A. We
usually make questions by changing the word order: we put the first auxiliary
verb (AV) before the subject (S):
Tom will
-> will Tom?
* Will
Tom be here tomorrow?
you have
-> have you?
* Have
you been working hard?
I can
-> can I?
* What
can I do? (not 'What I can do?')
the
house was -> was the house?
* When
was the house built? (not 'When was built the house?')
B. In
present simple questions, we use do/does:
you live
-> do you live?
* Do you
live near here?
the film
begins -> does the film begin?
* What
time does the film begin? (not 'What time begins ...?')
In past
simple questions, we use did:
you sold
-> did you sell?
* Did
you sell your car?
the
accident happened -> did the accident happen?
* How
did the accident happen?
But do
not use do/does/did in questions if who/what/which is the subject of the
sentence. Compare:
who
object
Emma telephoned _somebody._(object)
_Who_(object) did Emma telephone?
who
subject
_Somebody_(subject) telephoned Emma.
_Who_(subject) telephoned Emma?
In these
examples, who/what/which is the subject:
* Who
wants something to eat? (not 'Who does want')
* What
happened to you last night? (not 'What did happen')
* Which
bus goes to the city centre? (not 'Which bus does go')
C.
Note the position of prepositions in questions beginning Who/What/Which/Where
...?:
* Who do
you want to speak to?
* What
was the weather like yesterday?
* Which
job has Jane applied for?
* Where
do you come from?
D.
Negative questions (isn't it ...?/didn't you ...?)
We use
negative questions especially to show surprise:
* Didn't
you hear the bell? I rang it four times.
or when
we expect the listener to agree with us:
*
'Haven't we met somewhere before 'Yes, I think we have.'
* Isn't
it a beautiful day! (= It's a beautiful day, isn't it?)
Note the
meaning of yes and no in answers to negative questions:
* Don't
you want to go to the party? Yes. (=Yes, I want to go)
* Don't
you want to go to the party? .No. (=No, I don't want to go)
Note the
word order in negative questions beginning Why ...?:
* Why
don't we go out for a meal tonight? (not 'Why we don't...')
* Why
wasn't Mary at work yesterday? (not 'Why Mary wasn't...')
EXERCISES
48.1 Ask
Liz questions. (Look at her answers before you write the questions.)
1.
(where/from?) Where are you from?
_From
London originally._
2.
(where/live/now?) Where ---
In
Manchester.
3.
(married?) ---
Yes.
4. (how
long/married?) ---
12
years.
5.
(children?) ---
Yes,
three boys.
6. (how
old/they?) ---
4, 7 and
9.
7.
(what/husband/do?) ---
He's a
policeman.
8.
(he/enjoy his job?) ---
Yes,
very much.
9.
(arrest anyone yesterday?) ---
I don't
know.
10. (how
often/go/on holiday?) ---
Usually
once a year.
11.
(where/next year?) ---
We don't
know yet.
48.2
Make questions with who or what.
1.
Somebody hit me.
_Who hit
you?_
2. I hit
somebody.
_Who did
you hit?_
3.
Somebody gave me the key.
Who ---
4.
Something happened.
What ---
5. Diane
told me something.
---
6. This
book belongs to somebody.
---
7.
Somebody lives in that house.
---
8 I fell
over something.
---
9.
Something fell on the floor.
---
10. This
word means something.
---
11. I
borrowed the money from somebody.
---
12. I'm
worried about something.
---
48.3 Put
the words in brackets in the correct order. All the sentences are questions.
1.
(when/was/built/this house) _When was this house built?_
2.
(how/cheese/is/made)
3.
(when/invented /the computer/was)
4.
(why/Sue/working/ isn't/today)
5. (what
time/coming/your friends/are)
6.
(why/was/cancelled/the concert)
7.
(where/your mother/was/born)
8.
(why/you/to the party/didn't/come)
9.
(how/the accident/did/happen)
10.
(why/this machine/doesn't/work)
48.4
Write negative questions from the words in brackets. In each situation you are
surprised.
1. A: We
won't see Ann this evening.
B: Why
not? (she/not/come/to the party?) _Isn't she coming to the party?_
2. A: I
hope we don't meet Brian tonight.
B: Why?
(you/not/like/him?)
3. A:
Don't go and see that film.
B: Why
not? (it/not/good)
4. A:
I'll have to borrow some money.
B: Why?
(you/not/have/any?)
the answer
48.1
2 Where
do you live now?
3 Are
you married?
4 How
long have you been married?
5 Have
you got (any) children? or Do you have (any) children?
6 How
old are they?
7 What
does your husband do)
8 Does
he enjoy his job?
9 Did he
arrest anyone yesterday?
10 How
often do you go on holiday?
11 Where
are you going next year) or Where are you going to go ..?
48.2
3 Who
gave you the key? or Who gave it to you?
4 What
happened?
5 What
did she tell you? or What did Diane tell you?
6 Who
does it belong to? or Who does this book ...?
7 Who
lives in that house? or Who lives there?
8 What
did you fall over?
9 What
fell on the floor?
10 What
does it mean? or What does this word mean?
11 Who
did you borrow it from? or ... borrow the money from?
12 What
are you worried about?
48.3
2 How is
cheese made?
3 When
was the computer invented?
4 Why
isn't Sue working today?
5 What
time are your friends coming?
6 Why
was the concert cancelled?
7 Where
was your mother born?
8 Why
didn't you come to the party?
9 How
did the accident happen?
10 Why
doesn't this machine work?
48.4
2 Don't
you like him?
3 Isn't
it good?
4
Haven't you got any? Don't you have any?
