Question Formation: Learn to Use 5 Types of Questions in English

Question formation in English is different from the formation of other sentences in two main ways. First, the beginning word order is reversed.

Instead of beginning with the subject, questions in English almost always begin with a helping verb. (Information questions begin with a question word like ‘who’ or ‘what’ and then the helping verb.)

The subject comes after the helping verb. The main verb (in its base form) follows the subject, and the rest of the sentence follows that. For example: Does the boy like baseball? Notice that 'does', (the helping verb) is in the third person singular form, since we're talking about a boy, but the main verb 'like' is in its base form.

Second, questions almost always need that helping verb along with the main verb. (This is also true for negative sentences but not affirmative ones.)

The most common helping verb is 'do.' 'Do' (or 'does' or 'did') doesn't change the meaning of a question but alerts the listener that a question is coming.

Other helping verbs include can, could, should, would, will, have, has, or had, and be (is, are, was, were, etc.).  We use have or had with the present or past perfect tenses. (Have you seen a doctor about your problem? Had you noticed any dizziness before you fell?)

The verb ‘be’ can be used without a helping verb. It is a helping verb for the continuous tenses, but it can also stand alone. We don’t use the verb ‘do’ together with ‘be,’ except as a negative command: Don't be late!" See the examples below for the usual ways to use 'be.'

The helping verb at the beginning of a question is important for communication. It tells us to listen for a question. So do question words like 'who,' 'how,' or 'when.'

English Has 5 Common Types of Questions

There are five types of questions you may want to ask in English, though the first two are by far the most common.

     1. When we are asking for information we begin a question with a ‘Wh-‘ question word.

That means who, what, when, where, why, or how. (Less common Wh- words include whom, which, how many, how much, how long, etc.)

Information questions are also called open-ended questions because the person answering can give us a short answer or a longer explanation. They are especially useful for conversation, when you want to get to know someone better.

     2. When we just need a yes or no answer, we omit the question word and begin directly with the helping verb, then the subject, then the main verb 

‘Yes or no questions’ provide limited information:

• Can you speak more than one language?

• Have you studied chemistry?

Compare the amount and quality of information you can get with open-ended questions on the same topics:

• Which languages can you speak, at least a little?

• Where did you study chemistry? How do you use it in your work now?

    3. If we want to ask a person to choose between two (or more) options, the answer will not be 'yes' or 'no' but one of the choices: "Do you want your coffee black or with cream and sugar?"

"Black please," or "black with one sugar packet," or even "black with two creams and two sugars."

     4-5. Tag questions and indirect questions are a little more complicated, but they are worth understanding, even if you may not want to use them yourself. See each of those sections for a full explanation. 

The charts and examples below show how to use each type of question in health care settings.

Wh- or Open-ended Questions for More Information

Information Questions (What, Where, How, etc.) have five parts:

1. Question Word 2. Helping Verb  3. Subject, 4. Main Verb (usually base form), & 5. The rest of the sentence (if any.)

However, when 'who' is the subject of a question, do NOT use a helping verb:

Who wants ice cream for dessert? 

What do you want for dinner?

*What meds has the M.D. prescribed?

Where does the E.R. keep  bandages?

When can I take a break? 

When did the pain start?

How do you feel this morning? 

How much do you weigh?

How often should I take this? 

*How long have you had this cough?

*How long has he been sick? 

*What color is the pill?

*When are you going to have surgery?

Why didn't you listen to the doctor?

Yes/No or Closed Questions

Helping Vb/Subject/Main Verb/The Rest 

Do you take any pills?

Does Ms. Jones have children?

Didn't you know about it?

Should I give the IV now?

Can you feel this?

Could I check your pulse?

*Has he seen a specialist?

*Have you taken this before?

Are you ready now?

*Was the doctor listening to his lungs?

*Note:

• for perfect tenses the helping verb is ‘have’ and the main verb is in past participle form. 
• For continuous tenses the helping verb is ‘be’ and the main verb is in the present participle form (-ing).

Choice or Alternative Questions

Let's go out for lunch. Would you prefer the hospital cafeteria or the coffee shop next door?

The doctor is asking you to get more exercise, Mom. Doyou want to try a dance class for seniors or a chair yoga class at the senior center?

Bill, we can schedule an appointment either tomorrow AM at 10 or Thursday PM at 3:30. Is tomorrow morning or Thursday afternoon better for you?

Tag Questions

We ask tag questions to confirm information we already believe we know, or sometimes to emphasize a point. We state something that we believe is true, then at the end ask in the negative. We expect an affirmative answer in that case. See #1. The full question implied in the short tag is "Won't Dr. Sharpe be able to see her?", and if he is able, we answer "Yes, he will." 

We can also make a negative statement and end with a short affirmative (positive) question. In that case a 'no' means you agree with the negative statement. It may sound confusing, but it's easier in  practice. See #3. No means "no, I'm not going to miss it." The full question the tag represents is "Are you going to miss it?" So the answer is "No."

1. “Susie’s school says she needs to see her doctor before she can return to school. Dr. Sharpe will be able to see her today or tomorrow, won’t he?”

(The answer she wants is “Yes, he will,” along with an appointment time. The answer she doesn’t want is “I’m sorry, but Dr. Sharpe won’t be able to see Susie until next week...”)

The mother could just ask the receptionist, “Can Susie get an appointment with Dr. Sharpe today or tomorrow?” However, she might use that tag question to pressure the receptionist and express her anxiety: please, please find a way to get an appointment soon!”

2. You are going to the medication conference with us, aren’t you? (The answer you expect and hope for is, “Yes, I am.”)

3. (You could also ask it with a negative statement: “You’re not going to miss the conference next week, are you?” This time the answer you expect and want is “no”, or “no, I won’t miss it.”)

(You might ask a co-worker either of those questions if she had planned to come and then her son had a minor injury at football practice—so you’re asking for reassurance that she still can come.)

I found a video that I think explains tag questions really clearly, as well as showing how to pronounce each type with the correct intonation. It's worth studying if you want to use tag questions yourself!

Indirect and Embedded Questions

Sometimes we make questions more polite (and indirect) by beginning with a phrase like "Could you tell me...?" or "I was wondering..." Then we add the question word, if it's a Wh question, then the subject, then the verb.--- in regular sentence order.

Example 1: "I was wondering where the conference will be held."  (The  direct question is "Where will the conference be held?") Note that there is no question mark for the indirect question, since "I was wondering is not a question.

If you asked "Could you tell me where the conference will be held?," it would end with a question mark, but the word order of the indirect question is still subject, then verb.

Example 2: "Would you mind telling me why the doctor rescheduled the appointment?" Note the subject-verb order in the indirect question, and also that we do not include "did," even though the direct question would be "Why did the doctor reschedule the appointment?"

Indirect questions do NOT use a form of "do," although the beginning phrase may. (For example, "Do you know why the doctor rescheduled the appointment?")

For Yes/No indirect questions, after the opening phrase use "if" or "whether," then the question in subject-verb order, as with Wh questions, again without do, does, or did within that question..

Example 1: "Can you tell me if the head nurse works this evening?"

Example 2: "Do you know if she is still here now?"

Example 3: "I would like to know whether the hospital ever allows visitors after 8 PM."

Quiz: Fix These Mistakes in Question Formation

Most of these questions are formed incorrectly. (At least two are correct, though-- don't fix them!)

Instructions: On a sheet of paper (or in your head), try to fix each mistake, then ask the corrected question out loud. You can find the answers below the Related page section, near the bottom of the page.

1. Why you are leaving so soon?
2. Do you work here every day?
3. How does a CT scan works?
4. At the big meeting yesterday, did they decided on a price increase or on keeping the price the same?
5. Could you tell me what decided they to do? 
6. Can he changes the dressing now?
7. You still can finish the report by Friday, can you?
8. Who does need the report?
9. How often does the supervisor check the records?
10. You have finished charting yet?
11. The doctor did a very thorough exam, didn't he!
12. Please let me know when does the doctor arrive?
13. When will you finished your rounds?
14. My wife would like to know do visiting hours end at 8 P.M.?
15. That was a good meal, wasn't it?

Related Pages

Do you have questions about English sentence structure? Check out these explanations &  examples. (Some include  phrases and direct or indirect objects).

Compound sentences combine two independent clauses into one sentence. They're not hard with this explanation & a few examples! 

How to make negative sentences in English: a guide to helping verbs, negative words, and traps to avoid, with examples of each.

Answers to the Quiz, with Explanations

1. Why are you leaving so soon? Explanation: (Why was the original question incorrect?) Almost all English questions require the helping verb (are in this case) before the subject (you). This tells your listener that this is a question.
2. The original question is correct.
3. How does a CT scan work? Explanation: the main verb,  'work', needs to be in its base form.
4. At the big meeting yesterday, did they decide on a price increase or on keeping the price the same? Explanation: the helping verb 'did' shows that the question is past tense. The main verb, 'decide,' should be in its base form.
5. Could you tell me what they decided to do? Explanation: In an indirect question like this, the embedded question (the one you really want answered) should be in regular sentence order: subject, then verb. The question mark is correct because the polite introduction is also a question in this case.
6.  Can he change the dressing now? Explanation: 'change' is the main verb, so it needs to be in its base form.
7. You still can finish the report by Friday, can't you? Explanation: The tag needs to be negative since the beginning statement was affirmative.
8. Who needs the report? Explanation: After 'who' (when it's the subject), we don't use the general helping verb 'do.'
9. The original question is correct.
10. Have you finished charting yet? Explanation: the helping verb needs to go before the subject (you) in a question.
11. The doctor did a very thorough exam, didn't he? Explanation: The tag question needs to end with a question mark.
12. Please let me know when the doctor arrives. Explanation: the embedded question uses regular sentence order, with no helping verb ('does') and no question mark.
13. When will you finish your rounds? Explanation: the main verb 'finish' needs to be in the base form here, definitely not in the past tense after the helping verb 'will.' The question is clearly asking about the future! 
14. My wife would like to know if visiting hours end at 8 P.M. Explanation: In this indirect question, there's no need for 'do' but there is a need for 'if' (or 'whether') to connect to her actual (embedded) question. There should not be a question mark since 'would like to know' is a statement, not a question.
15. The original statement and tag question are correct.

Home > English Grammar Lessons > Question Formation and Types of Questions in English.

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