Question forms

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1

How to make questions??

Three types of questions

In English we have 3 types of sentences that can make questions:

• with 1 verb (met 1 werkwoord)
• with 2  or more verbs (met 2 of meer werkwoorden)
• with a WH-word (met een WH-vraagwoord)
  

       (Who, why, when, where, what and how)

With 1 verb

A sentence with 1 verb needs the word "do/does" or "did" to make a question. Let's look at some sentences:

I work at Mc Donalds (tegw. tijd)

I walked home yesterday (verl. tijd)

You can't say: "Work I at McDonalds?" or "Walked I home yesterday?"

You need to include "Do"(tt) or"Did"(vt) before the whole verb(voor hele ww). 

Do I work at McDonalds?

Did I walk home yesterday?

The correct question for the sentence "I wrote him a letter"
is:

1. Do I wrote him a letter?
2. Did I write him a letter?
3. Do I write him a letter?
4. Did I wrote him a letter

The correct question for the sentence
"He plays tennis"
is:

1. Does he play tennis?
2. Does he plays tennis?
3. Did he play tennis?
4. Did he plays tennis?

With 2 or more verbs

If a sentence has 2 or more verbs we first need to know what the function of each verb is. (wat is de functie van het werkwoord)

We have 2 types of verbs:

• Main verb (belangrijkste werkwoord, betekenisgevend)
  
• Auxiliary verb (hulpwerkwoord)

Let's look at some sentences:

I can help him.

She should forget that I said that.

With 2 or more verbs

If we want to make questions with these sentences the auxiliary verb ALWAYS comes first (bij vragen komt het hulpwerkwoord ALTIJD eerst):

Can I help him?

Should she forget that I said that?

( If you are not sure which is the auxiliary verb, ask yourself which verb you can leave out, but still understand the meaning of the sentence)

The correct question for the sentence:
"I must bring my books"
is:

1. Must Bring I my books?
2. Must I bring my books?
3. Bring I must my books?
4. Bring must I my books?

The correct question for the sentence:
"he has bought a new car"
is

1. Bought he a new car?
2. Has bought he a new car?
3. Has he a new car?
4. Has he bought a new car?

With a WH-word

There are several WH-words (vraagwoorden) like:

• Where/waar?
• Who/wie?
• When/wanneer?
• What/wat?
• Which/welke?
• How/hoe?

These are ALWAYS at the beginning of your question.

Fill in the right WH-word:
"______ does he live?"

1. What
2. When
3. Where
4. Who

Fill in the right WH-word:
"______ one is yours?"

1. What
2. Which
3. How
4. When

Word order of a question

An English question always has the same word order (woord volgorde):

Question word - auxiliary verb - subject - main verb - rest of sentence

(Vraagwoord - hulpwerkw. - onderwerp - hoofd werkw. - rest vd zin)

What - can - you - tell - me about her?

But you can also leave the question word out if you want to:

XX - Do - you - like - her?

You always start a question with a question-word or a auxiliary verb

1. True
2. False

A main verb can come before an auxiliary verb?

1. True
2. False

The subject is always between the auxiliary verb and the main verb?

1. True
2. False

Drag the sentence to the correct square:

With 1 verb

With two or more verbs

With WH-word

He drove home.

He could help me.

What did you say?

When did he leave?

How do you know?

They will be here soon.

Gemma bakes delicious cookies.

Place the parts of a question in the correct order:

1

2

3

4

5

WH-word

Main verb

Rest of the sentence

Subject

Auxiliary verb