Grammar Reference
Grammar Reference
Grammar Reference
Question forms
Meaning and Use
In English, there are two basic types of question.
1. Yes/no questions often begin with the verb to be, but can also begin with other
auxiliary verbs, such as do. We ask these when we want a yes or no answer.
2. Wh-questions start with a question word, such as who, what, where, when, why or
how. We ask this type of question when we want different kinds of information. These
questions cannot be answered with a yes or no.
If we start with an auxiliary verb, the order is auxiliary + subject + main verb.
Wh-questions can be used to ask about the subject or object of the verb. Compare
these questions:
Who loves Lucy?
Who does Lucy love?
The question word how is usually combined with other words when asking for information,
such as size, someone’s age, or the price of something.
In casual spoken English, we do not need to repeat the auxiliary. Answers do not always
contain 'yes' or 'no'.
Answers
[The order of object Wh-questions is: question word + auxiliary + subject + verb.]
[The order of object Wh-questions is: question word + auxiliary + subject + verb.]
[The order of object Wh-questions is: question word + auxiliary + subject + verb.]