Symbols in the patterns
S = subject; V1 = base form (write); V2 = past simple (wrote); V3 = past participle (written); V-ing = -ing form (writing). An auxiliary helps build a tense, negative or question: be, have, do. A modal includes can, could, may, might, must, should, will and would.
Direct yes/no questions
Move the first auxiliary before the subject. If there is no auxiliary in the present/past simple, add do/does/did and use V1. Do not add do when be, a modal or a perfect auxiliary already forms the question.
| Structure | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | Do/Does + S + V1? | Does Eva work here? |
| past simple | Did + S + V1? | Did Tom leave? |
| be | Am/Is/Are/Was/Were + S? | Were they ready? |
| modal | Modal + S + V1? | Could he help? |
| perfect | Have/Has/Had + S + V3? | Has she arrived? |
| continuous | Be + S + V-ing? | Are they waiting? |
WH-questions and subject questions
For an object or adverbial, use WH + auxiliary + subject + verb. If who/what itself is the subject, an ordinary positive question has no do-support or inversion. Negative and emphatic subject questions can use do, so “Who did call?” is not universally impossible.
Subject: Who sent the email?
Object: Who did Helen invite?
Place: Where did Helen go?
Incorrect ordinary form: Where did Helen went?
Embedded questions
After Do you know, Can you tell me, I wonder or Do you remember, the inner question becomes a statement-order clause. Keep the outer question’s auxiliary if needed. A yes/no inner question needs if/whether. An embedded clause does not keep question-only do/does/did.
Where does Leo study? → Do you know where Leo studies?
Is Mira coming? → Can you tell me whether Mira is coming?
Incorrect: Do you know where does Leo study?
Do you think and alternatives
A common pattern is WH + do you think + subject + verb: the inner clause has no inversion. In an alternative question keep coordinated forms parallel. One did can govern both verbs, which must both be V1.
When do you think the meeting will end?
Did Sam walk home or take a bus?
Incorrect: Did Sam walk home or took a bus?
Question tags: basic construction
In standard confirmation tags, a positive clause takes a negative tag and a negative clause a positive tag. Match the finite auxiliary, tense and subject pronoun. If there is no auxiliary, use do/does/did. Identify contractions: she’s can mean she is or she has; he’d can mean he had or he would.
Dina has finished, hasn’t she?
The children didn’t complain, did they?
He’d already left, hadn’t he?
He’d prefer tea, wouldn’t he?
Special subjects and negative words
Nobody, no one, nothing, never, hardly, scarcely, barely and seldom give a negative sense, so the usual tag is positive. Everybody/somebody/nobody commonly use they in the tag; nothing/everything use it. Match existential there with there, not it.
| Main clause | Tag |
|---|---|
| I am early | aren’t I? |
| I am not early | am I? |
| This is helpful | isn’t it? |
| Those were expensive | weren’t they? |
| There are two exits | aren’t there? |
| Everybody agreed | didn’t they? |
| Nobody agreed | did they? |
| She hardly speaks | does she? |
| Nothing happened | did it? |
Suggestions, commands and preference
Let’s normally takes shall we. Imperatives commonly take will you; won’t you/can you/could you can also occur depending on tone and purpose, so context matters. Had better takes had in the tag; would rather takes would.
Let’s check again, shall we?
Please wait here, will you?
Don’t touch it, will you?
You’d better hurry, hadn’t you?
She’d rather stay, wouldn’t she?
Have to, used to and must
Have to expresses obligation and normally uses do-support; perfect have + V3 uses have itself. Used to normally forms questions with did + use to, and a did tag. Must is a modal, but its tag can depend on whether it expresses obligation or deduction; assess the meaning rather than applying one tag to every must sentence.
She has to leave, doesn’t she?
He had to wait, didn’t he?
He had finished, hadn’t he?
Did they use to live nearby?
They used to live nearby, didn’t they?
Main-clause tags and passive questions
For It is time you left, the tag follows It is, not left. Likewise This is the first time you have tried takes isn’t it. In passive questions invert the existing be auxiliary; do not add did before was/were.
It’s time we started, isn’t it?
This is the first time he has flown, isn’t it?
When was the tunnel opened?
Incorrect: When did the tunnel was opened?
How expressions and since when
Use the expression that matches the requested information. How long asks duration; since when asks its starting point. A situation continuing to now often uses present perfect. Check the auxiliary position just as in any direct question.
| Expression | Information | Example |
|---|---|---|
| how many | countable quantity | How many tickets do we need? |
| how much | amount / price | How much does it cost? |
| how long | duration | How long have you waited? |
| how often | frequency | How often do they meet? |
| how far | distance | How far is the station? |
| how old | age | How old is the building? |
| since when | starting point | Since when has she worked here? |
Final checklist
- Name the question type.
- Identify the correct auxiliary and tense.
- Check subject position and V1 after do/modals.
- For embedded questions, check statement order inside.
- For tags, check polarity, auxiliary and pronoun separately.
- Look for special forms and context-dependent alternatives.
- Evaluate every option independently.