How to Ask Questions in English

Quick Answer: To ask a question in English, put an auxiliary verb before the subject: Are you ready? Can you swim? If there is no auxiliary, add do, does or did and use the base verb: Does she work here? For information questions, start with a question word (Where do you live?), but keep statement word order in indirect questions: Could you tell me where the station is?

Key takeaways

• Yes or no questions follow the pattern auxiliary + subject + verb: Have they finished?
• After do, does or did, the main verb is always the base form: Did you go? not Did you went?
• When who or what is the subject, do not add do: Who called you? What happened?
• Indirect questions use statement word order and no do: Do you know where the station is?
• For yes or no indirect questions, use if or whether: Can you tell me if the shop is open?
• Prepositions usually go at the end in everyday English: Who are you talking to?

Turkish speakers note: Turkish forms questions with a particle such as mı or mi and keeps the word order. English usually changes the word order instead, and adds do when there is no auxiliary. Compare Sen kahve seviyor musun? with Do you like coffee?

Yes or no questions

With be

Move am, is or are before the subject.

• You are hungry. Are you hungry?
• She is a teacher. Is she a teacher?
• They were at home. Were they at home?

With other auxiliaries

If the sentence has an auxiliary verb (can, will, have, should, must), move it to the front.

• You can swim. Can you swim?
• He will come. Will he come?
• They have finished. Have they finished?

With do, does and did

If there is no auxiliary, add do, does or did. The main verb goes back to its base form.

Statement	Question
You like pizza.	Do you like pizza?
She works here.	Does she work here?
They went home.	Did they go home?

Common mistakes:

• Wrong: Does she works here? Right: Does she work here?
• Wrong: Did you went? Right: Did you go?
• Wrong: You like pizza? (fine in casual speech with rising intonation, but not standard grammar)

Wh- questions

Put the question word first, then follow the yes or no pattern.

Question word	Asks about	Example
What	things, actions	What do you do?
Where	place	Where do you live?
When	time	When does the film start?
Who	people	Who is your teacher?
Why	reason	Why are you late?
How	manner	How did you get here?
Which	choice	Which bus goes to the center?
Whose	possession	Whose bag is this?

How plus another word

• How old are you?
• How much is it?
• How many brothers do you have?
• How long does it take?
• How often do you exercise?
• How far is the airport?

Subject questions: no do

When who or what is the subject of the sentence, do not use do, does or did. The word order stays like a statement.

• Someone called you. Who called you? Not: Who did call you?
• Something happened. What happened? Not: What did happen?

Compare with object questions:

• Who did you call? (you called someone, the person is the object)
• Who called you? (someone called you, the person is the subject)

Prepositions at the end

In everyday English, prepositions usually go at the end of the question.

• Where are you from?
• Who are you talking to?
• What are you looking for?
• What is this for?

Formal English sometimes moves them forward (To whom are you speaking?), but this sounds very formal in conversation.

Indirect questions

Indirect questions are more polite. They start with a phrase like Could you tell me or Do you know, and then use statement word order with no do, does or did.

Direct	Indirect
Where is the bank?	Could you tell me where the bank is?
What time does it open?	Do you know what time it opens?
Is he coming?	I wonder if he is coming.
How much does it cost?	Can you tell me how much it costs?

For yes or no indirect questions, use if or whether: Do you know if the museum is open today? Indirect questions that start with a statement such as I wonder end with a period, not a question mark.

• Wrong: Do you know where is the station?
• Right: Do you know where the station is?

See also how to make polite requests in English.

Question tags

A question tag is a short question at the end of a statement. It checks information or invites agreement.

• You're from Ankara, aren't you?
• She doesn't eat meat, does she?

A positive statement takes a negative tag and the other way around. Read our full guide to question tags.

Negative questions

Negative questions show surprise or expect a yes answer.

• Don't you like chocolate? (I'm surprised)
• Isn't it beautiful? (I expect you to agree)

Intonation

• Yes or no questions usually rise at the end: Are you ready? (rising)
• Question tags rise when you really ask and fall when you expect agreement: It's cold, isn't it? (falling)
• Wh- questions usually fall at the end: Where do you live? (falling)

Using the right intonation makes you sound friendly and clear.

Common mistakes summary

Wrong	Right
Where you live?	Where do you live?
What means this word?	What does this word mean?
Why you are sad?	Why are you sad?
How do you call it in English?	What do you call it in English?
Can you tell me what time is it?	Can you tell me what time it is?

Practice quiz

Make questions.

1. (she / like / coffee)
2. (where / they / live)
3. (you / can / drive)
4. (what / happen / yesterday)
5. Make it polite: Where is the toilet?

Answers:

1. Does she like coffee?
2. Where do they live?
3. Can you drive?
4. What happened yesterday?
5. Could you tell me where the toilet is?

Practice asking questions

Questions are the heart of small talk in English, and they follow the English word order rules with a twist. Start practicing with the free A1 course, where Sage the Turtle helps you build questions step by step.

People Also Ask

How do you form a question in English?

Put an auxiliary verb such as be, do, have, can or will before the subject. For example, You are tired becomes Are you tired, and You like tea becomes Do you like tea.

When do I use do and does in questions?

Use do or does in present simple questions when there is no other auxiliary verb. Use does with he, she and it, and keep the main verb in the base form: Does she work here?

What is a subject question?

A subject question asks about the subject of the sentence, so it does not use do, does or did. For example, Who called you? not Who did call you?

How can I ask questions more politely?

Use an indirect question with a polite opening, such as Could you tell me where the station is? Notice that the word order after the question word is like a statement.

Related Reading

• English Word Order: Subject, Verb, Object
• Question Tags in English
• How to Make Polite Requests in English
• How to Make Small Talk in English