- WHO (for people)
- WHAT/WHICH (for things)
- WHEN (for time)
- WHERE (for places)
- WHY (for reasons)
- WHOSE (for possession)
- HOW (for more details)
Questions are quite tricky. Let’s just go over the main rules.
PRACTICE
Now watch the video and look at the examples of questions. They are in red in the subtitles. Transcribe the conversation to learn more. Read and study the information provided below, and finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand and can use questions correctly.
We usually form questions by putting an auxiliary verb, or a modal verb, before the subject:
Does it suit me?
Has Mum called?
Can you get the tea?
Shall I pass you to Oliver?
When the verb ‘to be’ is the main verb, we don’t use auxiliary verbs:
Is Oliver there?
Was it good?
We can add question words to get more or different information:
Where did you go swimming? > In the swimming pool in town.
Why did you go there? > Because it’s a nice, big pool.
Who did you go swimming with? > With Amy.
What time did you meet Amy? > At 10 o’clock.
Which pool did you go in? > The serious one, without the slides!
How did you get there? > On the bus.
Questions sometimes finish with prepositions:
Who were you out with?
What have you got that bag for?
What’s all that about?
Where are you calling from?
SUBJECT AND OBJECT QUESTIONS
If who, what or which is the subject of the question, it comes before the verb and we don’t use do as an auxiliary:
Who went out for curry? (subject – who)
What happened? (subject – what)
Which looks better, this or that one? (subject – which)
Object questions follow the structure we looked at before:
Who did you go out for curry with? (subject – you; object – who)
Which restaurant does Oliver like most? (subject – Oliver; object – which)
What did they do after the restaurant? (subject – they; object – what)
TEST YOURSELF
Here’s a little test for you, then. A cat killed a mouse and a dog killed the cat.
1 What killed the mouse?
2 What did the cat kill?
3 What killed the cat?
4 What did the dog kill?
Answers: 1 the cat, 2 the mouse, 3 the dog, 4 the cat.
REPORTED SPEECH QUESTIONS
Reported speech questions are more polite, especially if you are talking to a stranger:
‘Do you know where the post office is?’
And we can make them even more polite.
‘Excuse me, could you tell me where the post office is, please?’
In reported speech or indirect questions, question words come in the middle of sentences. In these types of sentence, the word order does not change. We don’t put the verb to be before the subject or use an auxiliary to form a question, as in a normal question:
I asked her what she was doing at the weekend.
Do you know where the post office is?
Can you tell me how much it costs?
What are you doing at the weekend?
Where is the post office?
How much does it cost?
EXERCISES
1. Check your grammar – complete the gaps with a question word below.
What / Where / How / How often / When / Why / Who / Whose
1. A: ____________________ are you going on holiday? B: Next Friday.
2. A: ____________________ are you going? B: Croatia.
3. A: ____________________ bought the tickets? B: My mum did.
4. A: ____________________ do you go on holiday? B: Once every two years.
5. A: ____________________ don’t you go more often? B: Because we don’t want to.
6. A: ____________________ do you do the other years? B: We relax in the garden and visit friends.
7. A: ____________________ do you choose your holiday destination? B: We use the internet.
8. A: And ____________________ idea was it to go to Croatia? B: Our neighbours recommended it.
2. Check your grammar – circle the correct sentence.
1. a. What you have for lunch? b. What did you have for lunch? c. What had you for lunch?
2. a. Who is that letter from? b. From who is that letter? c. Who is from that letter?
3. a. She always sings in the shower? b. Sings she always in the shower? c. Does she always sing in the shower?
4. a. Can we go and visit Gran? b. We can go and visit Gran? c. Can go and visit Gran?
5. a. Who you bought those boots? b. Who bought you those boots? c. Who did buy you those boots?
6. a. Do you go to the cinema how often? b. How often do you go to the cinema? c. How often you go to the cinema?
7. a. What did he in Germany? b. What he did in Germany? c. What did he do in Germany?
8. a. Would you like another piece of cake? b. Do you would like another piece of cake? c. Do you like another piece of cake?
3. Check your grammar – ordering
Write the words in the correct order to make questions.
1. to Who were you ? talking …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
2. are at they ? looking What …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
3. music ? down the you Could turn …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
4. is for What homework the today ? …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
5. Who that photo ? took …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
6. match time does ? the start What …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
7. you How clean often ? do teeth your …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
8. penguins bears Why don’t ? polar eat …………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
ANSWERS
1. Check your grammar: gap fill 1. When 2. Where 3. Who 4. How often 5. Why 6. What 7. How 8. whose
2. Check your grammar: multiple choice 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. b 7. c 8. a
3. Check your grammar: ordering 1. Who were you talking to? 2. What are they looking at? 3. Could you turn the music down? 4. What is the homework for today? 5. Who took that photo? 6. What time does the match start? 7. How often do you clean your teeth? 8. Why don’t polar bears eat penguins?