Learn the definition, usage, rules, formation, examples, and exercises of interrogative sentences in English. In this lesson, we will learn:
- Interrogative Sentences Structure
- Yes-No Questions
- Auxiliaries
- Questions with Do or Did
- Progressive-form Questions
- and Questions using Interrogative Words
Learn the entire lesson and enhance your knowledge about interrogative sentences and ask questions fluently without any mistake in English. This lesson is going to strengthen your English speaking skills when you need to ask any kind of question. After learning the complete lesson you will be able to ask any kind of question without any mistake. Let’s begin with today’s lesson:
Interrogative Sentences
There are two types of interrogative sentences, and both types ask questions. The first type can be called a yes-no question, because the answer to such a question will begin with the affirmative word yes or the negative word no. Most questions of this type begin with a form of the auxiliary verb do.
Formula of Interrogative Sentences:
auxiliary + subject + verb + predicate + ?
Do + you + have + the books + ?
Yes-No Questions
If the verb in a yes-no question is the verb to be or the verb to have, the question is formed simply by placing the verb before the subject of the sentence.
Formula of Yes-No Questions
to be/to have + subject + predicate + ?
Is + she + the new student + ?
This occurs in any tense. In the case of the perfect tenses or the future tense, it is the auxiliary of the verbs to be and to have that precede the subject. For example:
- Present → Is she aware of the problem?
- Past → Was there enough time to finish the exam?
- Present perfect → Have you been here before?
- Future → Will Professor Burns be today’s lecturer again?
- Present → Have you enough money for the tickets?
- Past → Had he adequate notice?
- Present perfect → Has your mother had the operation yet?
- Future → Will the workers have some time off?
Auxiliaries
This kind of question structure, in which the verb precedes the subject, also occurs with numerous auxiliaries, such as the following:
- be able to
- ought to
- can
- shall/will
- could
- should
- have
- would
- must
Read more about: Modal Verbs in English with Helpful Exercises
Formula of Interrogative Sentences with Modal Verbs
auxiliary + subject + verb form + predicate + ?
Should + we + help + them + ?
Let’s look at some example sentences:
- Are you able to make out her signature?
- Have you worked here for very long?
- Ought she to have said that to her mother?
Notice in each example that the sentence contains a second verb. The initial verb is an auxiliary, and it is followed by an infinitive (such as to work) or by an elliptical infinitive, which omits the particle word (to); for example: are you able to make, will you try. With most auxiliaries, it is the tense of the auxiliary that determines the “time” of the action; for example: present (can he speak) and past (could he speak).
With the auxiliary have, however, its tense conjugation combined with a past participle (and not an infinitive) identifies the tense as either present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect:
- Present perfect → has he spoken
- Past perfect → had he spoken
- Future perfect → will he have spoken
The auxiliaries shall and will identify the future tense and are followed by elliptical infinitives:
- Shall I get you something for dinner?
- Will you be staying the night?
In declarative sentences, most English speakers use will, although technically, shall should be used with singular and plural pronouns in the first person, and will should be used with the second and third persons. In questions, the rule is applied more strictly: shall with first-person singular and plural, and will with second- and third-persons singular and plural.
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | Shall I turn on the TV? | Shall we go to the movies tonight? |
| Second | Tom, will you help me with this? | Boys, will you please stop your arguing? |
| Third | Will she like this dress? | Will they be able to spend some time with us? |
It is important to be knowledgeable about the other auxiliaries and how they function in the various tenses. Let’s focus on two that can be conjugated like other verbs and form questions by placing the conjugated verb or its auxiliaries before the subject:
- Present → Is she able to stand alone?
- Past → Was she able to stand alone?
- Present perfect → Has she been able to stand alone?
- Future → Will she be able to stand alone?
- Present → Have you a few extra dollars?
- Past → Had you a few extra dollars?
- Present perfect → Have you had a few extra dollars?
- Future → Will you have a few extra dollars?
Compare to be able to and have with the following auxiliaries and what occurs with them in the various tenses:
◆ Can changes to to be able to
Present → Can Victor understand the problem?
Past → Could Victor understand the problem?
Present perfect → Has Victor been able to understand the problem?
Future → Will Victor be able to understand the problem?
◆ Ought to changes to ought to have
Present → Ought you to speak so harshly?
Past → Ought to is not used in a past-tense question.
Present perfect → Ought you to have spoken so harshly?
Future → Ought to is not used in a future-tense question.
◆ Must changes to have to
Present → Must he live alone?
Past → Did he have to live alone?
Present perfect → Has he had to live alone?
Future → Will he have to live alone?
◆ Should changes to should have
Present → Should they argue so much?
Past → Should is not used in a past-tense question.
Present perfect → Should they have argued so much?
Future → Should is not used in a future-tense question.
Questions with do/did
Verbs that are not auxiliaries form questions by beginning them in the present tense with do and in the past tense with did. The use of do/did does not occur in the other tenses. Let’s examine a few cases in point:
- Present → Do you enjoy her classes?
- Past → Did you enjoy her classes?
- Present perfect → Have you enjoyed her classes?
- Future → Will you enjoy her classes?
- Present → Does Thomas visit you often?
- Past → Did Thomas visit you often?
- Present perfect → Has Thomas visited you often?
- Future → Will Thomas visit you often?
Since have is an auxiliary, it can be used in questions without do/did. Nevertheless, there is a tendency to add the extra do/did auxiliary both in speech and in writing.
- Present → Do you have a few extra dollars?
- Past → Did you have a few extra dollars?
- Present perfect → Have you had a few extra dollars?
- Future → Will you have a few extra dollars?
When using have to (which is much the same as must in meaning), you must use do/did in the present and past tenses.
- Present → Do they have to work so many hours?
- Past → Did they have to work so many hours?
- Present perfect → Have they had to work so many hours?
- Future → Will they have to work so many hours?
The auxiliaries to want to and to like to form their present- and past-tense questions with do/did. For example:
- Present → Does Mom want to go shopping?
- Past → Did Mom want to go shopping?
- Present perfect → Has Mom wanted to go shopping?
- Future → Will Mom want to go shopping?
- Present → Do they like to listen to rap music?
- Past → Did they like to listen to rap music?
- Present perfect → Have they liked to listen to rap music?
- Future → Will they like to listen to rap music?
You should be aware that while both to want to and to like to are auxiliary verbs, they are also used as transitive verbs, taking a direct object. When they are used as transitive verbs, the final to is omitted from the verb: to want and to like. Even when used as transitive verbs, they form their present- and past-tense questions with do/did.
do/did + subject + want/like + predicate + ?
Does + she + like + him + ?
- Present → Do you want some help?
→ Does she like pizza?
- Past → Did you want some help?
→ Did she like pizza?
Progressive-form Questions
Just as in a declarative sentence, verbs in a question can be formed in the progressive, which means that they are actions in progress or incomplete. Since the progressive form is composed of a conjugation of to be plus a present participle (is going, was singing), and to be never forms a question with do/did, all questions that have a progressive verb will begin with the verb to be or its auxiliaries.
to be + subject + present participle (-ing) + ?
Are + you + working in the garden +?
For example:
Present → Are you planning on attending the party?
Past → Was she sleeping when the storm hit?
Present perfect → Have the men been working in the mine again?
Future → Will he be preparing for final exams?
Be aware that a verb in a do/did question will not require the auxiliary do/did when it is
changed to its progressive form. For example:
- → Do you attend a state university?
Are you attending a state university?
- → Did the campers sleep in tents?
Were the campers sleeping in tents?
Questions using Interrogative Words
The second kind of question formation is one that begins with an interrogative word: who, what, why, how, which, or when. The rules that appy about the use of do/did in questions apply in the same way with questions that begin with an interrogative word. For example:
- Can he understand you? → How can he understand you?
- Do you like that man? → Why do you like that man?
- Are you coming to the party? → When are you coming to the party?
- Have you found the books? → Where have you found the books?
As you can see from these examples, yes-no questions and questions that begin with an interrogative word can be, for the most part, identical. Likewise, the choice of do/did in a question is the same in either type of question. This is possible because the interrogatives illustrated in the four examples are substitutes for adverbs, and since adverbs only modify, changes are not always needed in a question.
This is not the case, however, with who and what. These two interrogatives are actually pronouns that stand in place of a subject or an object in a sentence. In the following examples, an arrow ( → ) points out how a declarative sentence is changed to an interrogative sentence with who or what. For example:
- Subject The man is sick. → Who is sick?
- Subject A box is needed. → What is needed?
- Object They met the woman. → Whom did they meet?
- Object She broke the lamp.→ What did she break?
- Object I spoke with him. → With whom did I speak?
- Object The boy sat on it. → On what did the boy sit?
In less formal style, who is often substituted for whom. This occurs even in writing, although in formal writing the appropriate use of whom should be applied.
Also, the placing of a preposition in front of whom or what is formal in style. In a less formal version, prepositions are placed at the end of the question and would look like this:
- → Who did you speak with?
- → What did the boy sit on?
If a possessive of who or what is required, use whose or of what.
- I spoke with Tom’s father. → With whose father did you speak?
- The color of the book is red. → Whose color is red? (The color of what is red?)
The interrogative how is often combined with other words to form new interrogatives. Just some of these are how much, how many, how often, how old, how long, and how tall. In sentences, they are used like this:
→ How much does that magazine cost?
→ How often do the girls work out?
→ How long did you have to wait to see the doctor?
→ How tall is the center on the basketball team?
Interrogative Sentences Exercises
Exercise #1
Rewrite the following questions in the missing tenses.
1. a. Present ——————————————
b. Past ——————————————
c. Present perfect ——————————————
Future Will you be home for the holidays?
2. a. Present ——————————————
Past Did the arsonist burn down the bank?
b. Present perfect ——————————————
c. Future ——————————————
3. a. Present ——————————————
b. Past ——————————————
Present perfect Have you had to spend a lot of time studying?
c. Future ——————————————
4. a. Present ——————————————
b. Past ——————————————
Present perfect Have the workers done the job right?
c. Future ——————————————
5. Present Can you really predict the outcome of the election?
a. Past ——————————————
b. Present perfect ——————————————
c. Future ——————————————
Exercise #2
Write original questions with the following auxiliaries in the tense shown in parentheses.
EXAMPLE: can (past) Could you see over the tall hedge?
1. should (present perfect) ——————————————
2. must (present) ——————————————
3. want to (future) ——————————————
4. have to (present) ——————————————
5. have (future) ——————————————
6. be able to (present) ——————————————
7. will (future) ——————————————
8. ought to (present perfect) ——————————————
9. would (present) ——————————————
10. must (present perfect) ——————————————
Exercise #3
Using the phrases provided, first form a yes-no question. Then change the question by adding any appropriate auxiliary.
EXAMPLE:
to walk to work
a. Do you always walk to work?
b. Do you always have to walk to work?
1. to spend more than a hundred dollars
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
2. to arrive in the capital on time
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
3. to develop a new method
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
4. to remain calm
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
5. to consider the danger
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
6. to spell accurately
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
7. to prepare some lunch
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
8. to suggest a solution
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
9. to flee the storm
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
10. to pretend nothing is wrong
a. ——————————————
b. ——————————————
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