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Questions

This document discusses different types of questions in English. It explains that questions are formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb. If there is no auxiliary, "do/does" is used. Questions with prepositions put the preposition at the end. Negative questions use a negative verb to seek confirmation. Subject questions do not invert the subject and auxiliary. Indirect questions are used to be more polite and have subject + verb order.

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Марія Цаволик
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14 views2 pages

Questions

This document discusses different types of questions in English. It explains that questions are formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb. If there is no auxiliary, "do/does" is used. Questions with prepositions put the preposition at the end. Negative questions use a negative verb to seek confirmation. Subject questions do not invert the subject and auxiliary. Indirect questions are used to be more polite and have subject + verb order.

Uploaded by

Марія Цаволик
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Questions – Form

In order to make a question, we need to invert the subject and the auxiliary (be, have, etc.) or the modal
verb (can, could, should, etc.). If there isn’t a modal or auxiliary verb in the sentence, we use do/does with
the present or did with the past.

Questions followed by a preposition

When a question word needs a preposition, we put the preposition at the end of the question (after the
verb or after verb + object if there is an object). We don’t use the preposition at the beginning.

What are you talking about?

Who do you live with?

Negative questions

We use a negative verb in questions to ask the listener for confirmation about something that we think is
true.

• Don’t you have work to do?

• Haven’t you already been there?

We can also use a negative question to show surprise or annoyance.

• Didn’t you like the film? I think it was amazing.

• Haven’t you finished your composition? I gave you two weeks to do it.

When we use a negative question without the contracted form of the verb, we should put not after the
subject.

• Did you not enjoy the trip?

• Has he not returned your calls yet?

Subject questions

When we ask about the subject of a sentence with question words such as who, what, which, or how
much/many, we don’t use do/does or did after the question word (we don’t invert subject and auxiliary or
modal verb).
• Who called you last night?
• Which company won the contract?
• What scares you most in life?
• How many people went to class yesterday?

Indirect or embedded questions.

We normally use indirect questions when we want to be more polite. We begin the question with
expressions such as Can you tell me …? Could you tell me …? Do you know …? Would you mind telling me
…?

• What time is it? (direct question)

• Could you tell me what time it is? (indirect question)

In indirect questions the order is subject + verb.

• Do you know where I can find a bank? (NOT … )

• Can you tell me what time the shops close? (NOT … )

There are other expressions that follow the same rule:

• I don’t know what he is doing here.

• I wonder when he will find the truth.

• I’m not sure when I can come.

• I’d like to know where you left the documents.

For yes-no questions (when there is NO question word), we can use both if or whether.

• Do you know if/whether he’ll be here soon?

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