Unit 9: MAKING QUESTIONS

Question formation is usually different from the formation of statements. We either change the word order or use do.

With be (Unit 16)

Put the verb before the subject.

[S]:STATEMENT, [Q]:QUESTION

[S] They are paediatricians.
[Q] Are they paediatricians?

[S] His father's name is Patrick.
[Q] What is his father's name?

With one-word verb formations

Put the correct form of the verb do before the subject.

Present tense: 3rd person singular (Unit 2)

[S] She works in a doctor's office.
[Q] Does she work in a doctor's office?

Present tense: all other persons

[S] They live near the hospital.
[Q] Where do they live?

Past tense:
[S] They left last week.
[Q] When did they leave?

NOTICE: After do, use only the base form of the verb.
We say:
Does he work? NOT does he works
Did she go? NOT did she goes

NOTICE: Do can also be the lexical verb (Unit 3) of a sentence. For example:
We say:
What do you do?
What does he do?
What did she do?

With other verb formations

Put the first word (only) of the verb before the subject.

[S] They are studying acupuncture.
[Q] Are they studying acupuncture?

[S] I can see the chiropractic clinic.
[Q] Can you see chiropractic clinic?

[S] She has gone to England to study.
[Q] Why has she gone to England?

[S] The new health centre will be built here.
[Q] Where will the new health centre be built?

[S] It has been snowing for two hours.
[Q] How long has it been snowing?

NOTICE: It does not matter how many words there are in the subject. One word of the verb always goes before it.
We say:
Do the people who live on the corner have another house?
When will the new terminal for the Toronto Airport be finished?

BUT if the question word is also the subject, we do not put anything before it (Unit 10).