In English, yes or no questions are formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb (if there is one) or using the auxiliary verb “do” or “does” (for present tense) or “did” (for past tense). Here’s how to form yes or no questions:
- With Auxiliary Verbs:
- If the sentence contains an auxiliary verb (e.g., “be,” “have,” “will,” etc.), invert the subject and auxiliary verb to form a question.
- Example: He is eating dinner. (Statement)
- Is he eating dinner? (Question)
- Example: They have finished their homework. (Statement)
- Have they finished their homework? (Question)
- Without Auxiliary Verbs:
- If the sentence doesn’t have an auxiliary verb, use the auxiliary verb “do” (for present tense) or “did” (for past tense) to form the question.
- Example: She sings very well. (Statement)
- Does she sing very well? (Question)
- Example: They visited Paris last summer. (Statement)
- Did they visit Paris last summer? (Question)
- Negative Yes/No Questions:
- To form a negative yes/no question, simply add “not” after the auxiliary verb or “do/does” for present tense and “did” for past tense.
- Example: You are not coming to the party. (Statement)
- Are you not coming to the party? or Aren’t you coming to the party? (Negative Question)
- Example: She doesn’t like coffee. (Statement)
- Does she not like coffee? or Doesn’t she like coffee? (Negative Question)
Remember, in spoken English, intonation plays a significant role in distinguishing between yes/no questions and statements. Typically, the pitch rises at the end of a yes/no question.
