This document discusses different types of question formation in English, including inversion with modal verbs and the verb "to be", adding auxiliaries like "do" and "did", negative questions, questions with prepositions, question words as subjects vs objects, and indirect questions. Some key points: - With modal verbs, "to be", perfect tenses and "have got", the subject and verb invert order - "Do"/"does" are added before the subject in present questions, "did" in past questions - Negative questions often express surprise or expect agreement - Prepositions usually go at the end of questions with verb+preposition - No auxiliary is added for question words as subjects vs. adding

1. Avanzado 1
QUESTION FORMATION

2. INVERSION SUBJECT/VERB
 With modal verbs, verb “to be”, in the perfect
tenses and with “have got”:
Ex.: Could you lend me 1 million euros?
Ex: Have you ever seen “Breaking Bad?”
Ex.: Have you got 1million euros?

3. Adding an auxiliary
 “Do/does” in the present tense, before the
subject:
Ex.: Do you like the English class?
Does he have a million euros?
 “Did” in the past simple, before the subject:
Ex: Did she really meet George Clooney at his
wedding?

4. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
 Often express surprise:
Ex: Why didn’t you come to the English class
yesterday?
 Often used when you expect somebody to agree
with you:
Ex.: Isn’t the English teacher simply fantastic?

5. QUESTIONS AND
PREPOSITIONS
 In questions with verbs followed by prepositions,
the preposition is placed at the end:
Ex: What are you talking about?
 Often we just use the question word and the
preposition:Ex. I’m studying English. What for?
I’m very tired. How come?
 Only in very formal English would the preposition
be placed at the beginning.

6. QUESTIONS WORDS AS
SUBJECTS
 No auxiliaries are added in the present simple or
past tenses to make the following distinction:
 Question word as subject:
Ex.: Who killed the teacher? A student killed
him.
Subject Subject
 Question word as direct object:
Ex: Who did the teacher kill? He killed a
student.
Object Subject Object

7. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
 Questions within other questions
 USE: To be more polite or ask for very personal
questions.
 The order is Subject+Verb like in affirmative
sentences (no inversion):
Ex.: Could you tell me where EOI Carabanchel is?
Subject Verb
 Auxiliaries “do”, “does” or “did” are not used:
Ex.: Do you know where he works?
Do you remember what the teacher said
yesterday?
 We use “if” or “whether” in YES/NO questions:
Ex.: Do you know if/whether the English teacher is
very strict?

8. INDIRECT QUESTIONS:
COMMON OPENING PHRASES
 Do you have any idea where I can find the
English textbook?
 Would you mind telling me how much you paid
for your car?
 I was wondering if I could borrow your book.
 I’d be interested to know if you could give me a
lift.
 I’d like to know when the exam is.