Types of Questions

Yes/No questions Information questions (Wh-) Tag questions

1. General questions
Also known as "Yes/No questions" because a short answer (yes or no) is expected. This kind of question is formed by putting an auxiliary verb before the subject (=inversion). General questions most often start with: Do? Did? Have? Has? Is? Are? Was? Were? Can? Could? etc.

 Examples: 1) Are you from Brazil? Answer: Yes, I am / No, I am not.

2) Did you meet Andy? Answer: Yes, I did / No, I didn't. 3) Was she at home yesterday? Answer: Yes, she was / No, she wasn't.

 For sentences with auxiliaries, modal verbs, or copular be, yes/no questions are formed by applying the subjectauxiliary inversion.

Would you do the same thing?

Is he a hard worker?

For sentences without auxiliaries, modal verbs, or copular be, apply do insertion to form a yes/no question. Does he run every day?
Did you remember your passport?

 Positive yes/no questions do not imply any expectation regarding whether the answer will be yes or no.
Do you like winter sports?

Will you be joining us?

Negative yes/no questions are generally asked to conrm an assumption or expectation.

Didnt he tell you about it?

(Implication: I thought he had. OR Im sure he did.)

 They can also express annoyance or disappointment because a previous expectation has not been met. Havent you called him yet?

(Implication: You were supposed to call him.)

Reduced yes/no questions are shortened question forms sometimes used in informal conversation. There are two types: a. Elliptical yes/no questions omit auxiliary verbs and copular be. He been talking to you? They here yet?

b. Declarative questions have the form of a statement. They are used to: check information
A: The food there is great. B: Youve eaten there before? repeat something someone has said in order to question or conrm it A: I lost my job yesterday. B: You lost your job? express surprise or amazement A: I cant believe we lost after being up by 10 points. B: You lost the game?!

2. Special Questions
Special questions are those questions that ask for details. Special questions are also called Whquestions as most of them start with "wh". Wh-questions normally begin with an interrogative word. For example: What? Which? When? Where? Why? Whose?

Other special questions include: How? How many? How much?

 Special questions require inversion, like general questions. 1) Where are you from? Answer: I am from India. 2) What are you wearing on your head? Answer: I'm wearing a hat or It's a hat! 3) How much money do you have? Answer: I have only $10. 4) How old are you? Answer: I'm 16.

 If the subject of a special question is the question word itself, then this kind of question is called subject question. Subject questions have the word order of an affirmative sentence. Who will buy milk? Who's in charge here? What makes you think so? Will who buy milk? Is who in charge here? What does make you think so?

 Embedded wh- questions are embedded inside a larger sentence and do not undergo subjectauxiliary inversion or do insertion.
He wants to know how far it is to Boston.
Im not sure what the professors name is.

Wh- information questions are used to request information that has not been previously mentioned.
What time is it?
Excuse me, where is the Golden Gate Bridge?

 Repeat please questions are usually uttered when the speaker wants someone to repeat part of something he or she said. They may have the normal wh- question structure, or they may have the structure of a declarative sentence.
A: She got in at ve oclock. B: When did she get in? OR She got in when?

 Elaborate please questions are asked to get someone to elaborate on an answer that has been given. A: Hell come by tomorrow and look at it. B: When? A: Hey! That guy just picked my pocket! B: Which guy?

3. Disjunctive questions
Disjunctive questions are also called question tags. Question tags are short questions that appear at the end of some sentences. We use them to show emphasis, politeness, irony or lack of confidence. Question tags are usually used in informal and spoken English.

Examples:
Stop talking, will you? They have just arrived, haven't they? He wasn't serious, was he? Our team will win this match, won't it? Justin met her 3 years ago, didn't he? Let's meet at the Stadium, shall we? She's pretty, isn't she? You like her, don't you? You don't like her, do you? He was there, wasn't he ?

How Do We Form Them?

Main Clause + the comma + Positive/ Negative Auxiliary Verb + Personal Pronoun

As you can see, forming most of question tags (QT) is rather easy. 1. If the main clause is positive, like this one: Example: He plays football. ...we invert the position of the subject ("he") and the auxiliary verb (in this case, it's "does"), just like it is done when forming questions in English. Then, we add not to the auxiliary verb. He plays football, doesn't he?

2. If the main clause is negative, like this one: Example A: He doesn't play football. (the QT should be positive) He doesn't play football, does he? Example B: They don't talk much, do they? (main clause is negative, QT is positive.) They talk a lot, don't they? (main clause is positive, QT is negative.)

 Remember that you should only use personal pronouns in QTs: Example A: These cars are very comfortable, aren't these cars? (X) These cars are very comfortable, aren't they? () Example B: Mary is strikingly beautiful, isn't Mary? (X) Mary is strikingly beautiful, isn't she? ()

 The above QT are the most common ones. But there are also other more informal question tags: You told her, no? It is a nice car, innit? You have the tickets, right? He's a good buddy, eh? Clever, ain't it? Got some trouble, huh? *** Remember that while you must not use them in formal language, they are perfect for some informal chats.

Reference
http://www.eslmonster.com/article/questiontags http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/downl oads/esl/tge/TGE-Chapter4.pdf