Questions can be a little difficult in English. The first thing to remember is that there are two main kinds, 'yes / no' and 'wh':
They are made in three different ways in English grammar depending on the verb tense:
1: | We change the position (or 'invert') the verb and the subject. This is used for the present simple and the past simple of 'be' and for modal verbs |
2 : | We add an extra word, like 'do / does' or 'did'. This is used for the past simple and the present simple of all other English verbs (not 'be'). |
3: | We change the position of the first auxiliary verb and the subject. This is for all other tenses, for example the present perfect, the present continuous or the future perfect continuous. |
To make the 'wh' kind, just put the question word in front of any 'yes / no' question: Is he coming ('yes / no') becomes When is he coming? ('wh')
Here is a summary of the tenses and their interrogative forms (click on each tense for more information):
Present simple 'be' | Are you hungry? |
Present simple other verbs | Do you like ice cream? |
Present continuous | Are you coming to the party? |
Past simple 'be' | Were you at home yesterday? |
Past simple other verbs | Did you go out last night? |
Past continuous | Were you watching TV at 8 last night? |
Present perfect | Have you eaten? |
Present perfect continuous | Have you been working hard? |
Past perfect | Had you slept? |
Past perfect continuous | Had you been running? |
Future simple | Will you come? |
Future continuous | Will you be coming? |
Future perfect | Will you have finished at 6? |
Future perfect continuous | Will you have been working? |
Modals | Can you swim? |
Modals | Must you leave? |
Present simple 'be' | Who are you? |
Present simple other verbs | Where do you play tennis? |
Present continuous | When are you coming to the party? |
Past simple 'be' | Where were you last night? |
Past simple other verbs | How did you do it? |
Past continuous | What were you doing when I called you? |
Present perfect | What have you eaten? |
Present perfect continuous | Where have you been working hard? |
Past perfect | What had you eaten? |
Past perfect continuous | Why had you been working hard? |
Future simple | Who will you meet? |
Future continuous | Why will you be sleeping? |
Future perfect | When will you have finished? |
Future perfect continuous | What will you have been doing? |
Modals | Where can we swim? |
Modals | Why must you leave? |
Also, here are some other kinds of questions:
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