Yes/No and Wh-questions

Yes/no questions

I. Use One that we can answer with yes or no Are you ready? ~ Yes, nearly. No, not quite. Has anyone seen my bag? ~ Yes, it’s on the chair./ No, I don’t think so. These questions are asking for information (Matthew wants to know if Vicky is ready or not.)

Other uses (when Matthew says Shall we go then? he is making suggestion, not asking informationDifferent uses:

Making suggestion: Shall we eat out tonight?Requesting: Can/Could you write the

address down for me, please?Offering: Can I carry something for you?

~No, its OK, thanks. Inviting: Would you like to come to a

party? ~Yes, I’d love to.Asking permission: May I use your phone? ~Yes, of

course.

II. Form Questions begin with auxiliary verb Auxiliary verb: form of be or have or modal verb Auxiliary verb comes before subject

Main verb be also comes before subjectIs it cold out there? Was it easy?Are you ready?

AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERBIsHasCan

it DavidEmma

raining?got a car?drive?

STATEMENT: It is raining.

QUESTION : Is it raining?

If more than one auxiliary verb, only first one comes before subject

Have you been working? Could we have done better?

Form of do (Present Simple & Past Simple)

AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERBDo

Does

Did

the buses

Mark

you

run every day?play golf?like the concert?

STATEMENT: They do run every day.

QUESTION : Do they run every day?

Question cannot begin with ordinary verb (run, play or like)Plays Mark golf?Liked you the concert?

Verb after subject does not end in –s or –edDoes Mark plays golf?Did you liked the concert?

Wh-questions

I. Introduction Reporter Kitty Beamish is interviewing some

guerilla fighters.

Kitty : Why are you fighting? Guerrillas : For our freedom.Kitty : What can you do for the people?Guerrillas : We can help them.Kitty : When will the war be over?Guerrillas : Very soon.

A wh-question begins with a question word. Question words are who, what, which, whose, where, when, why and how. We use a wh-question to ask for

information.

II. Form Begin with a question word + an auxiliary

verb + the subject Auxiliary verb: form of be or have or modal

verb (can) QUESTION WORD AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERB

What WhereWhen

is have can

Kittyyou we

doing ?put the map?travel safely?

Verb be also comes before the subject in questionsWhere is Kitty?How are you?What was that noise? Only the first auxiliary verb comes before

the subject if there is more than one

The guerrillas have been hiding.

I should have said something.

Where have the guerrillas been hiding?

What should I have said?

In the Present Simple and Past Simple we use a form of do.

QUESTION WORD AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERBWhereHow What

do does did

peoplethe radiothe guerrillas

meet?work?say?

III. Question phrases with what and how

What time is your friend arriving? ~ Half past eight.

What colour is your toothbrush? ~Yellow.

How often do you go out?~About once a week, usually.

How long will the meeting last?~An hour or so, I expect.