Questions

How could we expect a right response from
a confused question?

  

1-  A  subject question: 
It is a question that asks for information about the subject.
She studies 
Who studies?
Short response: - She.
 
She studied
Who studied?
Short response:          - She.
 
In subject questions Don’t use any auxiliary. 
Don’t change the verb.

2-  A yes/No question 
It is a question that may be answered by yes or no.
Does she study English ?
Does = auxiliary verb
She = subject
Study = main verb 

She studies English.
Does she study English ?
Short responses:        - Yes, she does. 
- No she doesn’t.
 
She studied English.
Did she study English ?
Short responses:        - Yes, she did. 
- No she didn’t.
 
She is studying  English.
Is she studying English ?
Short responses:        - Yes, she is.
- No she isn’t.
 
She has studied English.
Has she studied English ?
Short responses:        - Yes, she has. 
- No she hasn’t.
 
She can study English.
Can she study English ?
Short responses:        - Yes, she can. 
- No she can’t.
 
She will be studying English.
Will she be studying English ?
Short responses:        
- Yes, she will. ( Not she’ll )
- No she won’t. ( Or will not)
 
She is/was a student.
Is/was she a student?
Short responses:        - Yes, she is/was. 
- No she isn’t/wasn’t.

He has the proof . He met her.
Do you have a proof ? Have you a proof? 
Have you met her ?
Short responses:  
- Yes I have.
- No I haven’t. 

Use :
For the simple present : 
Does for : it, he, or she. 
Do for : I, we, you or  they

For the simple past : Did

Notice: 

The main verb is in its simple form.
Does he drive?

If the verb has a helping verb ( auxiliary), Use this 
auxiliary in this question. 
Has he driven?

There is no change in the form of the main verb.
 drive,  driven.

If the verb has more than one auxiliary Conjugate 
only the first auxiliary that comes before the subject.

 In the yes/no questions, the same auxiliary is used in the 
question and in the short response. 
You are ready
Are you ready?
Yes I am.

The short response is as follow :
Yes/No + Subject + Auxiliary + Not ( Contracted in 
negative response)
No, I will not.

Two possible contractions with is and are 
She’s not = she isn’t
They’re not = The aren’t 
I’m not. I amn’t  is the exact street language.

In a negative response,  not is contracted with the auxiliary.
He isn't , she doesn't, ...

 In an affirmative response  the auxiliary is not contracted with 
the pronoun.
Yes I will. 
Yes, you are.

In American English have alone is a main verb. 
But in British English, it an auxiliary.
I have a book
Do I have a book? (US)
Have I a book ? (UK)

 As in the perfect tense, have is absolutely an auxiliary, 
the main verb  is a past participle.



3- An information question:
 It is a question that asks for information by using 
a question word.
What did she study ?
- English.
What = question word

3-1 Questions words
When is used to ask questions about time.
When did she call? - Last week.
Where is used to ask questions about place.
Where will you be this evening? - At home.
Why is used to ask questions about reason.
Why can’t you stay with him? - Because I have to move.

Who is used as the subject of question for people.
It is followed by a singular verb even if it is related 
to more than one person.
Who can solve this problem? - She can.
Who is speaking ? - All of them.
Who finds my keys? - He does.

Whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition. 
Using who instead in spoken English is informal. Before 
a preposition whom is used.
Whom did she meet? - Her sister.
At whom were they staring ? (informal)
- At this strange gentleman.
Whom where they staring at? (formal)

Whose asks questions about possession.
Whose pencil is this ?( whose is this?) - It’s mine.
Whose books are these ? - Frank’s

What is used as the subject of a question. It refers to things.
What make you upset? - Her behavior.
What went wrong? - Everything.
It is also used as an object:
What did he say ? - Everything is going okay.
About what do you care? - My life.
Sometimes it accompanies a noun:
From what country does she come? - Italy.
What time did you arrive? - One O’clock.
What + a form of do is used to ask questions about activities.
What should I do? - Be careful.
What was she doing? - She was writing an item. 
What do you do ? = what do you do for living? The questions ask
for information about a person’s occupation.
What does he do? - He’s a scientific programmer.
"What kind of" is used to know the particular variety or type of 
something.
What kind of car do they have ? - Audi. 
What kind of words  did you hear? - Nice ones.
What is + something / someone) + like? is used to ask for a general 
description of qualities.
What is he like? - He’s clever, friendly and gentle.
What were they like? - They are broadminded.
What does + (something / someone) + look like? is used to ask for 
a  physical description.
What does she look like? - She is a nice figure with black hair.
What did these mountains  look like? - They were very high.
What … for? = why =?, For hat purpose?  Is used to ask questions
about a purpose the speaker does not understand.
What did she go to Massachusetts for ? - I’ve no idea.

Which is used instead of what when a question concerns choosing 
from a group .
which book (one) do you suggest? - The green one.
Which do you suggest? - The green one.
In some cases, there is a difference in meaning between which
and what when they accompany a noun.
In which cities have you lived? - The last ones that I mentioned. 
In what cities have you lived ? - In Caracas, Connecticut and Montreal.

How  asks about manner, but it has many idiomatic uses.
How did he come from Europe? - By plane. - Very tired.
- How is used with much and many.
How many days has one week? - Seven.
How much information have you got? - A little bit.
-How is used with adjectives and adverbs.
How old is he? - He’s fifteen.
How soon can I get back this book? - In one month.
How long asks about length of time. 
How long has she lived in The United States? - Three years.
-How often asks about frequency.
How often do you go to the park? - Every Sunday.
-         How far asks about distance
How far can you run? - About two kilometers.
-         How come means why (the sentence is always affirmative).
How come you didn’t come over? - I was exhausted.
How about = what about : Used to make suggestions. They are followed 
by a noun, pronoun, or -ing form of the verb. Usually, they are not used 
in writing , but frequently in informal spoken English..
What about Frank?
How  about discussing together ?
How about You? = What about you? Are used to ask a question whish 
refers to the information or question that immediately preceded.
I am a little bit busy. How about you?
How are you felling? = How do you feel? ask about 
person’s physical well-being.

 
3-2 BE as the main verb:
In this case, it precedes the subject.
Who is she? - she is my friend.
Where were you? - At the park.
What color are his eyes? - They are brown.
( She, you and his eyes  : the subjects of the questions)
But used as an auxiliary verb,
Who was running? - Frank. ( who is the subject of the question)

 
4- Negative questions 
They are used to indicate the speaker’s idea (true or not) 
or attitude ( surprise, shock, annoyance, anger)

In yes/no question, the verb is negative and the 
contraction is usually used.
Don’t they work out everyday ?
Do they not work out everyday? ( very formal)

She left home to meet a friend . Isn’t she supposed 
to know his name ?
The expected answer is Yes. 
The answer may be either Yes or No.

The news was bad. Weren’t you happy? 
The expected answer is No . Only No is possible.

 
5- Tag questions
They are added at the end of a sentence.
When the sentence is affirmative : 
The tag question is negative and  
The expected answers is affirmative : Yes+ subject+ auxiliary

When the sentence is negative : 
The tag question is affirmative and
The expected answers is negative  : No+ subject+ auxiliary+ not

The sun rise from the East . Doesn’t it? 
The sky isn’t blue. Is it ?
He hasn’t gone to sleep. Has he ?
She has a bike. Doesn’t she. ( Hasn’t she is British English)
These/Those are your shoes. Aren’t they ?
There was a parade last week. Wasn’t there?
I am confusing. Am I not ? ( Aren’t I is informal.)


6- More questions with How:
- Who are you getting along? = how’s everything going?
= how’s it going? = how are you doing?
- Great. Fine. Okay. So-so. Not so well, not so good, Terrible.
- How do you know ?
- How does it end? - The speech was confusing.
- How does it start?
- How did you find out?
- How did you meet you wife?
- How did the team do - They won?
- How did you do on the test? - I got a “A”
- How did you sleep last night?
- How would you like your coffee?
- How do you take your coffee?
- How do you spell earth?
- How do you say spring in Spanish?
- How do you say ( pronounce) this word?
- How do you do? 
is used when two people are first introduced to each other.
- How far is it from Boston to Miami?
- How fast were you driving?
- How cold is it ?