Revision and new concepts about question formation.

1. QUESTION
FORMATION
B 2 . 1

2. FIRST: REVISION
• What do we need to make a question?
• What is the usual order for questions?

3. FIRST: REVISION
• What do we need to make a question?
– To add an auxiliary if we don’t have one.
Normally, do, does, did.
– To use the existent auxiliary: be, have, can, will,
etc.
• What is the usual order for questions?
– We invert the normal order SUBJECT + VERB, so it
is AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + (VERB).

4. FIRST: REVISION
• Adding an auxiliary.
• To use the existent auxiliary: be, have, can, will, etc.
Try it
yourself!

5. FIRST: REVISION
Did you like
the film?
Well, it was
okay…
Wasn’t the
music
great,
though?
Yes, I liked it!

6. FIRST: REVISION
• I liked the film  past simple tense  Auxiliary DID
Did you like the film?
Auxiliary +
subject + main
verb
The verb isn’t a
modal, have or
to be

7. FIRST: REVISION
• The music was great  verb to be = Auxiliary
Was the music great?
Auxiliary +
subject

8. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
• Negative questions can be
often used to show surprise.
– Didn’t you like the film?
– Haven’t you cleaned you
room?
SURPRISE!

9. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
Don’t you like
Pretty
Woman???

10. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
• We can also use them when we expect
somebody to agree with us.
–Isn't this a beautiful place?
–Wasn’t the music amazing?
–Doesn’t Clara sing well?
High five and agree!

11. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
Don’t I look
delightful
today?

12. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS: EXTRA
• When we want to make negative questions using the verb to
be and the first singular subject I, we’ve got two possibilities:
– INFORMAL: Aren’t I…?
– FORMAL: Am I not…? Aren’t I great?
There is no contraction for
the form am + not, so we
have to keep them
separated with the pronoun
in between them.

13. QUESTIONS AND PREPOSITIONS
• If a verb is followed by a preposition, the preposition comes
at the end of the question, not at the beginning.
– AFFIRMATIVE: We were talking about the last book we read at
school.
– QUESTION: What were you talking about?

14. WHO, WHAT, WHICH
• There are some questions in which we
already have a subject, although it is
unknown to us.
• These are the questions in which we use
who, what or which as a subject.
– Who made that mess?
– What is your favourite colour?
– Which is the best?
• In these cases, we don’t use do / did.
Who
What
Which

15. WHO, WHAT, WHICH
• Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?
• Who did write Pride and Prejudice?

16. WHO, WHAT, WHICH
• Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?
• Who did write Pride and Prejudice?

17. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Indirect questions happen when we start with a question (AUX
+ SUBJ + V) and then we use another verb after this. Or, in
other words, when we introduce a question with some
formula like:
– Do you know…?
– Do you remember…?
– What kind of…?

18. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
Compare:
DIRECT QUESTION:
What time does the shop next door open?
INDIRECT QUESTION:
Do you know what time the shop next door
opens?
What can you see
in there?

19. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
Compare:
DIRECT QUESTION:
What time does the shop next door open?
INDIRECT QUESTION:
Do you know what time the shop next door opens?
auxiliar
y
subject verb
Questio
n order
Affirmativ
e order
subject verb
No
auxiliar
y

20. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
INDIRECT QUESTION:
Do you know what time the shop next door opens?
In indirect questions, we already have a first question at the
beginning (Do you know…?), so we don’t repeat the question
order after this. The rest of the sentence takes an affirmative
Affirmativ
e order
subject verb
No
auxiliar
y

21. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Can you tell me where is
it?
• Can you tell me where it
is?

22. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Can you tell me where is
it?
• Can you tell me where it
is? The order is like in
affirmative
sentences: SUBJECT
+ VERB

23. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• As the second part of the question follows the rules of
affirmative sentences, we don’t use do / did to make a
question.
Do you know where he lives?
Do you know where does he live?

24. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Do you know what she thinks?
• Do you know what does she
think?

25. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Do you know what she
thinks?
• Do you know what does she
think?
We don’t need an
auxiliary do/does/did

26. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• If we don’t use a question word (what, where, how many…),
we can use if or whether in indirect questions.
–Do you know if Sarah is coming to the party?
• Also, we use if / whether after Can you tell me…?, Do you
know…?, Do you have any idea…?, Do you mind…?, etc.
–Do you mind if I borrow your laptop?
–Can you tell me whether the film is in cinemas yet?

27. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• Indirect questions aren’t always followed by a question mark. The doubt
is expressed without using a real question, as in:
• The order is the same as in the other indirect questions: SUBJECT +
VERB.
I can’t remember where I left my
phone
subject verb
Question
word

28. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
• We could also use if or whether, instead of a question word.
• The order is the same as in the other indirect questions: SUBJECT +
VERB.
I can’t remember if I left my phone at work or at
home
subject verbif

29. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
1. Why didn’t they come?
2. What time does it start?
3. When will they arrive?
4. Where are you going?
I wonder…
I don’t
know…
I can’t
remember
…
I want to
know…

30. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
1. Why didn’t they come?
I wonder why they didn’t come.
1. What time does it start?
I don’t know what time it starts.
1. When will they arrive?
I can’t remember when they will arrive.
1. Where are you going?
I want to know where you are going.