2015-10-16
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There are 3 common ways of forming a question in English:
1. by changing the word order typical of a statement (the direct order) into the indirect order Ex. This is my homework. → Is this my homework?;
2. by adding auxiliary verbs Ex. He comes late after work.→ Does he come late after work?;
3. by using intonation only Ex. He has gone. → He has gone?
There are a few types of questions in English: yes/no questions, information/special questions, alternative questions, tag questions. The chart below shows forms of yes/no and information/special questions.
| FORMS OF YES/NO AND INFORMATION/SPECIAL QUESTIONS | |||||
| A yes/no question= a question that may be answered by yes or по. | |||||
| A: Does he live in Chicago? | |||||
| B: Yes, he does. OR No, he doesn't. | |||||
| An information/special question= a question that asks for information by using a question word. | |||||
| A: Where does he live? | |||||
| B: In Chicago. | |||||
| Question word order = (Question word) + helping verb + subject + main verb | |||||
| Notice that the same subject-verb order is used in both yes/no and information questions. | |||||
| (QUESTION WORD) | HELPING VERB/AUXILIARY VERB | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | (REST OF SENTENCE) | |
| (a) | Does | she | live | there? | If the verb is in the simple present, use does (with he, she, it) or do (with /, you, we, they) in the question. If the verb is simple past, use did. Notice: The main verb in the question is in its simple form; there is no final -s or -ed. |
| (b) Where | does | she | live? | ||
| (c) | Do | they | live | there? | |
| (d) Where | do | they | live? | ||
| (e) | Did | he | live | there? | |
| (f) Where | did | he | live? | ||
| (g) | Is | he | living | there? | If the verb has an auxiliary (a helping verb), the same auxiliary is used in the question. There is no change in the form of the main verb. If the verb has more than one auxiliary, only the first auxiliarv precedes the subiect, as in (m) and (n). |
| (h) Where | is | he | living? | ||
| (i) | Have | they | lived | there? | |
| (j) Where | have | they | lived? | ||
| (k) | Can | Marv | live | there? | |
| (1) Where | can | Mary | live? | ||
| (m) | Will | he | be living | there? | |
| (n) Where | will | he | be living? | ||
| (о) Who | ø | ø | lives | there? | If the question word is the subject, usual question word order is not used; does, do, and did are not used. The verb is in the same form in a question as it is in a Statement. Statement: Tom came. Question: Who came? |
| (p) Who | can | ø | come? | ||
| (q) | Are | they | ø | there? | Main verb be in the simple present (am, is, are) and simple past (was, were) precedes the subject. It has the same position as a helping verb. |
| (r) Where | are | they? | ø | ||
| (s) | Was | Jim | ø | there? | |
| (t) Where | was | Jim? | ø |
(English Grammar B.S. Azar Unit B: Questions A8)
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EXERCISE 7. For each of the following, first make a yes/no question. Then make an
information question using where.
Example: They can stay there.
Yes/no question: Can they stay there?
Information question: Where can they stay?
1. She stays there.
2. She is staying there.
3. She will stay there.
4. She is going to stay there.
5. They stayed there.
6. They will be staying there.
7. They should stay there.
8. He has stayed there.
9. He has been staying there.
10. John is there.
11. John will be there.
12. John has been there.
13. Judy will have been there.
14. Ann and Tom were married there.
15. This package should have been taken there.
