Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to explain the rules, recognise the target forms in context, avoid common errors and apply the patterns to new sentences.
- Understand the core terms and distinctions.
- Study examples in complete sentences, not as isolated rules.
- Complete all 15 practice items before opening the answer key.
1. Yes/no questions and auxiliary inversion
With be, have as an auxiliary, and modal verbs, place the auxiliary before the subject. In present and past simple questions with ordinary verbs, use do/does/did + subject + base verb.
2. Wh-questions
Question words include who, what, where, when, why, which and how. When the question word is the subject, do-support is usually unnecessary: Who called? When it is the object, use normal question structure: Who did you call?
3. Negatives
Put not after an auxiliary or modal: is not, cannot, has not. If there is no auxiliary in present or past simple, use do/does/did + not + base verb. Avoid double negatives in standard formal English when both words express the same negation.
4. Question tags
A positive statement usually takes a negative tag; a negative statement usually takes a positive tag. Repeat the auxiliary or use do/does/did if needed. I am commonly paired with aren't I?
5. Polite questions and common errors
Indirect questions use statement word order after the opening phrase: Could you tell me where he is? not where is he. Use question marks for direct questions; a polite request phrased as a question still uses normal question order.
Guided practice
Try each item first. Then open the answer key and read the explanation for any answer you missed.
- ___ you like tea? (Do/Are)
- ___ she at home? (Is/Does)
- Where ___ they live? (do/are)
- Who ___ the window? (broke/did break)
- He ___ not understand. (does/do)
- They didn’t ___ the message. (receive/received)
- You are a student, ___ you? (aren’t/are)
- She hasn’t arrived, ___ she? (has/hasn’t)
- I’m next, ___ I? (aren’t/am not)
- Choose the correct indirect question: “Do you know where ___?”
- Make negative: “They play cricket.”
- Make a question: “She went home.”
- ___ did you invite? (Who/Whom)
- Correct: “Where you are going?”
- He never lies, ___ he? (does/doesn’t)
Show answer key and explanations
- Do — Present simple questions with like use do.
- Is — Be moves before the subject.
- do — Present simple wh-questions use do-support.
- broke — Who is the subject, so no do-support is needed.
- does — Third-person singular negatives use does not + base verb.
- receive — Did not is followed by the base form.
- aren’t — Positive statement takes a negative tag.
- has — Negative statement takes a positive tag.
- aren’t — The conventional tag is aren’t I?
- he lives — Indirect questions use statement word order.
- They do not play cricket. — Use do not + base verb.
- Did she go home? — Use did + subject + base form.
- Whom — Whom is the traditional object form; who is also common in everyday English.
- Where are you going? — Move the auxiliary before the subject.
- does — A negative adverb such as never makes the statement negative.
Revision checklist
- I can explain the main rules in my own words.
- I can recognise the correct form in a complete sentence.
- I can explain why a common incorrect form is wrong.
- I can apply the rule to a new example.
If an answer was wrong, identify the rule behind the mistake and try writing two original examples.
Continue learning
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