Let us learn the STRUCTURE questions, so that our conversations become easy | An overview by Mrs. Lopamudra Mohapatra

1. Asking Questions in English
LOPAMUDRA MOHAPATRA
PGT (ENGLISH)
DAV GANDHI NAGAR, CCL
RANCHI

2. IMPROVING Q/A SKILLS
Let us learn the
STRUCTURE questions,
so that our conversations
become easy.
English questions follow
a clear structure/ word
order.
We have to keep in mind
four main parts when we
deal with a question.

3. 1. i. question word (who/what
/where /when/how/why)
ii. question phrase(how often,
how long, how far)
3. Subject (I/you/we/they/he/she/it)
4. Main verb (dance, play, read,
eat etc)
2. i. Auxiliary (helping) verb
(be/do/have…)
ii. modal auxiliary verbs
(can/could/should/may/might/
will)

4. 1. Question word / Question phrase
2. Auxiliary verb/ Modal Auxiliary
3. Subject
4. Main Verb
WE NEED THESE IN THE ABOVE ORDER
EVERY TIME WE ASK A QUESTION.

5. There is always a set pattern, clear structure in a
question.
Now let’s try this out with some examples:-
1.What do you want now?
2. How often does she visit the place?
In this question instead of a question word we have a question
phrase and it is perfectly acceptable as we have all the other
parts of the English question structure.
Question word Auxiliary
Subject
Main Verb
Question Phrase Auxiliary
Subject Main Verb

6. 1. Closed questions
Start with an Auxiliary Verb
2. Open questions
Start with a question word
Or
Question Phrase
Example:- Are you going home now?
Example:- Where do you work?
Example:- How long will you be here?
Or

7. A few common auxiliary verbs
 have
 has
 can
 is
 was
 does
 do
 did
 are
CLOSED QUESTIONS/YES,NO QUESTIONS

8. OPEN QUESTIONS

9. 1. Do you like the dish?(closed
question)
2. Where do they live?(open question)
-The obvious difference between open
and closed questions is the question
word (where).
-Another difference is intonation.
The question structure always remains
the same.
Question word, auxiliary, subject, main verb

10. WHAT IS INTONATION?
Intonation is the way your voice rises and falls
when you speak.
CLOSED QUESTIONS- (Questions with auxiliary verbs)-
In this case the intonation goes up at the end.
Are you hungry?
Do you like her?
OPEN QUESTIONS(Questions with word or phrase)- In
this case the intonation usually goes down at the end.
What do you want to eat?
Why do you like her?

11. 1. Can you answer the question?
Yes, I can.
2. Was he Sleeping?
No, he wasn’t.
3. Have you seen the dog?
No, I haven’t.
4. Did you enjoy the movie?
Yeah, I did.
Once you confirm the answer you can use open
questions to learn more about them, their experience,
opinions etc.
Closed questions require a simple answer - yes/ no.
The details are not really important.

12. Examples:-
Closed Question
1. Have you been to Paris?
Yes, I have.
Open Questions
2. When did you go?
I went last year.
3. Why did you go there?
I wanted to visit the place.

13. In order to frame questions
correctly, make sure that your
subject and your auxiliary verb
match.
Does you live in Ranchi? Wrong
Do you live in Ranchi? Right
If our subject changes to ’she’ the
auxiliary verb also changes.
Does she live in Ranchi?
1. Have they done it?
2. Has she done it?
3. Is he your father?
4. Are they your friends?

14. THE COMMON MISTAKES STUDENTS MAKE WHILE
ASKING / ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
Q/A
Ans:-I like Chocolates.
Q. Do you likes Chocolates?
Ans:- He goes there often.
Q- Does he goes there often?
Ans:- I went there last night.
Q- Did you went there last
night?
If you consider ‘did’ to be an auxiliary verb then the answer to the
question is:
Did you go there?
would be….
I did go there (confirmation) or I went there.
NB: Do not use past form of two verbs in the same verb structure i.e. when the
auxiliary verb is in the past tense
like go

15. COMMON
MISTAKES

16. LET US FOCUS
Answer the questions.
Where did you go yesterday?
Ans. I ______ to Namkum yesterday.
Why did you go there?
Ans. I ________there to meet my parents.
Do they live there?
Ans. Yes, they _____ with my brother.
How many children does your brother
have?
Ans. He _____ a son and a daughter.
Where do they study?
Ans. They _______in an English medium
school.
Did… want – wanted
Did… go- went
Does… come- comes
Do… work- work
LET US PRACTISE

17. Source: Google images and internet