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Lesson 5

Asking Questions in the Present Tense

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Hello! In our last lesson, we learned how to form statements and simple yes/no questions using the verb 'to be'. For example, you learned to change "He is a doctor" into the question "Is he a doctor?".

Today, we will significantly expand your ability to ask questions, a vital skill for everyday writing and conversation. This lesson will teach you how to form two important types of questions in the present tense:

  1. Yes/no questions for all other verbs (like work, like, or study).
  2. Wh-questions, which use words like what, where, and who to ask for specific information.

Mastering these question forms will make your writing more interactive and help you get the information you need, whether in an email to a friend or for your IELTS preparation.

Part 1: Yes/No Questions with do and does

In the last lesson, we saw that to make a question with the verb 'to be', we swap the subject and the verb. However, for almost all other verbs in English (like, work, study, eat, go), we cannot do this. For example, "Like you coffee?" is incorrect.

Instead, we need a special "helper" verb: do or does. This is a very important rule in English grammar.

  • We use do with the subjects I, you, we, they.
  • We use does with the subjects he, she, it.

The structure is: Do/Does + Subject + Verb (in its original base form) + ... ?

Look at these examples:

  • Statement: You like coffee. → Question: Do you like coffee?
  • Statement: He works in an office. → Question: Does he work in an office?

Very important: Notice that in the question with "does", the verb "works" changes back to its base form "work". The -s is removed because the helper verb does already shows that the subject is he, she, or it.

This short, animated video provides a very clear explanation of this pattern.

Yes/No Questions – English Grammar Lessons

This video from Ellii explains the two patterns for yes/no questions, focusing on how to use 'do' and 'does' correctly.

Please watch from the section on the first pattern. It shows the structure do + subject + verb and explains when to use do versus does.

For a more detailed written guide and to see the rules in a table, the following resource is excellent.

Yes/No Questions vs Wh- Questions in English: Complete Guide + Exercises [PDF] | KSE Academy

This article from KSE Academy explains the structure of yes/no questions with auxiliary verbs very clearly.

Please read the section titled "Yes/No Questions with Auxiliary Verbs (do/does/did)". Focus on the table and the examples for the present tense using do and does. Pay attention to the note that the main verb always stays in the infinitive (base form).

Part 2: Wh-Questions - Asking for Specific Information

While yes/no questions are useful, we often need more specific information. For this, we use Wh-questions. They are called this because they usually start with words beginning with 'wh', such as:

  • What (for things/ideas)
  • Where (for places)
  • When (for time)
  • Who (for people)
  • Why (for reasons)
  • Which (for choices)
  • Whose (for possession)

The word How is also part of this group. The infographic below provides a great visual summary of these question words.

This chart shows common English question words and the type of information they are used to ask for, such as 'Who' for a person or 'Where' for a place.

The structure for wh-questions is simple: you just add the Wh-word to the beginning of a yes/no question.

Structure 1: With the verb 'to be'
Wh-word + am/is/are + Subject ... ?

  • Yes/No Question: Are you tired?
  • Wh-Question: Why are you tired?

Structure 2: With other verbs (using do/does)
Wh-word + do/does + Subject + Verb ... ?

  • Yes/No Question: Do you live here?
  • Wh-Question: Where do you live?

Let's watch a short video that introduces these question words and their patterns.

Wh- Questions – English Grammar Lessons

This video from Ellii clearly explains what the different Wh- words mean and how to use them in the two main question patterns for the present tense.

First, watch the section that explains the meaning of each Wh-word. Then, see how they are used with do and does in the first pattern, and with the verb be in the second pattern.

Part 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes

Forming questions can be tricky, and it's easy to make mistakes. Let's look at some common errors so you can avoid them.

The most frequent mistakes are:

  1. Forgetting the helper verb do or does:
    • Incorrect: What you think?
    • Correct: What do you think?
  2. Using do or does with the verb be:
    • Incorrect: Where do you are from?
    • Correct: Where are you from? (The verb 'be' does not need a helper).
  3. Forgetting to use the base form of the verb with does:
    • Incorrect: What time does the class starts?
    • Correct: What time does the class start?

The following reading guide highlights these exact mistakes and gives you simple tricks to remember the correct structures.

Yes/No Questions vs Wh- Questions in English: Complete Guide + Exercises [PDF] | KSE Academy

This part of the article is extremely useful. It shows you the most typical errors students make and provides simple tricks to remember the correct rules.

First, read the section "Common Errors When Forming Questions in English". Pay close attention to the examples of incorrect and correct sentences. Then, review the section "Tricks to Remember How to Form Questions in English". The QASI rule (Question word, Auxiliary, Subject, Infinitive) is a very helpful memory tool.

Practice

Let's practice what you've learned. Change the following statements into questions.

Activity: Create the Question

  1. (Ask a yes/no question)

    • Statement: You speak Chinese.
    • Question: ___________________________?

  2. (Ask a question with Where)

    • Statement: She lives in Beijing.
    • Question: ___________________________?

  3. (Ask a yes/no question)

    • Statement: He is a student.
    • Question: ___________________________?

  4. (Ask a question with What)

    • Statement: They study English.
    • Question: ___________________________?

Answers:

  1. Do you speak Chinese?
  2. Where does she live?
  3. Is he a student?
  4. What do they study?

Key Takeaways

  • To form yes/no questions with most verbs, use the helper verb do or does. The main verb stays in its base form.
  • To form Wh-questions, start with a question word (what, where, why, etc.) followed by the yes/no question structure.
  • The basic word order for most Wh-questions is: Wh-word + Auxiliary (do/does or am/is/are) + Subject + Verb.
  • Remember that the verb 'to be' is special and never uses do or does as a helper.

You now have the fundamental tools to ask almost any simple question in English. In our next lesson, we will focus on ensuring every sentence you write is grammatically complete. We will learn to identify and correct common errors like sentence fragments and run-on sentences.