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Lesson 6

Yes/No Questions with "To Be"

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Hello! Welcome to the final lesson of our first module.

In our last few lessons, you've built a strong foundation. You learned how to use subject pronouns (I, you, he), the verb 'to be' (am, is, are), and possessive adjectives (my, your, his). You can now make statements like, "He is my brother" and "They are not from here."

Today, we will learn how to turn those statements into questions. This is a very important step for your goal of having daily conversations. Instead of just telling people things, you'll be able to ask them questions. By the end of this lesson, you will know how to form basic yes/no questions like "Are you tired?" and "Is he a doctor?".

1. From Statement to Question: The Simple Swap

In English, changing a statement with the verb 'to be' into a question is very easy. You just need to swap the order of the subject and the verb.

Look at these examples:

  • Statement: You are a student.

  • Question: Are you a student?

  • Statement: He is happy.

  • Question: Is he happy?

  • Statement: They are ready.

  • Question: Are they ready?

This simple swap is the main rule. To see it in action and hear the correct pronunciation, please watch this short video.

Verb Forms - BE Questions (am, is, are)

This video from Teachers Mark and Matt will clearly show you how to change a positive sentence into a yes/no question by swapping the subject and the verb.

Watch from 01:12 to 02:23. Notice how 'You are a student' becomes 'Are you a student?' and how 'Mark is a teacher' becomes 'Is Mark a teacher?'.

Test your understanding!

Change these statements into questions by swapping the subject and the verb.

  1. She is a doctor.
  2. We are late.
  3. It is cold.
Show answer
  1. Is she a doctor?
  2. Are we late?
  3. Is it cold?

2. The Structure of 'To Be' Questions

The basic formula for these questions is:

Be verb (Am, Is, Are) + Subject + ... ?

Let's look at a helpful guide that provides many clear examples for all the subject pronouns.

Present Tense Yes/No Questions with Be Verbs

This page from TalkEnglish.com gives a great overview of the question structure and provides a long list of examples. It will help you become familiar with many different questions.

First, read the top section that shows the formula 'Be verb + subject + adjective/noun?'. Then, scroll down to the 'Example Questions' section and read the many examples for 'Am I...?', 'Are you...?', 'Is he...?', etc. This will take about 10 minutes.

Here is a summary table for you:

Verb Subject Example Question
Am I Am I in the right place?
Are you Are you hungry?
Is he / she / it Is he a teacher? Is she tired? Is it open?
Are we Are we early?
Are they Are they friends?

3. How to Answer Yes/No Questions

These questions are called "yes/no questions" because the answer begins with "yes" or "no". In conversations, people often use short answers.

  • Question: Are you a student?

  • Long Answer: Yes, I am a student.

  • Short Answer: Yes, I am.

  • Question: Is she from Egypt?

  • Long Answer: No, she is not from Egypt.

  • Short Answer: No, she is not. (or No, she isn't.)

The guide from TalkEnglish.com also explains this well. Go back to that page and find the section that begins, "When you answer yes/no questions in English, you can use long or short answers." This will show you more examples of how to answer correctly.

4. Practice in Conversation

Now, let's see how these questions work in a real conversation. This will help you prepare to use them when you talk to people.

Beginner English - A1 - Yes / No Questions - Be Verbs

This page from ELLLO shows four very short and simple conversations. Reading them will help you see how yes/no questions are used naturally.

Read 'Conversation 1' through 'Conversation 4' at the top of the page. Pay attention to the questions like 'Are you hot?' and 'Is your house big?' and notice how the other person answers.

Now it's your turn to practice forming questions. Look at the worksheet below. For part C, change the statements into questions. For example, "He is a postman." becomes "Is he a postman?". Say the questions out loud to practice your speaking.

English Grammar Worksheet: Am, Is, Are Exercises
This worksheet provides practice for using 'am', 'is', and 'are'. Focus on Exercise C to practice changing statements into questions.
Show answers for Exercise C
  1. Is he a postman?
  2. Is it a fat cat?
  3. Are they good pupils?
  4. Is she a new pupil?
  5. Are you from Germany?
  6. Is the dog in the kennel?
  7. Are you 10 years old?
  8. Are they your parents?
  9. Is it a bird?

Conclusion

Great job finishing the first module of your English course! Today you learned a skill that is essential for conversation: asking yes/no questions with the verb 'to be'.

Here are the key takeaways:

  • To form a question with 'to be', you swap the subject and the verb. ("You are" becomes "Are you?").
  • The structure is: Am/Is/Are + Subject + ... ?
  • Answers to these questions start with 'yes' or 'no', and you can use short answers like "Yes, I am" or "No, he isn't."

You have now learned the basic building blocks for sentences. In our next lesson, we will begin Module 2, "Greetings & Basic Conversations." You will use everything you've learned to start having your first simple conversations, like introducing yourself and asking someone their name. Well done, and see you next time

End of Module,Exit lesson