QUESTION FORMS

Unit 5 Questions
Main points

* In most questions the first verb comes before the subject.

* `Yes/no'-questions begin with an auxiliary or a modal.

* `Wh'-questions begin with a `wh'-word.

1 Questions which can be answered `yes' or `no' are called `yes/no'-questions.

`Are you ready?' - `Yes.'
`Have you read this magazine?' - `No.'

If the verb group has more than one word, the first word comes at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. The rest of the verb group comes after the subject.

Is he coming?
Can John swim?
Will you have finished by lunchtime?
Couldn't you have been a bit quieter?
Has he been working?

2 If the verb group consists of only a main verb, you use the auxiliary `do', `does', or `did' at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. After the subject you use the base form of the verb.

Do the British take sport seriously?
Does that sound like anyone you know?
Did he go to the fair?

Note that when the main verb is `do', you still have to add `do', `does', or `did' before the subject.

Do they do the work themselves?
Did you do an `O' Level in German?

3 If the main verb is `have', you usually put `do', `does', or `did' before the subject.

Does anyone have a question?
Did you have a good flight?

When `have' means `own' or `possess', you can put it before the subject, without using `do', `does', or `did', but this is less common.

Has he any idea what it's like?

4 If the main verb is the present simple or past simple of `be', you put the verb at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.

Are you ready?
Was it lonely without us?

5 When you want someone to give you more information than just `yes' or `no', you ask a `wh'-question, which begins with a `wh'-word:

what-where-who-whose
when-which-whom-why-how

Note that `whom' is only used in formal English.

6 When a `wh'-word is the subject of a question, the `wh'-word comes first, then the verb group. You do not add `do', `does', or `did' as an auxiliary.

What happened?
Which is the best restaurant?
Who could have done it?

7 When a `wh'-word is the object of a verb or preposition, the `wh'-word comes first, then you follow the rules for `yes/no'-questions, adding `do', `does', or `did' where necessary.

How many are there?
Which do you like best?

If there is a preposition, it comes at the end. However, you always put the preposition before `whom'.

What's this for?
With whom were you talking?

Note that you follow the same rules as for `wh'-words as objects when the question begins with `when', `where', `why', or `how'.

When would you be coming down?
Why did you do it?
Where did you get that from?

8 You can also use `what', `which', `whose', `how many', and `how much' with a noun.

Whose idea was it?
How much money have we got in the bank?

You can use `which', `how many', and `how much' with `of' and a noun group.

Which of the suggested answers was the correct one?
How many of them bothered to come?

See Unit 6 for more information on `wh'-words.




Unit 6 `Wh'-questions
Main points

* You use `who', `whom', and `whose' to ask about people, and `which' to ask about people or things.

* You use `what' to ask about things, and `what for' to ask about reasons and purposes.

* You use `how' to ask about the way something happens.

* You use `when' to ask about times, `why' to ask about reasons, and `where' to ask about places and directions.

1 You use `who', `whom', or `whose' in questions about people. `Who' is used to ask questions about the subject or object of the verb, or about the object of a preposition.

Who discovered this?
Who did he marry?
Who did you dance with?

In formal English, `whom' is used as the object of a verb or preposition. The preposition always comes in front of `whom'.
Whom did you see?

For whom were they supposed to do it?
You use `whose' to ask which person something belongs to or is related to. `Whose' can be the subject or the object.

Whose is nearer?
Whose did you prefer, hers or mine?

2 You use `which' to ask about one person or thing, out of a number of people or things. `Which' can be the subject or object.

Which is your son?
Which does she want?

3 You use `what' to ask about things, for example about actions and events. `What' can be the subject or object.

What has happened to him?
What is he selling?
What will you talk about?

You use `what...for' to ask about the reason for an action, or the purpose of an object.

What are you going there for?
What are those lights for?

4 You use `how' to ask about the way in which something happens or is done.

How did you know we were coming?
How are you going to get home?

You also use `how' to ask about the way a person or thing feels or looks.
`How are you?' - `Well, how do I look?'

5 `How' is also used:

* with adjectives to ask about the degree of quality that someone or something has

How good are you at Maths?
How hot shall I make the curry?

* with adjectives such as `big', `old', and `far' to ask about size, age, and distance

How old are your children?
How far is it to Montreal from here?

Note that you do not normally use `How small', `How young', or `How near'.

* with adverbs such as `long' and `often' to ask about time, or `well' to ask about abilities

How long have you lived here?
How well can you read?

* with `many' and `much' to ask about the number or amount of something

How many were there?
How much did he tell you?

6 You use `when' to ask about points in time or periods of time, `why' to ask about the reason for an action, and `where' to ask about place and direction.

When are you coming home?
When were you in London?
Why are you here?
Where is the station?
Where are you going?

You can also ask about direction using `which direction...in' or `which way'.

Which direction did he go in?
Which way did he go?