did he have a lot of money?
4. He had done the work. (had = Auxiliary Verb)
QS . Who had done the work?
TENSE
 Subject + Was/ Were + Present Participle form of the Main Verb
Base form – Bare Infinitive form – Naked form – Go
Present Simple – Goes
Present Participle – Going
Past Simple – Went
Past Participle – Gone
EXAMPLES:
1. When was he reading a book?
2. What was he reading then?
3. What were you doing then?
4. What were you reading?

EXERCISE:
1. I was reading a book then.
2. We were playing cricket at that time.
3. He was watching a movie at 8’o clock.
4. They were walking together in the evening.

PARTS OF SPEECH
NOUN
A Noun is a naming word.
A Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing. Ex: Rahim,
Dhaka, Sun, Moon, Table, Book, Knowledge, Kindness etc.
 Countable Noun: Countable Nouns represent those things which can be
counted.
A Countable Noun has both singular and plural form.
For example:
Book – Books; Box – Boxes; Child – Children
Shelf – Shelves; Baby – Babies; Mouse – Mice

EXAMPLES:
1. He has one child only.
2. He has three children.

Some Countable Nouns have the same singular and plural forms.
EXAMPLES:
1. It is a new aircraft.
2. The airline has brought five new aircraft.
3. They have only one offspring.
4. They have several offspring.