Learn how to form English questions easily! Master word order and question words like who, what, where, and why with clear A1-level examples.
Exercises & Summary
Questions: Word order and question words
We ask questions in English to get information. To ask the right questions, we need to know how to use question words like who, what, where, when, why, and how and how to put them in the right order.
Word Order in Questions
In normal sentences, the word order is:
Subject + Verb + Object
She plays tennis.
But in questions with do/does/is/are/can, the order changes to:
Question word + Auxiliary (helping verb) + Subject + Main verb
Examples:
- Do you play tennis?
- Does she live in London?
- Are they at school?
- Can he swim?
Notice how the auxiliary verb (do/does/is/are/can) comes before the subject.
Yes/No Questions
These are questions that can be answered with Yes or No.
Structure:
Auxiliary + Subject + Verb
Examples:
- Do you like pizza?
- Is she a teacher?
- Can they dance?
WH- Questions (Question Words)
We start the question with a question word when we want specific information.
| Question Word | Meaning / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | person | Who is your teacher? |
| What | thing | What is your name? |
| Where | place | Where do you live? |
| When | time | When is your birthday? |
| Why | reason | Why are you sad? |
| How | manner / way | How do you go to work? |
Common Patterns
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Be questions | Be + subject | Is she your sister? |
| Do/Does questions | Do/Does + subject + verb | Does he work here? |
| Can questions | Can + subject + verb | Can you speak English? |
Tips for Beginners
- Use Do with I, you, we, and they.
- Use Does with he, she, and it.
- Don’t use do/does with can, am, or is.
- After do, does, or can, the verb stays in its base form.
Examples
- What do you do on weekends?
- Where does she live?
- Is he from Turkey?
- How can I help you?
Short Answers
| Question | Short Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you like coffee? | Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. |
| Is she your sister? | Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t. |
| Can he drive? | Yes, he can. / No, he can’t. |
In short:
Use do/does/is/are/can before the subject.
When you need more than a yes or no answer, start with a question word.