Language/English/Grammar/Questions
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An Easy Way To Form (Almost) Any Question In English
Forming Questions In English Can Be Confusing.[edit | edit source]
Don’t worry – I’m going to teach you a simple formula that works for asking questions in almost ALL the verb tenses!
This formula is called QUASM:
- QUestion word
- A uxiliary verb
- S ubject
- M ain verb
Look how QUASM works for forming questions in the following verb tenses:
Simple Present Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Where | do | you | work? | |
What | does | Martha | think | about the project? |
How | do | you | like | your new apartment? |
How many kids | does | john | have? |
Simple Past Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
How | did | they | learn | English so fast? |
When | did | you | get home | from work yesterday? |
What | did | the manager | think | about your idea? |
Where | did | you | buy | that T-shirt? |
Present Continuous Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
What | are | you | doing | at the moment? |
Why | is | he | ignoring | me? |
What time | are | we | meeting up | for dinner? |
Who | is | she | dating | now? |
Past Continuous Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Who | were | you | talking | to on the phone? |
What | was | Jim | doing | when you called? |
Why | were | the children | eating | candy before dinner? |
How | was | he | feeling | after the surgery? |
Present Perfect Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
How much money | have | you | spent | on clothes this month? |
How long | has | your teacher | worked | at this school? |
What | have | they | been doing | all day? |
How long | has | the client | been waiting | for their order? |
Future Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Who | will | you | invite | to the party? |
What | will | your parents | think | about your plan? |
When | are | you | going | to clean your room? |
Why | is | she | going | to quit her job? |
Modal Questions:[edit | edit source]
QUESTION WORD | AUXILIARY VERB- | SUBJECT | MAIN VERB | |
---|---|---|---|---|
What | would | you | do | if you had a million dollars? |
How | could | we | improve | our English? |
Where | should | I | go | on my next vacation? |
Exceptions:[edit | edit source]
Yes/No questions do not use a question word…
…but they still follow ASM (Auxiliary verb – Subject – Main verb)
- Do you like bananas?
- Did you enjoy the movie?
- Are you studying English?
- Were you sleeping when I called you last night?
- Have you finished your homework?
- Will you call me when you get home?
- Are you going to accept the job offer?
- Should we take the early morning flight?
Questions where the main verb is “be” also don’t follow the pattern:
- Are you thirsty?
- Is she a teacher?
- Were your parents angry when you failed the test?
- Was her ex-boyfriend a basketball player?
Reported questions, indirect questions, and subject questions also do not follow QUASM
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- CONJUNCTIONS → Correlative Conjunctions
- INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
- CONJUNCTIONS → Addition
- How Do Silent Letters Work?
- How to Use Have
- Collocations with go
- Grammar Gaffes (mistakes, errors)
- Since and For
- On: place
- Was and Were