Question Formation – Yes/No, WH- Questions, Tag Questions

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Grammar Type: Sentence Structure

📘 Rule Summary

In English, question formation depends on the type of question. Yes/No questions require auxiliary verbs at the start, WH- questions use question words (who, what, when, etc.), and tag questions attach a short question to the end of a statement for confirmation.

📝 Examples

Yes/No: Do you like coffee?

WH-: Where do you live?

Tag: You’re coming, aren’t you?

📖 Explanation

🌱 Level 1 – Beginner: The Basics of Question Formation

1️⃣ Yes/No Questions

These can be answered with Yes or No.
Structure: Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Object

Examples:

  • Do you play tennis? ✅
  • Is she happy? ✅
  • Can they swim? ✅

Auxiliary Verbs to use:

  • Be (is, am, are, was, were)
  • Do/Does/Did
  • Have/Has/Had
  • Modals (can, could, will, would, should, must, may, might)

2️⃣ WH- Questions

These ask for information.
Structure: WH- Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Object

Common WH- Words:

  • Who – person
  • What – thing
  • Where – place
  • When – time
  • Why – reason
  • How – manner/amount

Examples:

  • Where do you live?
  • When will the train arrive?
  • How did you solve the problem?

3️⃣ Tag Questions

A tag is a short question added to a statement to confirm or check information.
Rule: Positive statement → Negative tag
Negative statement → Positive tag

Examples:

  • You’re coming, aren’t you? ✅
  • She isn’t ready, is she? ✅
  • They have finished, haven’t they? ✅

🌿 Level 2 – Intermediate: Rules and Special Cases

1. Inversion in Questions

Normally, English sentences are Subject + Verb:

  • You are happy.

In a question, invert:

  • Are you happy?

2. Questions with “Be” as the Main Verb

  • Is he a doctor? ✅
  • Were they late? ✅

No do/does/did is needed when “be” is the main verb.

3. Questions with “Do/Does/Did”

  • Do you like pizza? ✅
  • Does she speak Spanish? ✅
  • Did they visit Paris? ✅

4. Questions with “Have”

  • Have you been to Japan? ✅
  • Has she finished her homework? ✅

In American English, “Do you have” is also common:

  • Do you have a pen? ✅

5. Negative Questions

  • Don’t you like chocolate? ✅
  • Isn’t she your friend? ✅
  • Haven’t they arrived yet? ✅

6. Short Answers

Yes/No answers must match the auxiliary/modal used:

  • Are you tired? → Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
  • Can she drive? → Yes, she can. / No, she can’t.

🌳 Level 3 – Advanced: Subtlety and Global Usage

1. Echo Questions

Repeat part of what was said to confirm or express surprise:

  • A: I’ve just won the lottery!
  • B: You have?
  • A: Yes, I have.

2. Rhetorical Questions

Asked for effect, not to get an answer:

  • Who doesn’t like free food?
  • Isn’t life beautiful?

3. Embedded (Indirect) Questions

These don’t use inversion:

  • Could you tell me where the station is? ✅
  • I wonder why he left early. ✅

4. Global Variations

  • In British English, “shall” appears more in questions:
    Shall we dance?
  • In American English, “will” is more common.

⚠ Common Mistakes and Fixes

❌ Incorrect✅ CorrectReason
Where you are going?Where are you going?Need inversion
She is coming, isn’t it?She is coming, isn’t she?Pronoun must match subject
You like coffee, do you?You like coffee, don’t you?Positive → negative tag
What you did yesterday?What did you do yesterday?Auxiliary needed
Do she knows the answer?Does she know the answer?Verb after auxiliary is base

🧪 Practice Exercises

  1. (Yes/No) ______ you speak English? (do)
    ✅ Do you speak English?
  2. (WH-) ______ is your favorite color? (what)
    ✅ What is your favorite color?
  3. (Tag) She’s your sister, ______?
    ✅ isn’t she?
  4. (Negative) ______ you like ice cream? (do not)
    ✅ Don’t you like ice cream?
  5. (Embedded) Can you tell me ______? (where he lives)
    ✅ Can you tell me where he lives?

🧠 Practice Quiz