Forming Questions in the Present Simple
1.When there is no auxiliary in the sentence we use Do to form questions in the Present Simple.
1.1 How to form Questions in the Present Simple
- A question must have an auxiliary verb.
- If you have an auxiliary in the sentence you must use the same one in the question.
- If you don’t have an auxiliary verb in the sentence, add the auxiliary verb ‘to do’.
- Always use the base form of the main verb after ‘to do’ in negatives and questions.
Here are some examples of Present Simple sentences with auxiliaries:
| Sentence | Question Sentence |
|---|---|
| They can swim | Can they swim? |
| Mandy is a doctor | Is Mandy a doctor? |
| We are English. | Are you English. |
2. Yes, No questions in the Present Simple using DO
| Auxiliary | Subject | Verb | Rest | Yes/No | Subject | Auxiliary (+ n’t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do | you | like | football? | Yes, No, | I I | do. don’t. |
| Does | Susan | play | tennis? | Yes, No, | she she | does. doesn’t. |
2. Questions with question words in Present Simple using DO
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Verb | Rest | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What | do | you | do | in the evening? | I play football in the garden. |
| When | does | your mother | finish | work? | She finishes work at 5 o’clock. |
| Where | do | you | visit | your grandmother? | I visit her on Saturdays. |