Empower B2 - Question Forms

Empower B2 - Lesson 1B​

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Intermediate Plus - B2

​Question Forms

Positive and negative questions

Most questions have an auxiliary verb (be, do, have or modal verbs) before the subject. The auxiliary verb can be positive or negative:

• ​How do you spell your last name?

• Why isn't my computer working?​​

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We use the "negative" questions to express surprise:

• Haven't you finished yet?​

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Prepositions usually come at the end of questions: Where are you from? / Who do you live with?

​Short questions

We can make short questions from who / what + preposition:

• A: ​I'm going to a party tonight.

• ​B: Who with?

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• Can I borrow your phone?

• What for?​

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​Subject questions

When we ask about the subject of a sentence, the word order doesn't change and we don't use an auxiliary verb.

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Somebody wrote this book. - Who wrote this book?​

"Who did write this book?" is wrong.

Indirect questions

We use indirect questions to sound polite. You can start indirect questions with "Can you tell me..." or "Do you know...​".

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Why did she become famous? --> Do you know why she became famous?​

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​We can also use "I'm not sure...", "I know/don't know...", "I wonder...", "I can't remember..."

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"Is this answer correct?" --> "I don't know if this answer is correct"​

"Where have they been? --> "I wonder where they've been"​

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​The word order doesn't change!

​Choose the best word to complete each question

Exercise 1

Multiple Choice

Where we are / are we going to eat?

• we are

• are we going

Multiple Choice

What you thought / did you think of the film? Did you enjoy it?

• thought

• did you think

Multiple Choice

We've got cheese sandwiches and egg sandwiches. What / Which flavour do you prefer?

• What

• Which

Multiple Choice

Why you didn't / didn't you call me?

• you didn't

• didn't you

Multiple Choice

I hear you are a musician. What / Which kind of music do you play?

• What

• Which

Multiple Choice

I got this watch for my birthday. Who from? / What from?

• Who from?

• What from?

Multiple Choice

What happened / What has happened to the window?

• What happened...

• What has happened...

Write questions about the underlined phrases

Example:

"​Jocelyn Bell-Burned discovered pulsars" - Who discovered pulsars?

Open Ended

She's interested in classical music

Open Ended

Over 2000 people watched the match

Open Ended

They haven't started yet because they're waiting for you

Open Ended

My left foot hurts

Open Ended

She heard the news from Ralph