Tuesday, May 10

Cómo se hacen preguntas en inglés


Questions aren't always easy to make in English so here are some basic rules to help you followed by some practice exercises.

Questions with the present and past simple
You use auxiliary do (you, we and they) or does (he, she or it) for questions in the present and did for questions in the past

Examples:
I live in Australia - Do you live in Australia?
She works in a bank - Does she work in a bank?
I finished my home work yesterday - Did you finish your homework yesterday?
It rained yesterday - Did it rain yesterday?

Questions with compound verb tenses
You put the auxillary verb before the subject.
Examples:

He's working - Is he working? (present continuous)
He was playing football yesterday - Was he playing football yesterday? (past continuous)
I have visited lots of countries - Have you ever visited England? (present perfect)
I will go to London next month -Will you go to London next month? (future)
I would take food to a desert island -Would you take food to a desert island? (conditional)
She had had dinner when her husband got home - Had she had dinner when her husband got home? (past perfect)


This is the usual order in English questions:

Auxiliary + Subject + Verb + (Object)?
 (ASVO)

If we want to add a question word such as who, what, where or how, we put it before the auxiliary. 
Ex: Where does she live? 
      Who do you love?
      What did she do?
      How do you go to work?

Questions with modal verbs and the verb to be
With modal verbs or the verb to be you change the word order

Examples:
I can play the guitar - Can you play the piano?
I am happy - Are you happy? 
She was at home yesterday - Was she at home yesterday?

If we want to add a question word it would be like this:
Which instrument can you play? I can play the clarinet
How can we go to the supermarket?
How are you?
Who is that?

Subject questions
When who, what or which are the subject of the sentence, you follow the order of an affirmative sentence. Visit the post subject and object questions for more information. 
Ex: Someone saw me - Who saw you?

ACTIVITY
1. Look at this dialogue and see if you can make the questions for Joe's replies. Then click on the link below to see how you got on.

Sarah ……………………………………………………?
Joe Yes I live North Bristol
Sarah ……………………………………………………?
Joe I work in a Secondary school
Sarah ……………………………………………………?
Joe I teach Science
Sarah ……………………………………………………?
Joe I´ve been working there for 2 years now
Sarah ……………………………………………………?
Joe Yes I really enjoy teaching and the holidays are good too!


2. Practice making questions using these sentences.

1) She speaks Spanish, French and Italian.
How many languages……………………………………?
Does…………………………………………………........…?

2) I have been to the beach.
Where………………………………………………………......?
Have………………………………………………….......……?

3) Peter went to the cinema yesterday.
Which film………………………………………..…….……?

4) I´ll learn to drive next year.
When………………………………………………………......?

5) He goes swimming on Saturdays.
When……………………………………………….......………?
To get the answers, click here

ENLACES RELACIONADOS
El uso de did para preguntas en el pasado simple
Preguntas objeto y sujeto en inglés
Presente simple, Presente continuoPasado simple, Pasado continuo, Presente perfecto, Futuro con will, Pasado perfecto, To be en presente, to be en pasado

¿Te ha gustado el post? Dale a g+1, compártelo en tus redes sociales o deja un comentario dando tu opinión :) 

Imagen: Gerd Altmann

No comments :

Post a Comment

Volver