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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 例子
Be moves before the subject	🔹 Be 移动到主语之前	Are you ready?	🔹 你准备好了吗？
An auxiliary moves before the subject	🔹 助动词移动到主语之前	Have they finished?	🔹 他们完成了吗？
Add do or does in the present simple	🔹 在一般现在时中加上 do 或 does	Do you like tea?	🔹 你喜欢茶吗？
Add did in the past simple and use base verb	🔹 在一般过去时中加上 did 并使用基本动词	Did she call you?	🔹 她给你打电话了吗？

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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Wh word first, then auxiliary, then subject	🔹 Wh word first, then auxiliary, then subject	Where do you live?	🔹 Where do you live?
Use do or does for present simple	🔹 Use do or does for present simple	What does he want?	🔹 What does he want?
Use did for past simple and base verb	🔹 Use did for past simple and base verb	Why did they leave?	🔹 Why did they leave?
Use how plus an adjective or adverb for manner or degree	🔹 Use how plus an adjective or adverb for manner or degree	How far is it?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
If who or what is the subject, no do support	🔹 If who or what is the subject, no do support	Who called you?	🔹 Who called you?
Verb agrees with the subject wh word	🔹 Verb agrees with the subject wh word	What happens next?	🔹 What happens next?
Compare with object question that needs inversion	🔹 Compare with object question that needs inversion	Who did you call?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Present be: am or is or are plus subject	🔹 现在时 be：am、is、are 加主语	Is he at home?	🔹 Is he at home?
Past be: was or were plus subject	🔹 过去时 be：was 或 were 加主语	Were they late?	🔹 Were they late?
Progressive: be plus subject plus verb ing	🔹 进行时：be 加主语再加动词 ing	Are you working today?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Present perfect: have or has before the subject	🔹 现在完成时：在主语之前使用 have 或 has	Have you seen it?	🔹 Have you seen it?
Past perfect: had before the subject	🔹 过去完成时：在主语前使用 had	Had she left already?	🔹 Had she left already?
Wh question: wh word then have or has then subject	🔹 Wh 疑问句：wh- 疑问词在前，然后是 have 或 has，再是主语	Where have they gone?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Modal before subject, base verb after	🔹 情态动词置于主语之前，动词原形在后	Can you help me?	🔹 Can you help me?
Wh question: wh word then modal then subject	🔹 Wh 疑问句：wh- 疑问词先，其后是情态动词，再是主语	When should we leave?	🔹 When should we leave?
Would often sounds polite for requests	🔹 would 常用来使请求更有礼貌	Would you open the window?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use statement order inside the embedded part	🔹 在嵌入部分使用陈述句的顺序	Do you know where she is?	🔹 Do you know where she is?
Do not invert after if or whether	🔹 在 if 或 whether 之后不要倒装	Can you tell me if he is coming?	🔹 Can you tell me if he is coming?
Use wh word for specific information	🔹 使用 wh 疑问词获取具体信息	I wonder what they want.	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Positive statement, negative tag	🔹 肯定陈述句，附加疑问句为否定形式	You are coming, are you not?	🔹 You are coming, are you not?
Negative statement, positive tag	🔹 否定陈述句，附加问句为肯定形式	They did not call, did they?	🔹 They did not call, did they?
Use the same auxiliary as the main clause	🔹 使用与主句相同的助动词	She has finished, has she not?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use question form, then option A or option B	🔹 先用疑问句形式，然后是选项 A 或 B	Do you want tea or coffee?	🔹 Do you want tea or coffee?
Use wh word when asking which option	🔹 询问哪个选项时使用 wh 疑问词	Which is better, this one or that one?	🔹 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	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use could or would for more polite requests	🔹 使用 could 或 would 以使请求更有礼貌	Could you email me the file?	🔹 Could you email me the file?
Use do you mind plus verb ing	🔹 使用 do you mind 加动词-ing	Do you mind waiting a moment?	🔹 Do you mind waiting a moment?
Use would you like for offers	🔹 提供时使用 would you like	Would you like some water?	🔹 Would you like some water?