Question Formation

Questions in English follow specific patterns depending on their type. Yes/No questions: Use auxiliary verb + subject + main verb. 'Do you like coffee?' 'Is she a doctor?' 'Have they finished?' 'Can you swim?' Wh-questions: Question word + auxiliary + subject + main verb. 'Where do you live?' 'What did she say?' 'When will they come?' 'Why are you crying?' 'How does this work?' 'Who called you?' 'Whose book is this?' Tag questions: Statement + comma + auxiliary (opposite) + pronoun + question mark. 'You are a student, aren't you?' 'She can swim, can't she?' 'They didn't come, did they?' Embedded questions: Statement + question word + subject + verb. 'I wonder where she lives.' 'Do you know what time it is?' These are more polite than direct questions.