Chapter: Asking Questions (CEFR Level A1)

Hello future English speakers! Welcome to one of the most important chapters in grammar: Asking Questions.

Why is this chapter crucial? Because questions are how we learn, how we connect with people, and how we get what we need! If you can ask a question clearly, you are already communicating effectively.

Don’t worry if the word order seems tricky at first. English uses a specific structure, but we will break it down into simple, easy-to-follow steps. Let's make you a master question-asker!

Section 1: Yes/No Questions

These questions are the simplest because the only answers you can give are "Yes" or "No." The key to forming these questions is Inversion—which simply means swapping the order of the Subject and the Verb.

Type 1: Questions with the verb 'To Be' (Am, Is, Are)

The verb 'To Be' is special because it doesn't need a "helper" verb to form a question. It can do the job all by itself!

The Simple Rule: Swap the Subject and the Verb

In a normal statement, the order is: SUBJECT + VERB.
(Example: You are hungry.)

To ask a question, the order becomes: VERB + SUBJECT.

Structure (To Be Questions):

Am / Is / Are + Subject + (Rest of Sentence)?

Examples:

  • Statement: He is a doctor.
  • Question: Is he a doctor?

  • Statement: They are ready.
  • Question: Are they ready?

  • Statement: I am late.
  • Question: Am I late? (Less common, but correct!)

Quick Review Tip: Always remember the three parts of 'To Be': Am (only with I), Is (with He/She/It), Are (with You/We/They).

Type 2: Questions with 'Do' and 'Does' (Simple Present Tense)

For almost all other main verbs (like *eat, work, study, live*), we cannot just swap the subject and the verb. We need a special AUXILIARY VERB (a 'helper' verb).

At A1 level, our helper verbs are Do and Does.

Step-by-Step Question Building

  1. Start with the Helper Verb (Do or Does).
  2. Add the Subject (Who is doing the action?).
  3. Add the BASE FORM of the main verb (The original verb, no -s, -ed, or -ing).

Structure (Do/Does Questions):

Do / Does + Subject + Base Form of Main Verb + (Rest of Sentence)?

When to use DO and when to use DOES?

Think of it as the "S" rule (The rule we learned for simple present statements).

  • Use DO: For I, You, We, They.
  • Use DOES: For He, She, It (The third-person singular).

Examples:

  • For You (Use DO): Do you speak English?
  • For They (Use DO): Do they live here?
  • For He (Use DOES): Does he work near the school?
  • For She (Use DOES): Does she study hard?

Common Mistake to Avoid!

When you use DOES, the main verb always goes back to its base form. The 's' moves from the main verb to the auxiliary verb (Does).

❌ Incorrect: Does she likes coffee?

✅ Correct: Does she like coffee?

Key Takeaway for Yes/No Questions: If your sentence has Am/Is/Are, just swap the Subject and Verb. If it uses any other verb, you must use Do or Does as a helper at the beginning.

Section 2: WH-Questions (Asking for Specific Information)

WH-Questions (also called Open Questions) are used when you want more than just a "yes" or "no" answer. They ask for specific details like a name, a place, or a time.

The 5 Key A1 WH-Words

We start the question with a WH-word. This word immediately tells the listener what kind of information you want.

  • What: Used for things, objects, or actions.
    Example: What is your job?
  • Who: Used only for people.
    Example: Who is that man?
  • Where: Used for location or place.
    Example: Where is the supermarket?
  • When: Used for time (day, month, hour).
    Example: When is the class?
  • How: Used for manner, condition, age, or price.
    Example: How old are you? How are you?

Building WH-Questions

The structure for WH-questions is almost exactly the same as Yes/No questions, but we simply place the WH-word right at the very beginning.

The Standard WH-Question Formula

WH-Word + Auxiliary/Be + Subject + Main Verb?

Step-by-Step Example (Using 'To Be'):

  1. Start with WH-Word: Where
  2. Add 'To Be': is
  3. Add Subject: your book?
  4. Full Question: Where is your book?

Step-by-Step Example (Using 'Do/Does'):

  1. Start with WH-Word: What
  2. Add Auxiliary: do (because we use 'you')
  3. Add Subject: you
  4. Add Base Verb: want
  5. Full Question: What do you want?

More Examples:

  • When do you eat lunch?
  • What does he study? (Remember: Base verb 'study'!)
  • How old is she?

Did you know? When WHO is the subject of the sentence (meaning you are asking who performed the action), you often do not need the helper verb 'Do/Does'!
Example: Who lives in that house? (Not: Who does live in that house?)

Common Mistakes and Review

If you are struggling with questions, remember this core idea: English needs the VERB (or helper verb) to come BEFORE the SUBJECT in a question.

Mistake 1: Forgetting the Auxiliary Verb

❌ You live in London? (This sounds confused, like a statement with a question mark)
✅ Do you live in London?

Mistake 2: Not Using the Base Form with 'Does'

❌ Where does he goes?
✅ Where does he go?

Memory Trick: QASI

To remember the correct word order for almost all questions, think:

Question word (WH-Word)
Auxiliary (Do/Does/Is/Are)
Subject (Who/What)
Infinitive/Base Verb (Go/Like/Study)

You’ve covered the fundamentals of asking questions in English! Keep practicing these structures—the more you use them, the more natural they will feel. Well done!