🔤 Questions with Be and Do/Does (Present Simple)
In Present Simple questions, the word order usually follows the QWASI rule: Question Word + Auxiliary + Subject + Infinitive. For the verb be, the rule is slightly different (QWAS).
| 🔹 Type of Question | 📝 Example | 📚 Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Questions with am/is/are | Where are you? | QWAS: Question Word + Auxiliary (am/is/are) + Subject |
| Questions with do/does | What does she do? | QWASI: Question Word + Auxiliary (do/does) + Subject + Infinitive |
| Yes-No Questions with am/is/are | Are you happy? | Auxiliary (am/is/are) + Subject + Main Verb |
| Yes-No Questions with do/does | Do you speak English? | Auxiliary (do/does) + Subject + Infinitive |
❓ Question Words – Grammar Chart
| 🔹 Type | 📝 Example |
|---|---|
| Person | Who's that man? – That's Peter. |
| Place | Where do they live? |
| Time | When do you get up? |
| Reason | Why are you late? |
| Object/Idea/Action | What do you want? |
| Manner | How does he drive? |
| Frequency | How often do you play sports? |
| Age | How old are you? |
🧠 More about "What + Noun" and "How + Adjective/Adverb"
- 🔹 What + noun: What time, what colour, what size, etc.
Examples: What colour is your jacket? / What size do you want? - 🔹 How + adjective/adverb: How old, how big, how fast, etc.
Examples: How fast is your car? / How often do you play sports?
📋 Word Order in Questions: QWASI vs QWAS
| 🔹 Rule | 🧩 Structure | 📚 Example |
|---|---|---|
| QWASI (for do/does questions) | Question Word + Auxiliary + Subject + Infinitive | What do you like? |
| QWAS (for be questions) | Question Word + Auxiliary (am/is/are) + Subject | Where are they? |
Exercises:
Questions: Word order and
question words
Choose the correct questions.
1
____ you like ice cream?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2
_____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
6
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
8
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
9
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
10
____ ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Questions: Word order and question words
Complete the sentences with the correct question word.
what time – why– how long – how many – whose – who – which – when – where - how much
EXAMPLE: ‘What do you have for breakfast?’ ‘A sandwich.’
1
book did you choose? “I picked the green one.”
2
is your birthday? “It’s June 14th.”
3
does this T-shirt cost? “It’s $12.”
4
students are in your class this term? “There are twenty.”
5
umbrella is this? “It’s Anna’s.”
6
did you spend your weekend? “We went to the beach.”
7
does the movie start? “It begins at 7:30.”
8
were you late for school? “Because my car wouldn’t start.”
9
called you just now? “My brother.”
10
does the train ride to London take? “About two hours.”
Questions: Word order and question words
Write questions about the underlined words. We give you the question word.
EXAMPLE: We are in Scotland. ⇒ Where are you ?
1
She drinks tea every morning. ⇒ What every morning?
2
They watch TV at 8 pm. ⇒ At what time TV?
3
He pays $50 for the ticket. ⇒ How much for the ticket?
4
We visit our grandparents twice a month. ⇒ How often
our grandparents?
5
I bought a red jacket. ⇒ Which you buy?
6
They moved to Canada. ⇒ Where ?
7
She studies because she wants a promotion. ⇒ Why ?
8
He invited Anna to the party. ⇒ Who to the party?
9
The meeting lasts two hours. ⇒ How long ?
10
I wrote a short note. ⇒ What ?
Questions: Word order and
question words
Write questions about the underlined words. In the question,
use the same verb as in the original sentence.
Why - When (2x) -What colour - Where - How often (2x) - Who - How old - How
EXAMPLE: We are in Scotland. ⇒ Where are we ?
1
She reads a book every night. ⇒
?
2
They arrive at 6 o’clock. ⇒
?
3
Mary talks to John. ⇒
?
4
Susan arrives in the office. ⇒
?
5
Tom is 25 years old. ⇒
?
6
The car is green. ⇒
?
7
He goes to work by bike. ⇒
?
8
They moved to London last month. ⇒
?
9
He visits his parents twice a year. ⇒
?
10
She studies Spanish because she needs it for work. ⇒
?