In English, questions are sentences used to ask for information. Many questions change the usual subject–verb order, especially with auxiliary verbs like do, be, and have. Other questions keep normal word order, such as many questions with who or what as the subject. Choosing the right question type depends on what information you want: a yes or no answer, a specific detail, or a choice.

Yes–no questions usually start with an auxiliary verb or be, followed by the subject, then the main verb. If there is no auxiliary in the statement, English typically adds do, does, or did to form the question. The tense stays the same, but the main verb appears in the base form after do or does.

Rule	Example
Be moves before the subject	Are you ready?
An auxiliary moves before the subject	Have they finished?
Add do or does in the present simple	Do you like tea?
Add did in the past simple and use base verb	Did she call you?

Wh- questions ask for specific information using words like who, what, where, when, why, and how. Most wh- questions use wh- word plus auxiliary inversion, similar to yes–no questions. The wh- word replaces the unknown information, so the rest of the sentence stays as close as possible to the statement form.

Rule	Example
Wh word first, then auxiliary, then subject	Where do you live?
Use do or does for present simple	What does he want?
Use did for past simple and base verb	Why did they leave?
Use how plus an adjective or adverb for manner or degree	How far is it?

When who or what is the subject of the question, English usually does not use do or does and does not invert subject and auxiliary. The question keeps statement word order because the wh- word already functions as the subject. This is a key difference from questions where the wh- word is the object or an adverbial.

Rule	Example
If who or what is the subject, no do support	Who called you?
Verb agrees with the subject wh word	What happens next?
Compare with object question that needs inversion	Who did you call?

Questions with be are formed by moving be before the subject. This includes present, past, and progressive forms. When be is the main verb, you do not use do, does, or did. Be questions are common for identity, description, location, and temporary states.

Rule	Example
Present be: am or is or are plus subject	Is he at home?
Past be: was or were plus subject	Were they late?
Progressive: be plus subject plus verb ing	Are you working today?

Questions in perfect tenses use have, has, or had as the auxiliary, placed before the subject. The main verb stays in the past participle form. For wh- questions, the wh- word comes first, then have, has, or had, then the subject.

Rule	Example
Present perfect: have or has before the subject	Have you seen it?
Past perfect: had before the subject	Had she left already?
Wh question: wh word then have or has then subject	Where have they gone?

With modal verbs like can, could, will, would, should, and might, the modal moves before the subject to form a question. The main verb remains in the base form. Modal questions often express ability, permission, advice, probability, or requests.

Rule	Example
Modal before subject, base verb after	Can you help me?
Wh question: wh word then modal then subject	When should we leave?
Would often sounds polite for requests	Would you open the window?

Embedded questions are questions inside a larger sentence, often after phrases like Do you know, Can you tell me, or I wonder. In embedded questions, English usually uses statement word order, not inversion, even though the meaning is a question. This makes the sentence sound more indirect and often more polite.

Rule	Example
Use statement order inside the embedded part	Do you know where she is?
Do not invert after if or whether	Can you tell me if he is coming?
Use wh word for specific information	I wonder what they want.

Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a statement to confirm information or invite agreement. The tag usually uses an auxiliary verb and a subject pronoun, and its polarity often contrasts with the main statement. Intonation can change meaning: rising intonation sounds like a real question, while falling intonation sounds like confirmation.

Rule	Example
Positive statement, negative tag	You are coming, are you not?
Negative statement, positive tag	They did not call, did they?
Use the same auxiliary as the main clause	She has finished, has she not?

Choice questions offer alternatives, usually connected by or. Grammatically they follow yes–no question structure, but the expected answer is one of the options. In speaking, the first option often has rising intonation and the last option often has falling intonation to signal completion.

Rule	Example
Use question form, then option A or option B	Do you want tea or coffee?
Use wh word when asking which option	Which is better, this one or that one?

Polite questions often use indirect forms, modal verbs, and softening phrases. Using could or would can sound less direct than can or will, and adding phrases like please or do you mind can reduce pressure. Politeness depends on context, so choose forms that match the relationship and situation.

Rule	Example
Use could or would for more polite requests	Could you email me the file?
Use do you mind plus verb ing	Do you mind waiting a moment?
Use would you like for offers	Would you like some water?