How Do We Make Questions in English?

In English, we often change the word order to make a question. We move the first verb or a special “helper” verb to the beginning of the sentence.

This is different from some languages where you only change your voice. In English, the word order is very important for questions.

• For statements: You are happy.
• For questions: Are you happy?

Questions with the Verb “Be” (Am, Is, Are)

The verb be is special. To ask a question, you simply put am, is, or are before the subject.

• Statement: She is a student.
• Question: Is she a student?

Short answers:

• Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
• Yes, you are. / No, you aren’t.
• Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.

Questions with “Have got” (Possession)

To ask about possession using have got, move have before the subject.

• Statement: They have got a car.
• Question: Have they got a car?

Short answers:

• Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
• Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.

Questions with “Can” (Ability)

Can is a modal verb. To make a question, put can before the subject.

• Statement: He can swim.
• Question: Can he swim?

Short answers:

• Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.
• Yes, they can. / No, they can’t.

Questions with “Do” and “Does” (Simple Present)

For most other verbs in the simple present, we use the auxiliary verb do or does. Put do/does before the subject, and the main verb stays in its base form.

• Statement: You like pizza.
• Question: Do you like pizza?

• Statement: She works here.
• Question: Does she work here?

Short answers:

• Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
• Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.

Questions with “There is” / “There are” (Existence)

To ask if something exists, we invert there and is/are.

• Statement: There is a book.
• Question: Is there a book?

• Statement: There are many people.
• Question: Are there many people?

Short answers:

• Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
• Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.

Examples

• Are you a student?
• Is he happy?
• Have you got a pen?
• Has she got a dog?
• Can you speak English?
• Can they help us?
• Do you live in Madrid?
• Does he play football?
• Is there a park nearby?
• Are there chairs in the room?

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:

• Missing “Do” or “Does”: In Spanish, you can often just change your voice to ask a question. In English, you need do or does for most verbs in the present simple.
• Wrong: You like coffee?
• Right: Do you like coffee?
• Incorrect Word Order: Remember to put the first verb or helper verb before the subject.
• Wrong: He is tall?
• Right: Is he tall?
• Incorrect “Have got” Question Form: When using have got for possession, remember to invert have and the subject.
• Wrong: You have got a pet?
• Right: Have you got a pet?

Frequently asked questions

What is a yes/no question?

A yes/no question is a question that you can answer with Yes or No. For example, Are you hungry?

Why do we use “do” or “does”?

We use do or does as “helper verbs” for most verbs in the simple present tense when we ask questions or make negative sentences. For example, Do you speak English?

How do I know if I need “is” or “are”?

Use is for singular subjects (one person/thing) and are for plural subjects (more than one person/thing) or with you. For example, Is he here? but Are they here?

Can I just say “Yes” or “No”?

Yes, you can. But in English, it is more polite and natural to use a short answer like Yes, I am or No, I don’t.