slug: question-forms title: Question Forms group: structures order: 10 summary: Form yes/no and wh-questions by inverting the auxiliary verb and subject. formula: (Wh-) + Aux + S + V(bare) ?
When to use it
English questions are formed by moving the auxiliary verb (be, do, have, or a modal) in front of the subject. If the statement has no auxiliary, insert do/does/did before the subject and use the base form of the main verb.
She is studying. → Is she studying? They work late. → Do they work late?
Wh-questions add a question word (what, when, where, who, why, how) at the front. When the question word is the subject, no inversion is needed.
Form
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No — be present | Am / Is / Are + subject + …? | Are you ready? |
| Yes/No — do/does | Do / Does + subject + base verb? | Does she live here? |
| Yes/No — did | Did + subject + base verb? | Did they call? |
| Yes/No — modal | Modal + subject + base verb? | Can you help me? |
| Wh-question — object | Wh-word + aux + subject + verb? | What did she say? |
| Wh-question — subject | Wh-word + verb (no inversion) | Who called you? |
Negative questions ("Don't you know?") are formed with not contracted after the auxiliary. They often express surprise or seek confirmation.
Examples
- Have you ever visited Hội An?
- Why did he leave so early?
- Who wrote this letter? (subject question — no inversion)
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to invert: "You are tired?" (rising intonation in speech is fine, but in writing use inversion) → Are you tired?
- Using the inflected form after
do: "Do she works here?" → Does she work here? - Inverting subject questions: "Who did write this?" → Who wrote this? (subject questions never use
do).