Question formation means arranging words correctly to ask questions in English. Questions help us get information, confirm facts, and communicate naturally.
Question formation is the process of changing a statement into a question by using the correct word order and helping verb.
When a sentence uses am, is, are, was, or were, put the be-verb before the subject.
Pattern: Be-verb + Subject + Rest of sentence?
Use do with I, you, we, and they. Use does with he, she, and it. After does, use the base form (V1) of the main verb.
Use did for most simple past questions. Use the base form (V1) after did.
Move the first helping verb before the subject.
Place has, have, or had before the subject.
Put the modal verb before the subject. Use the base form of the main verb after a modal.
WH-words ask for specific information.
| Question Word | Used to Ask About | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | A person | Who is your teacher? |
| What | A thing or information | What do you want? |
| Where | A place | Where do you live? |
| When | A time | When will you arrive? |
| Why | A reason | Why are you sad? |
| Which | A choice | Which colour do you prefer? |
| Whose | Ownership | Whose bag is this? |
| How | Manner or condition | How do you travel to work? |
For most WH-questions, use:
Note: When “who” or “what” is the subject of the question, we usually do not use do, does, or did.
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| How many | How many books do you have? |
| How much | How much water do you drink? |
| How often | How often do you exercise? |
| How long | How long have you lived here? |
| How far | How far is the station? |
| How old | How old are you? |
| How well | How well can she swim? |
Negative questions often express surprise, expectation, or a request for confirmation.
In polite or indirect questions, use statement word order after expressions such as “Could you tell me” and “Do you know”.
Remember: Do not use question word order inside these indirect questions.
Question tags are short questions added at the end of a statement to ask for confirmation.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Where you live? | Where do you live? |
| Does she likes coffee? | Does she like coffee? |
| Did he went home? | Did he go home? |
| Why you are late? | Why are you late? |
| Could you tell me where is the station? | Could you tell me where the station is? |
1. Choose the correct question.
2. Choose the correct question in the simple past.
3. Choose the correct polite question.