Turning statements into questions may seem difficult at first. However, it may actually be easier than you think. Use statements to express facts, opinions, or your point of view on a topic. In the meantime, ask questions to get information from others. You can turn a statement into a question by moving the auxiliary verb, shifting the verb being, or adding the verb doing. In addition, you can also use question words or question marks to get specific information.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Moving Auxiliary Verbs
Step 1. Look for auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs are separate words that change the meaning of the main verb. If a statement has an auxiliary verb, you can easily turn it into a question. Here are some examples of statements with auxiliary verbs in bold text:
- The teachers have treated us kindly.
- They had already eaten.
- She will win the fight.
- my cat would climb that tree.
- A pie can feeds eight people.
- We shall meet again.
- I was standing.
Tip:
Check the auxiliary verbs that are written in the short form. For example, in the sentence " We'll go to school ", " we'll " is a shortened form of " we will ". “Will” here is an auxiliary verb. Similarly, “hasn't” is a shortened form of “has not”, and here, the auxiliary verb is “has”.
Step 2. Move the auxiliary verb to the beginning of the sentence
Leave the rest of the sentences as they are. You just need to move the auxiliary verb forward to form an interrogative sentence.
- The teachers have treated us kindly. → Have the teachers treated us kindly?
- They had already eaten. → Had they have eaten?
- She will win the fight. → Will she wins the fight?
- my cat would climb that tree. → Would my cat climb that tree?
- that pie can feeds eight people. → Can that pie feeds eight people?
- We shall meet again. → Shall we meet again?
- I was standing. → Was I stand?
Step 3. Remove just one word from the long auxiliary verb
Some auxiliary verbs are more than one word. For example, has been, will have been, will be, or would have been. You just need to move the first word to the beginning of the sentence, and leave the others as they were. Here's an example:
- your brother has been growing quickly. → Has your brother been growing quickly?
- I could have been studying. → Could I have been studying?
Method 2 of 4: Shifting the Verb Being
Step 1. Find the verb being in a sentence
Being verbs are be verbs such as “am”, “is”, “are”, “were”, and “was”. These verbs express the condition or thing that someone is doing at this moment. Observe the sentence to see if there are any words. the verb being there. Here are some examples of sentences with the verb being in bold:
- It is rain.
- We are.
- I am going home.
- You were there last night.
- The cat was playing with that toy.
Step 2. Slide the verb being to the beginning of the sentence to make a question
Rewrite the sentence starting with the verb being. This method will turn the statement into a question. Consider the following example:
- It is rain. → Is it rains?
- We are. → Are we are hungry?
- I am going home. → Am I'm going home?
- You were there last night. → Were you there last night?
- The cat was playing with that toy. → Was the cat playing with that toy?
Step 3. Look for the auxiliary verb there is the word been
The word been is a being verb, but is generally used with an auxiliary verb. Don't move the word been to the beginning of the sentence to make a question. Use auxiliary verbs instead of been.
For example, the word been is in the following sentence: “We have been going to school for ten weeks.” Notice that there is an auxiliary verb "have" used in this sentence. This means, to form the question of the sentence, write “ Have we been going to school for ten weeks?”
Method 3 of 4: Adding Does, Do, or Did
Step 1. Add “does” at the beginning of the sentence if the verb is in the present tense
Observe whether the subject in the sentence is singular. Then, make sure the verb is present tense. If they are both, simply add the word “does” at the beginning of the sentence to turn it into a question. After that, change the verb back to its basic form by removing the letter "s" from the end.
- My cat plays with a toy. → does my cat play with the toy?
- My friend takes the bus. → does my friend take the bus?
Step 2. Add do for the plural subject or you
If the subject is plural and the verb is in the simple present tense, add do at the beginning of the sentence. Also, use do for your subject.
- They greet their teacher. → Do they greet their teacher?
- The protesters call for change. → Do the protesters call for change?
- You throw stones at my window. → Do you throw stones at my window?
Step 3. Use did for simple past tense verbs
Did is also used if the verb is in the simple past. The singular or plural subject has no effect. Even if the question remains in the past tense, change the verb to its base form, which is the present tense.
- He saved the paint. → Did he save the paint?
- The sheep jump over the fence. → Did the sheep jump over the fence?
- He broke my oven. → Did he break my oven?
Tip:
If there is an auxiliary verb in the sentence, use only the auxiliary verb technique.
Method 4 of 4: Using Other Methods
Step 1. Add a question word at the beginning of the sentence to make it more specific
Words such as who, what, when, why, where, and how are used to find more information. Adding one of these question words to a statement not only turns it into a question, it also asks for specific details. Use the rules above to turn a statement into a question, then add a question word at the beginning of the sentence. You should also swap the subject and verb positions.
- You are going home. → when are you going home?
- The sheep jump over the fence. → How did the sheep jump over the fence?
Step 2. Add an affirmative question word
An affirmative question word is a statement with an "affirmation" at the end. The statement remains the same, but adds a comma and a question at the end. Usually, affirmative question words are used to seek confirmation of facts. Here's an example:
- She eats fish. → She eats fish , right?
-
He was at the party. → He was at the party, wasn't he?
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They went to the store yesterday. → They went to the store yesterday, didn't they?
Step 3. Add a question mark at the end of the sentence to express disbelief
Adding a question mark at the end of a statement will instantly turn it into a question. Replace the period with a question mark when you are confused about an event. Generally, the answer to this question is simply “yes” or “no”. Here are some examples:
- You are going home. → You are going home?
- She's a scientist. → She's a scientist?
- We have school tomorrow. → We have school tomorrow?
