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Grammar
Questions and negation A1 A2

Questions with be, do, and wh-words

Build yes/no and wh-questions with be, do, auxiliaries, and subject question patterns.

Visual guide

The question gate

QUESTION GATE

Main shape:
   [Wh-word?] + [gate-opener] + [subject] + [rest]?
                   ↑
        subject = the word doing the action or being described

Choose the gate-opener:
   be              → Are you ready?
   another helper  → Can you help me?
   no helper       → add do: Where do you live?

Wh-word goes before the opener:
   What are you doing?

Who/What as the subject:
   Who called you?     ← Who is doing it: no did
   Who did you call?   ← you are doing it: use did

Use be or another helper as the opener; if there is none, add do. Wh-words go before it, except when who/what is the subject.

Introduction

Direct questions in English

A direct English question usually needs a helper before the subject. The helper can be a form of be, another auxiliary such as can, or do/does/did when there is no other helper. Wh-words such as who, what, where, when, why, and how go at the very front. The key sentence logic is not memorizing every question; it is choosing the right front helper and keeping the main verb form simple. Grammar level: A1-A2. Vocabulary level: everyday people, places, time, and simple actions.
Cognitive metaphor

The helper opens the gate

Think of a question as a sentence with a front gate. A helper verb unlocks the gate. In a statement, the subject usually comes before the verb; in a question, a small helper steps in front of the subject. If be is already in the sentence, it can be the helper. If another auxiliary is already there, use it. If the sentence has only a normal action verb, English brings in do as the gate opener. The wh-word is a signpost before the gate, not a replacement for the helper.
Core logic

Choose be, another auxiliary, or do

First, ask: is there already a helper? With modals and other auxiliaries, put that word before the subject and do not add do. With be as the main verb or progressive auxiliary, be also goes before the subject. With simple present and simple past action verbs, add do, does, or did. After do, does, or did, the main verb stays in the base form. This rule covers yes/no questions and most wh-questions.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Can you help me?

When an auxiliary such as can is already present, move it before the subject and do not add do.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Can you
question_opener
Modal plus subject used to start a yes/no question.
Learn as one unit
help me
main_verb_phrase
The base verb phrase after the modal.
Core pattern

Yes/no questions with be

Pattern: be + subject + description, place, identity, or -ing verb. Use am, is, are for now and was, were for the past. Be is enough; you do not add do when be is the main verb. Negative question forms usually use contraction + subject. They often sound like surprise, checking, or expected agreement, so use them carefully with neutral information requests.
Core Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Are you ready?

Use be itself as the front helper when be is the main verb.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Are you
question_opener
Be before the subject starts a yes/no question.
Learn as one unit
ready
complement
The description after be.
Negative Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Aren't you tired?

Negative yes/no questions often check an expectation or show surprise.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Aren't you
negative_question_opener
Contracted negative be before the subject.
Learn as one unit
tired
complement
The description after be.
Core pattern

Yes/no questions with do

Pattern: do/does/did + subject + base verb. Use do with I, you, we, and they in the present; does with he, she, and it; did for the past. The helper shows the time and agreement, so the main verb stays simple. This is why a question has does she work, not does she works, and did they call, not did they called.
Core Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Do you like coffee?

Use do for present simple questions with ordinary action verbs.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Do you
question_opener
Do plus subject starts a present simple question with I, you, we, or they.
Learn as one unit
like coffee
base_verb_phrase
The main verb stays in the base form after do.
Core Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Does she work here?

Use does with he, she, or it in present simple questions.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Does she
question_opener
Does plus a singular third-person subject starts the question.
Learn as one unit
work here
base_verb_phrase
The main verb stays in the base form after does.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Did they call you?

Use did for past simple questions; the main verb does not take a past ending.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Did they
question_opener
Did plus subject starts a past simple question.
Learn as one unit
call you
base_verb_phrase
The main verb stays in the base form after did.
Negative Grammar A2 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Don't you like tea?

This negative question often suggests surprise or expected agreement.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Don't you
negative_question_opener
Contracted negative do before the subject.
Learn as one unit
like tea
base_verb_phrase
The base verb phrase after don't.
Core pattern

Wh-questions keep question order

Pattern: wh-word + helper + subject + main verb or complement. The wh-word asks for missing information; the helper still carries the question order. Place words like where, time words like when, reason words like why, and manner words like how all use this same logic. If the helper is be, use be. If the helper is do, does, or did, keep the following verb in the base form.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Where do you live?

In most wh-questions, the wh-word comes first, then the helper and subject.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Where
question_word
The wh-word asks for a place.
do you
question_helper
Helper plus subject keeps normal question order.
Learn as one unit
live
base_verb
The base verb after do.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

What are you doing?

With present continuous, move be before the subject; do is not used.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

What
question_word
The wh-word asks for information about an action.
are you doing
question_helper_phrase
Be plus subject plus -ing verb forms a present continuous question.
Learn as one unit
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

When did you leave?

Use did for past simple wh-questions when the wh-word is not the subject.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

When
question_word
The wh-word asks for time.
did you
question_helper
Did plus subject starts a past simple wh-question.
Learn as one unit
leave
base_verb
The verb stays in the base form after did.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Why is he angry?

With be, put be before the subject after the wh-word.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Why
question_word
The wh-word asks for a reason.
is he
question_helper
Be before the subject keeps question order.
Learn as one unit
angry
complement
The adjective after be.
Contrast

Who as subject vs who as object

Contrast: subject questions and object questions look similar but use different logic. When the wh-word is the subject, there is usually no do-support because the wh-word already holds the subject position. When the wh-word is the object, use normal question order with a helper. This contrast is especially important with who. The meaning changes completely: the caller is not the same as the person called.
Contrast Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Who called you?

This asks about the caller, so who is the subject and do is not used.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Who called
subject_question_start
The wh-word is the subject, followed directly by the verb.
Learn as one unit
you
object
The person who received the call.
Question Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

What happened?

What is the subject of the question, so no do-support is needed.

Contrast Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Who did you call?

This asks about the person you called, so who is the object and did is needed.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Who
question_word
The wh-word asks for the object, not the subject.
did you
question_helper
Helper plus subject shows normal object-question order.
Learn as one unit
call
base_verb
The main verb after did is in the base form.
Danger zone

Common danger zones

Common mistakes come from adding do when be is enough, or changing the main verb after does or did. Use one helper, not two competing helpers. Put tense and agreement on the helper, then keep the main verb simple. For subject questions, do not add do just because the sentence is a question. Forms with emphatic did exist in special stress, but they are not the normal A1/A2 pattern for asking who performed an action.
Mistake Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Do you are tired?

Do is not used when be is the main verb.

Corrected Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Are you tired?

The corrected form uses be before the subject.

Mistake Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Does she likes music?

After does, the main verb must be in the base form.

Corrected Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Does she like music?

The -s is on does, not on like.

Mistake Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Who did call you?

For a normal subject question, do not add did before the verb.

Corrected Grammar A1 Vocabulary A1 Neutral

Who called you?

The corrected neutral subject question uses who directly before the verb.

Summary

The practical rule

Build direct questions in three moves. First, choose the front helper: be if be is already the verb, an existing auxiliary if there is one, or do/does/did for simple action verbs. Second, put the subject after the helper. Third, add the main verb or complement. For wh-questions, put the wh-word before the helper. For subject questions with who or what, do not add do. Keep the main verb in base form after do, does, and did, and treat negative questions as marked, not always neutral.
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