Grammar 1A - Question formation

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1A. Question Formation. (upper-Intermediate)

questions
1
with modal verbs
with tenses where
there is an auxiliary
verb (be, have, etc.)
2
with the present and
past simple
3
negative questions
to show surprise.
when you expect
somebody to agree
with you.

4
Verb followed by a
preposition

5
When the question
word (who / what /
which, etc.) is the
subject

6
Indirect questions:
When you want to ask a
question in a more
polite way

do/use
invert the subject
and the modal/
auxiliary verb

add do/does or did

before the subject

negative
questions

exemple
Can you drive?
Why are you crying?

Where do you live?

Did you go out last night?

Why didnt you like the film?

Isnt this a beautifull place?

The preposition
comes at the end
of the question.

What are you talking about?

NOT: About what are you talking?
Where is she from?
NOT: From where is she?

Whe often just use

the question word
and the
preposition.

A: Im thinking.
B: What about?
instead of:
What are you thinking about?

dont use auxiliary

verb (do/does , did)

Who lives in this house?

NOT: Who does live in this house?
How many people came to the
party?
NOT: How many people did come
to the party?
Who wrote this?
NOT: Who did write this?

indirect questions:

Direct: Where does she lives?

Indirect: Could you tell me where
she lives?

The order is
subject + verb:

Can you tell me where it is?

NOT: Can you tell me where is it?

Dont use do / did

in the second part
of the question

Could you tell me where she lives?

NOT: Could you tell me where
does she lives?

You can use

if / whether

Can you tell me if / whether hes at

home?

Grammar 1A - Question formation

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Review: Question Forms (Intermediate)

Make questions: Practice. (link)
To make questions you need the following structure:

a) Whit auxiliary verb:

Question word

Auxiliary

Subject

Present simple / Past simple

Verb

Infinitive

How

do

you

get here from

your house?

Who

does

Sarah

work for?

Did

you

do anything
special last
night?
Gerund

Are

all your family

living in the
same town as you?

What

are

her children

doing at the
moment?

Why

are

you

studying
English?

Present continuous

Present perfect simple

Past Participle

How many
countries

has

Greg

been to?

How long

have

you

lived there?

Have

you ever

chatted to
people online?

Grammar 1A - Question formation

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b) Without auxiliary verb: When the question word is the

subject:

Question word
(subject)

Verb

Object

Who

called

you this morning?

Who

calls

you all the time?

What

makes

her flatmate
happy?

c) Questions ending in preposition: when the question work is

the object of a preposition, the preposition usually goes at the
end.

Question
word

auxiliary

subject

verb

preposition

What

are

you

looking

at?

What

did

you

do that

for?

Who

she

taking

to?

Who

does

Sarah

work

for?

How many
countries

has

Greg

been

to?

Grammar 1A - Question formation

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Question
word

meaning

example

who

a person

Whos that man over there?

where

a place

Where did you go last week?

when

a time

When does the lesson start?

why

a reason

Why are you late?

whose

possessive

Whose shoes are these?

which

a thing (from
small number
o.p.a)

Which do you like, the red shirt or

the blue shirt?

what

a thing (from
many p.a.)

What do you want to do tonight?

How many

a number
(count.)

How many people are there in your

class?

How much

amount
(uncount.)

Just how much did it cost?

How long

a periode of
time

How long did you work in Russia?

How old

age

How old is your teacher?