GRAMMAR

Questions 1
Yes/No questions
Yes/No questions are questions with the answer yes or no. Form yes/no questions with
an auxiliary verb + subject + main verb.
The auxiliary can be do, be, have or a modal verb like can, will etc.
Present simple Do you live in Prague?
Present continuous Are you sitting comfortably?
Present perfect Have you ever eaten octopus?
Past simple Did you phone Sue?
Past continuous Were you having a bath?
Past perfect Had you already left?
can/could Can you swim? Could you see?
must/have to Must you go? Do you have to go?

Wh- questions
Wh- questions begin: what, why, when, who, whose, which and how. After the question
word use the same structure as a yes/no question: auxiliary verb + subject + main
verb.
Present simple When do you usually leave?
Present continuous What are you doing?
Present perfect Why have you stopped?
Past simple How did you feel?
Past continuous Where were you living?
Past perfect Who had you told?
can/could What can I do? Where could he go?
must/have to What must I do? What do I have to do?

Subject and object questions

When the question word is the subject of the sentence, we do not use do/does/did.
Who did you meet in England? (‘you’ is the subject)
Who met you at the airport? (‘who’ is the subject, you’ is the object)
What do cats eat? (‘cats’ is the subject)
Who eats seafood? (‘who’ is the subject, ‘seafood’ is the object)

107
INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Negative questions
A positive question could have a yes or no answer.
Do you like dogs?
—>Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Use negative questions when the answer expected is no. In social situations this makes
it easier for the other person to reply politely. Compare:
Do you like Mexican food?
—>No, not really. (the answer seems very strong)
Don’t you like Mexican food?
—>No, not really. (the same answer seems more polite)

Short answers
To make a short answer we repeat the auxiliary verb.
Do you speak French? Yes, I do.
Have you seen this film? No, I haven’t.
D id you stay long? No, I didn’t.
Will you be late? No, I won’t.
Have you got a pen? Yes, I have.
Can you drive? No, I can’t.

108
 GRAMMAR 25 QUESTIONS 1

1 Write a question for each answer.

1 .W h a t . d o . y p u . .q c t.u p ? Get up? At about 7.30 usually.
2 .................................................................... I was reading War and Peace.
3 .................................................................... I went there to buy some food.
4 .................................................................... So far I’ve only eaten breakfast.
5 .................................................................... Now you have to put it in the oven!
6 .................................................................... Yesterday? I felt absolutely awful.
7 .................................................................... I’m washing my hair. I can’t talk, sorry.
8 .................................................................... I had to leave early to catch a train.
That’s why.
9 .................................................................... My bike? I left it at school.
10 My party? All my friends are coming.

2 Write a who or what question for each answer.

1 .......... W h o . l i v e s d o o r l ................. A family of three lives next door.
2 .................................................................... I play with my little brother.
3 .................................................................... Mrs Dawson teaches me maths.
4 .................................................................... I usually eat a sandwich for lunch.
5 .................................................................... Horror films frighten me.
6 .................................................................... I talk most to my friend Dina.
7 .................................................................... I sit next to Maria in English.
8 .................................................................... Music helps me study.

3 Write a short answer for each question, beginning as shown.

1 Have you been ill long? No, ...........l.haVfW t.
2 Are you waiting for me? Yes,..............................
3 Did you go to the cinema? Yes,..............................
4 Will you be here tomorrow? Yes,..............................
5 Did you have to pay a lot? No, .............................
6 Can you help me with this problem? No, .............................
7 Do you know where the theatre is? Yes,..............................
8 Is George going to be there? No, .............................

109
 G R A MMA R

Questions 2
Tag questions

• A tag question is a short phrase at the end of a statement that turns it into a question.
Form tag questions using auxiliaries (do, be, have or a modal). A positive statement
has a negative tag, and vice versa.
You speak French, don’t you? (negative tag)
You don’t speak French, do you? (positive tag)

• These examples have a mixture of positive and negative tags.

Present simple You don’t know the answer, do you?
Present continuous We’re enjoying ourselves, aren’t we?
Present perfect He’s moved house, hasn’t he?
Past simple You didn’t tell her, did you?
Past continuous I wasn’t driving fast, was I?
Past perfect She hadn’t met him then, had she?
can They can’t be here yet, can they?
could You couldn’t give me a hand, could you?
should You shouldn’t do that, should you?

• We use negative tags when we expect the answer will be yes.

A: You speak French, don’t you?
B: Yes, that’s right, I do.
The intonation on the tag can either rise or fall. If it rises then it is a real question - the
speaker is not sure and needs information.
The other person will continue speaking afterwards.
A: You speak French, don’t you?
B: Yes, that’s right, I do. I learned while I lived in France when I was a student.
If it falls then it is just a question for confirmation: the first speaker wants to check
information and will continue speaking afterwards.
A: You speak French, don’t you?
B: Yes, that’s right, I do.
A: Good, because we need someone to translate this email which we’ve just received.

• We use positive tags when we expect the answer will be no.

A: You don’t speak French, do you?
B: No, sorry, I don’t.
The intonation can rise or fall just like with a negative tag.

n o
 GRAMMAR 26 QUESTIONS 2

Irregular tags

• The tag for I am is aren’t. The tag for let’s is shall.

I ’m a fool, aren’t I?
Let’s go to the cinema, shall we?

• After an imperative we use will you ? or won’t you?

Sit down, will you? Sit down, won’t you?
The imperative with be also uses will or won’t.
Be quiet, will you? Be quiet, won’t you? This is an order!
The imperative with have also uses will or won’t.
Have a seat, won’t you?

Reply questions
We can use a short question to reply to what someone says. We do this to show
interest, surprise or uncertainty. The meaning is like Really? or Is that true?
I ’ve never eaten spaghetti.
-> Haven’t you? (surprise)
We’re leaving at 6.00.
—>Are we? (not sure)
The reply question uses an auxiliary verb like a tag question, but there is no change of
positive to negative.

Indirect questions

• We can be more polite by beginning a question with a short phrase like:

Could you tell me ... ? Do you know ... ?

• The word order of an indirect question is like a statement, not like a direct question,
direct: Where is the post office?
indirect: Could you tell me where the post office is? (NOT where is the post office)
direct: When does the film start?
indirect Do you know when the film starts? (NOT when does the film start)

• Yes/No questions use if.

direct: Is this the right street?
indirect: Do you know if this is the right street?

il l
INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

This unit also includes further practice for Grammar 25.

1 Add a short answer to each sentence.

1 Have you ever been to Brazil? No, ...........i.h ay ew t
2 Do you like sausages? Yes, ............................
3 Are you coming to the match tomorrow? Yes, ............................
4 Did Helen phone you today? No, ............................
5 Has Jack done his homework? Yes, ............................
6 Can Robert and Sue skate? Yes, ............................
7 Will you be late? No, ............................
8 Has Julie got a brother? No, ............................
9 Is that your house? Yes, ............................
10 Did Jane give you that book? No, ............................

2 Add a reply question to each sentence.

1 We’ve got a test tomorrow. .............tf&V&.W.C.
2 I don’t understand this sentence. .............................
3 Fiona phoned me last night. .............................
4 I don’t like ice cream. .............................
5 Tom is leaving tomorrow. .............................
6 There’s a policeman at the door. .............................
7 Lisa has just had a baby. .............................
8 I haven’t eaten Chinese food. .............................
9 There isn’t any milk in the fridge. .............................
10 I met David in France. .............................

3 Add a tag question to each sentence.

1 We’re nearly there, .......?
2 You haven’t got a spare pen, ............................. ?
3 You’re coming to my party,............................. ?
4 You won’t be late,............................. ?
5 Harry’s 15,............................. ?
6 Kate and Pat live in Leeds,............................. ?
7 You don’t feel well,............................. ?
8 You like fish,............................. ?
9 Richard’s bought a new bike,.............................?
10 I shouldn’t tell you th is,.............................?

112
 GRAMMAR 26 QUESTIONS 2

4 Make a new sentence with a tag question which has the same meaning as the
first sentence, beginning as shown. Make any necessary changes.
1 I’m sure that Paul doesn’t like football.
Paul.....de^KV.'t lite.fQ&toA&.A .............. , ....................... fa te .h fll .....................
2 I’m checking that you’ve got a sister.
You................................................................. ...........................................................
3 I don’t think that you’ve done your homework!
You................................................................ ...........................................................
4 I’m angry that you sat next to Ellen!
You..............................................................., ............................................................
5 I’m surprised that the guests have arrived.
The guests .................................................. .. ...........................................................
6 I’m checking that your name is John.
Your name ................................................. .. ........................................................... .
7 I’m surprised to meet you and think that your name might be John.
Your name ................................................. . ........................................................... .
8 You’re certain that you didn’t leave your wallet on the desk.
I ..................................................................................................................................

5 Underline the best sentence in each context.

1 Why did you forget your books? You are silly!
a) I didn’t tell you to forget them, did I?
b) I told you not to forget them, didn’t I?
2 Ugh! I can’t believe it! I’m sure they must taste horrible!
a) You like eating snails, don’t you?
b) You don’t like eating snails, do you?
3 If we go to Brazil, we might have problems with the language.
a) You speak Portuguese, don’t you?
b) You don’t speak Portuguese, do you?
4 I told you to keep the party a secret. It’s supposed to be a surprise for Stella.
So, I just want to make sure.
a) You didn’t tell her, did you?
b) You told her, didn’t you?
5 Well, Mr Robinson, I think it’s time you told the police the truth. You see, we’ve
found your fingerprints on the murder weapon.
a) You didn’t murder Lord Chumley, did you?
b) You murdered Lord Chumley, didn’t you?
6 Only two minutes to the end of the match and United are still 5-1 in the lead. It
looks certain now.
a) United aren’t going to win, are they?
b) United are going to win, aren’t they? 113
INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

6 Rewrite each question, beginning as shown. Do not change the meaning.

1 What’s the time?
Could you tell m e ............................Wbftt.tMft.tWWJAS........................................... ?
2 What does this mean?
Do you know .............................................................................................................. ?
3 How much does this cost?
Could you tell m e .........................................................................................................?
4 What time does the museum open?
Do you know ............................................................................................................... ?
5 Am I in the right seat?
Could you tell m e .........................................................................................................?
6 Where’s Asham Street?
Do you know ............................................................................................................... ?
7 Is this Trafalgar Square?
Could you tell m e .........................................................................................................?
8 When does this bus leave?
Do you know ................................................................................................................?

7 Choose the best answer.

1 Helen is going to be late,...........Jp...................?
a) isn’t it b) isn’t she c) doesn’t she
2 Do you know ................................?
a) has the film started b) if the film has started c) the film has started
3 “I’ve never learnt how to swim.” “............................?”
a) Haven’t you b) Have you c) Did you
4 Peter doesn’t come to this class any m ore,.................. ?
a) does he b) doesn’t he c) won’t he
5 You won’t be here tomorrow,....................... ?
a) won’t you b) won’t it c) will you
6 Do you know ........................................... ?
a) when leaves the train b) when does the train leave c) when the train leaves
7 Maria doesn’t like Chinese food,............................?
a) doesn’t she b) does she c) does it
8 Could you tell m e ..............................?
a) where the bus station is b) where the bus station c) where is the bus station
9 Clearly, I’m wrong,....................... ?
a) isn’t it b) aren’t I c) am not I
10 Most people h ere.......................quite friendly, don’t they?
a) seem b) behave c) are

114