Formation of Questions
General rules
1. In questions the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.
- Haveย you received my letter?
- Wereย they interested in the offer?
- Didย they accept the offer?
2. When there is no other auxiliary verb, we useย do, doesย or didย to form a question.
- Do youย speak English? (NOT Speak you English?)
- Did sheย like the gift?
- Does heย speak Hindi?
3. If there is an auxiliary verb, we do not useย do.
- Can youย sing? (NOT Do you can sing?)
- Have youย seen James? (NOT Do you have seen James?)
4. Afterย do, doesย andย did, we use the base form of the verb. Note that there is noย โsย marking in the third person singular.
- Does he sing?ย (NOT Does he sings?)
- Did she write?ย (NOT Did she wrote?)
- Did you goย swimming last weekend? (NOT Did you went swimming last weekend?)
5. Only the auxiliary verb goes before the subject.
- Is sheย coming tomorrow? (NOT Is coming she tomorrow?)
- When wasย your reservation made? (NOT When was made your reservation?)
6. When the subject is a question word (who, which, what, whose), it comes before the verb, andย doย cannot normally be used.
- Who brokeย the window? (NOT Who did break the window?)
- What happened?ย (NOT What did happen?)
7. When a question word is the object,ย doย is used.
- Who do youย want to speak to?