Questions

Dewi Nidia Soepriadi S.S., M.Hum

 Yes/No Questions

Yes / No questions are also

called
closed questions because
there are only two possible
responses: Yes or No.
 correct incorrect
• When forming a Yes /
Are elections next Elections next
No question, it must year? year?
include one of these
verbs: BE, DO, HAVE, or Does he want to He want to stay?
a modal verb. stay?
Have the boys The boys eaten?
eaten?
Can the dog swim? The dog swim?
 question response

Am I your friend? Yes. / Yes, you are. / Yes,

you are my friend.
• Use the verb BE to
ask Yes / Is this a good No. / No, it is not. / No, it
No questions restaurant? is not a good restaurant.
about the identity Are these islands Yes. / Yes, they are. /
or description of a Greek? Yes, these islands are
person, place, or Greek.
thing. Was his idea No. / No, it wasn’t. / No,
interesting? his idea was not
interesting.
Were they happy? Yes. / Yes, they were. /
Yes, they were happy.
 question response
• Use the verb BE Am I at the correct No. / No, you
with a preposition location? aren’t.
to ask Yes /
Are the keys under the No. / No, they
No questions
about a present or books? are not.
past location.
Was his house on an Yes. / Yes, it
island? was.
Were the demonstrations No. / No, they
in the center of town? weren’t.
• Use the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question about a current activity or
situation. This requires the present progressive: BE + (verb+ing).
question response
Am I going with you and Tom? Yes. / Yes, you are.
Is she working today? No. / No, she isn’t.
Are we seeing a play Yes. / Yes, we are.
tomorrow?

Use the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question about a past activity or

situation. This requires the past progressive: WAS / WERE + (verb+ing).
question response
Was it raining? Yes. / Yes, it was.
Were they playing? No. / No, they weren’t.
• Use the verb HAVE to ask if somebody has done something or if some
action has taken place. Note that these Yes / No questions use the
present perfect (HAVE + past participle).
question response
Has your brother left? No. / No, he hasn’t.
Have you driven before? Yes. / Yes, I have.
Has the party started? Yes. / Yes, it has.

• Use the verb DO to ask Yes / No questions in order to obtain facts

about people, places, or things.
question response
Do they smoke? No. / No, they don’t.
Does it rain here? Yes. / Yes, it does.
Did the key work? No. / No, it didn’t.
 question response

• Use modal verbs to Can we stay? Yes. / Yes, we can. / Yes,

we can stay.
ask Yes /
No questions about Could this be true? Yes. / Yes, it could (be
possibilities or true).
uncertainties.
Should they stop? No. / No, they shouldn’t
(stop).

May I help you? Yes. / Yes you may (help

me).
 WH Questions
• We use question words to ask certain types of questions.
• We often refer to these words as WH words because they include the
letters WH (for example WHy, HoW).
question word function example sentence
what asking for information about something What is your name?
asking for repetition or confirmation What? I can't hear you.
You did what?
what...for asking for a reason, asking why What did you do that for?
when asking about time When did he leave?
where asking in or at what place or position Where do they live?
which asking about choice Which colour do you want?
who asking what or which person or people Who opened the door?
whom asking what or which person or people (object) Whom did you see?

whose asking about ownership Whose are these keys?

Whose turn is it?

why asking for reason, asking what...for Why do you say that?

why don't making a suggestion Why don't I help you?

how asking about manner How does this work?

asking about condition or quality How was your exam?

how + adj/adv asking about extent or degree see examples below

how far distance How far is Pattaya from Bangkok?

how long length (time or space) How long will it take?

how many quantity (countable) How many cars are there?

how much quantity (uncountable) How much money do you have?

how old age How old are you?

how come asking for reason, asking why How come I can't see her?
(informal)
Thank you