1. Asking Questions
Bridget Green Grammar MFWI 2007

2. Asking Questions There are two kinds of questions in English:
Yes/No questions
Information questions

3. Like this… Yes/No questions: Are you happy? Yes, I am.
Information questions:
Why are you happy?
I’m happy because I love studying grammar.
Yes/No questions have a ‘rising’ intonation.
Information questions have a ‘falling’ intonation.

4. How to Make Yes/No Questions
Statements:
She is reading.
We can talk.
I haven’t eaten today.
What is the subject?
What is the verb?
There are two parts to the verb. What are they?
These are the ideas. You formed questions. How did you do it?
How did you start?

5. Making yes/no questions with AUXILIARY VERBS
main verb
She is reading.
I have eaten today.
We can talk.

6. Four Kinds of AuxiliariesBE
HAVE
This is not the verb have.
This is the auxiliary have.
MODALS
will, can, may, must, should, would
main verb
auxiliary verb
(I have a dog.)
I have eaten.

7. How to Make Yes/No Questions
She is reading.
Is she reading?
These are the ideas. You formed questions. How did you do it?
How did you start?
This is called an inversion!
Inversion of the auxiliary and the subject

8. Questions We can talk. Can we talk? An inversion!
These are the ideas. You formed questions. How did you do it?
How did you start?
An inversion!

9. Questions I haven’t eaten today. Haven’t you eaten today?
These are the ideas. You formed questions. How did you do it?
How did you start?
To learn more about inversion, look in your book An A-Z of English Grammar!
What is this called?!

10. This is not the verb have. This is the auxiliary have.
Remember:
This is not the verb have.
This is the auxiliary have.
I have a dog.
I have eaten.

11. Auxiliary 1: BE What’s the question? with an adjective or a NP
She is funny. She is a doctor.
Is she funny? Is she a doctor
Yes, she is. Yes, she is.
with V+ing ( BE + V + ing).
They are studying English.
Are they studying English?
Yes, they are.
with the past participle ( BE + V + ed).
This car was made in Japan.
Was this car made in Japan?
Yes, it was.

12. Auxiliary 2: HAVE What’s the question? with the past participle
I have seen that movie.
Have you seen that movie?
They had finished the test by 1:30.
Had they finished the test by 1:30?
He has been living in Tokyo.
Has he been living in Tokyo?
(HAVE + V + ed)
(HAD + V + ed)
(HAVE + been + V + ing)

13. Auxiliary 3: Modals What’s the question? with the verb (modal + V)
I can swim.
Can you swim?
He would like a cup of coffee.
Would he like a cup of coffee?
We should study more.
Should we study more?
Modals
will
can
could
may + V
might
must
would
should

14. But… My sister loves dogs. Loves my sister dogs?
WHERE IS THE AUXILIARY?

15. When there’s no auxiliary…
Use do/does or did.
When there’s no auxiliary…
My sister loves dogs.
Q: _______________?
A: Yes, she loves dogs.
Q: Does your sister love dogs? s

16. In the past…. Did you watch it Yes, I did. I watched Marley and Me.
Q: ______________________?
A: Yes, I watched it!
Did you watch it ed
short answer:
Yes, I did.

17. The fourth auxiliary 1. BE 2. HAVE 3. MODALS 4. DO inversion
Add do, does, or did + S V

18. Be careful! Is HAVE a main verb or an auxiliary verb?
She has a sister.
She has been to Osaka.
If it’s a main verb, use do/does or did + S + V.
If it’s an auxiliary verb, use an inversion:
Does she have a sister?
Has she been to Osaka?
Main verb
Auxiliary verb

19. Try again… I have a dog. _____________________? Have you a dog?
I have eaten sushi.
Do you have eaten sushi?
Main verb
Auxiliary verb

20. Main verb or auxiliary verb?
If it’s a main verb: main
If it’s an auxiliary verb: aux
We have a lot of homework.
She has done her best.
They have worked hard.
I haven’t seen it.
main
aux
aux
aux
What are the questions?

21. What are the questions? Do we have a lot of homework?
Has she done her best?
Have they worked hard?
Haven’t you seen it?

22. Can you remember? BE, HAVE, MODALS, or DO
How do you make yes or no questions in English?
Inversion of subject and auxiliary!
BE, HAVE, MODALS, or DO

23. Positive Questions Do you like natto? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
(= I like natto.)
No, I don’t.
(= I don’t like natto.)

24. Negative Questions Don’t you like natto? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
(= I like natto.)
No, I don’t.
(= I don’t like natto.)

25. Positive or Negative Questions in English…
Do you like natto?
Don’t you like natto?
Different questions, same answer.
Yes, I do.
(= I like natto.)
No, I don’t.
(= I don’t like natto.)

26. Positive or Negative Questions in Japanese…
Different questions, different answers.
Do you like natto? Don’t you like natto?
Hai.
(= I like natto.)
Ie.
(= I don’t like natto.)
Ie.
(= I do like natto.)
Hai.
(= I don’t like natto.)

27. Positive or Negative Questions in English…
Different questions, same answers.
Do you like natto? Don’t you like natto?
Yes.
(= I like natto.)
No.
(= I don’t like natto.)
Yes.
(= I do like natto.)
No.
(= I don’t like natto.)

28. (= I don’t like Commons food.)
Practice
Do you like Commons food?
Yummy!
Yucky!
No.
(= I don’t like Commons food.)
Yes.
(= I like Commons food.)

29. (= I don’t like Commons food.)
Practice
Don’t you like Commons food?
Yummy!
Yucky!
No.
(= I don’t like Commons food.)
Yes.
(= I like Commons food.)

30. Negative Questions Aren’t you happy? No. Yes. I’m sad! I’m happy!
(= I am not happy.)
Yes.
(= I am happy.)

31. Negative Questions Yes. No. Haven’t you been to Disneyland? Never!
Last year!
Yes.
(= Yes, I have been there.)
No.
(=No, I’ve never been there.)

32. Yes or No? No. Yes. Don’t you like natto? ______ (It’s good.)
Haven’t you seen that movie? ______ (I haven’t.)
Wouldn’t you like to go? ______ (I would.)
Can’t he speak English? ______ (He speaks English well!)
Wasn’t she on the swim team? ______ (She swam for 3 years.)

33. Tag Questions - Yummy!  You like natto, don’t you?
Yes, I do. It’s good.
This is called a ‘tag question’.
It goes at the end of a sentence.
Answer just like any other question.

34. Tag Questions - Yummy!  You don’t like natto, do you?
Yes, I do. It’s good.
‘Tag questions’ can also be negative.

35. Tag Questions You can say a tag question in two ways.
You don’t like natto, do you?
You like natto, don’t you?
You don’t like natto, do you?
You like natto, don’t you?
Falling intonation…
…which means I think I know the answer, but I’m just checking.
Rising intonation…
…which means this is a real question: I don’t know the answer.

36. Practice Tag Questions
You like sushi, ___________? No, ____________
He has seen that movie, ___________? Yes, _______
You’d like to go ___________? No, ____________
They can speak French, ___________? Yes, _________
She was on the track team, ___________? No, _______

37. Tag Questions They don’t like natto, ___________? No, ____________
We haven’t seen that movie, ___________? Yes, _______
He isn’t going to be late, _________? No, ___________
We can’t speak French, _________? Yes, _________
She wasn’t on the volleyball team, _______? No, ______

39. HOMEWORK? Write one grammar card for yes/no questions.
Write one grammar card for negative, positive and tag questions.
Do the homework handout. Bring it to class next week.
Be careful! I will check your homework at the beginning of class. Have it ready!