Grammer reference : Question types
There are two main types of questions. Those which require a Yes / No answer, and information or Wh-questions, which ask for specific information.
Yes / No questions
These begin with an auxiliary verb, such as do, am / is / are, have / has, can, could, will, must, etc.
|
Positive |
Short answers |
||
|
Have |
you |
finished the prototype? |
Yes, I have |
|
Does |
the prototype |
Work? |
Yes, it does. |
|
Will |
the designs |
be ready in time? |
Yes, they will. |
= auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (+ object)
|
Negative |
|||
|
Haven’t |
you |
finished the prototype? |
No, I haven’t |
|
Doesn’t |
the prototype |
Work? |
No, it doesn’t. |
|
Won’t |
the designs |
be ready in time? |
No, they won’t. |
= auxiliary verb + not + subject + main verb (+ object)
Information questions
These begin with question words, such as what, who, when, where, why, which, and how. We can use how in other combinations, such as how much, how many, how long, how far, how safe, etc.The question words what, which, how much, and how many can be followed by a noun.
|
What |
do |
you |
think of this solution? |
|
How many |
machines |
has |
the company bought? |
= question word (+ object) + auxiliary + subject + main verb
In the two sentences above, the question word is the object of the main verb. Note that what, who, which, how much, how many can also be the subject of a question. In this case, the word order is the same as in a positive sentence.
|
Which |
solution |
works best? |
|
How many |
machines |
are in here? |
|
Who |
|
designed the prototype? |
= question word (+ subject) + main verb