Forming questions in English can be tricky, especially for those who are used to other languages where sentence structure remains static, even in interrogative forms. Understanding the rules of question formation is crucial to mastering fluent and natural-sounding English. This blog post explores the fundamental rules, key structures, and common examples for crafting questions in English, providing an accessible framework for learners of all levels.
When asking questions using the verb ‘to be’, the rule of structure is simple. As with many other languages all you need to do is to reverse the subject and the verb. For example, ‘He is / was happy’, becomes ‘Is / was he happy?’
However, for all other verbs it’s a little more complicated. In many other languages it is quite acceptable to ask a question without re-arranging the sentence structure, simply by raising the intonation at the end of a sentence. In English, however, this is not considered natural. For example, you wouldn’t usually ask a question by saying, ‘He plays football on Saturdays?’, but rather, ‘Does he play football on Saturdays?’.
We refer to this structure by the acronym, ASM – Auxiliary verb (A), subject (S) and main verb (M). If there is a question word, we begin with this, and refer to the structure as QUASM. This structure does not change regardless of the tense.
There are an extensive number of tenses, and this rule applies to them all. However, here are some of the most common by way of examples…
Present Simple / Past Simple (often, sometimes, always, never, etc.)
Auxiliary verb – to do / Main verb – infinitive
I eat apples.
A S M
Do /Did I eat apples?
Qu A S M
Why do /did I eat apples?
Present Progressive / Past Progressive (in progress, temporary, etc.)
Auxiliary verb – to be / Main verb – verb+ing
I am / was eating apples.
—- A S M
—- Am I eating apples?
QU A S M
Where am I eating apples?
Present Perfect Simple (up to now, with a consequence in the present, etc.)
Auxiliary verb – to have / Main verb – past participle
I have eaten apples.
—- A S M
—- Have I eaten apples?
QU A S M
When have I eaten apples?
Present / Past Perfect Progressive (started in the past, continued up to the present)
Auxiliary verb – to have been / Main verb – verb+ing
I have / had been eating apples.
—- A S M
—- Have / had I been eating apples?
QU A S M
Why have / had I been eating apples?
Future Simple (to talk about the future)
Auxiliary verb – will / Main verb – infinitive
I will eat apples.
—- A S M
—- Will I eat apples?
QU A S M
Why will I eat apples?
Modal verbs (could, should, would, can, might, may, etc. )
Auxiliary verb – modal verb / Main verb – infinitive
I could eat apples.
—- A S M
—- Could I eat apples?
QU A S M
Why could I eat apples?
English question formation requires a specific structure, primarily using an auxiliary verb (e.g., do, be, have, will) followed by the subject and main verb. This differs from other languages that may rely solely on intonation. The structure, summarized as ASM (Auxiliary-Subject-Main verb) or QUASM (Question word-Auxiliary-Subject-Main verb), applies across various tenses and contexts, including modal verbs. The post provides examples across multiple tenses to illustrate how these rules function in practice, helping learners develop a systematic approach to forming questions naturally.
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