Question Forms in English

Question forms PC2

by Daniela Sierra

​Direct questions

We form direct questions by inverting the subject and the auxiliary verb (be). e.g.

She is in Italy.

Is she in Italy?​

​

​In simple present and simple past, where there's no auxiliary verb, we need to add the auxiliary do, does or did.

​Do you travel a lot?

​Did they drive to Cancun?

Multiple Choice

Select the correct question form to the following statement.

He has tried the local food.

• Does he tried the local food?

• Is he tried the local food?

• Has he tried the local food?

• Did he try the local food?

Direct negative questions

​We often ask direct negative questions (questions with a negative verb form) 1 when we expect or want the other person to agree.

​Wasn't it cold this morning? (= You must agree!)

​Isn't Paris a romantic city?

​

2 to show surprise​

​Didn't you like the hotel? I thought it was fantastic!

Fill in the Blanks

you eaten yet?

Fill in the Blanks

they call you before?

​Indirect questions

When we want to be polite, we can add a phrase to the beginning of the question to an indirect question.

​

​Could you tell me where the station is?

​Do you know who that person is?

​

​We also use phrases like I'd like to know and I was wondering to introduce an indirect question. These are followed by a period, not a question mark.

I'd like to know how much this car costs.

I was wondering if you'd like to eat out with me.​

Fill in the Blanks

Write the complete indirect question using the following information.

Who's that man over there?

Do you know

?

Fill in the Blanks

Where were you yesterday?

I was wondering...

​Surely

​We can also make indirect questions by adding surely to the start of the question. We do this when we expect the other person to agree, or to express surprise.

​Surely the museum won't be open this morning?

Surely you’re not going to take two weeks off work?

​Surely she’s not interested in a job like that?

Fill in the Blanks

Are they going to go on vacation again? I can't believe it!

Surely

?

​Tag questions

​uses:

​1 . to check information, often when we are surprised. (raising intonation)

​You don't speak Spanish, do you?

2. to ask someone to agree. (falling intonation)

We ​are working tomorrow, aren't we?

​We form tag questions with an auxiliary verb + pronoun. We put them at the end of a statement. If the statement is positive, we add a negative tag question. If the statement is negative, we add a posiive tag question.

​It wasn't as hot as last year, was it?

​You live in Madrid, don't you?

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following tag question with the correct form.

She speaks more languages,

?

Fill in the Blanks

I am in this flight,

?