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1. Foundations — QUASI & ASI in a nutshell

Almost every English question follows one of two patterns. Memorise these two acronyms and you’ll get the word order right 90% of the time.

The full slot table

Every question slots into nine columns. Not every column is filled in every sentence — but the order is fixed.

Q-word	(adj)	Aux	Subject	Verb	Object/Compl.	Prep.	Place	Time
What		did	you	do				yesterday?
When		will	you	go		to	work	?
Why		did	you	buy	this table			?
How	big	is	your		country			?
How	long	have	you	been studying	English	with	Kyle	?
Which	(food)	do	you	prefer	to eat		at home	in the evening?
		Are	you		hungry			?
		Do	you	like	football			?
		Can	you	cook	for me			(please)?

The two iron rules

1. Always invert the auxiliary and the subject. (You go ? Do you go?)
2. After the auxiliary, use the bare infinitive — no -s, no -ed, no to. (Does she like… not does she likes.)

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2. Yes/no questions — ASI

The simplest pattern: Auxiliary + Subject + Verb + ?. No question word at the start. The answer is yes or no.

By auxiliary type

Auxiliary	Used for	Examples
Be (am/is/are/was/were)	Adjectives, nouns, present continuous, past continuous, passive	Are you hungry? Is it OK? Were you sleeping?
Do (do/does/did)	Present simple, past simple (action verbs)	Do you like football? Does she work here? Did you call?
Have (have/has/had)	Present perfect, past perfect	Have you finished? Has he arrived? Had you met before?
Modal (can/could/will/would/should/shall/must/may/might)	Ability, possibility, request, advice, obligation, future	Can you swim? Will you call me? Should I go?

Negative yes/no questions

The form is the same, just contracted with n’t: Don’t you…?, Isn’t it…?, Wouldn’t you…?. They have three main jobs:

• Surprise — “Didn’t you know? I told you yesterday!”
• Confirmation / agreement-seeking — “Isn’t this view amazing?” (you expect “yes”)
• Polite offers / suggestions — “Wouldn’t you like some more cake?”, “Why don’t we leave at eight?”

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3. Wh-questions — QUASI

The eight question words and what they ask about. Notice that whose is often forgotten — it asks about possession.

Word	Asks about	Example
Who	People	Who called you?
What	Things, actions, ideas	What did you do?
When	Time	When will you arrive?
Where	Place	Where do you live?
Why	Reason	Why are you laughing?
How	Manner / method / degree	How did you find it?
Which	Choice from a known set	Which laptop will you buy?
Whose	Possession	Whose handbag is this?

What vs which

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4. How + adjective / adverb

A whole family of questions starts with How + word. The pattern is How + adj/adv + Aux + Subject + Verb.

Pattern	Asks about	Example
How big / small / tall / wide	Size	How big is your country?
How long	Duration / length	How long have you lived here?
How often	Frequency	How often do you exercise?
How much	Quantity (uncountable)	How much money have you got?
How many	Quantity (countable)	How many countries have you been to?
How far	Distance	How far is the station?
How old	Age	How old is your daughter?
How well	Skill / quality	How well does she sing?
How bad / lucky	Degree	How bad have you been feeling?

How much vs how many — the countable/uncountable split

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5. Subject vs object questions ?

The single most important distinction in question forming. When the question word is the subject of the verb, you don’t need an auxiliary at all. When it’s the object, you do. Get this wrong and you produce sentences like “Who did buy the car?” — a classic learner error.

The split, side by side

The decision tree

To choose between the two patterns, ask yourself: “Is the answer the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of the verb?”

• If the answer is the doer of the action ? it’s the SUBJECT ? drop the auxiliary.
  (Who broke the window? — John broke it. John is the doer.)
• If the answer is the receiver of the action ? it’s the OBJECT ? use the auxiliary.
  (Who did you see? — I saw John. John is the one being seen.)

The same scenario, both ways

Statement	Question about subject	Question about object
John called Mary.	Who called Mary? (answer: John — the doer)	Who did John call? (answer: Mary — the receiver)
The wind broke the window.	What broke the window? (answer: the wind)	What did the wind break? (answer: the window)
Sarah loves her dog.	Who loves her dog? (answer: Sarah)	Who/What does Sarah love? (answer: her dog)
The teacher gave John a book.	Who gave John a book?	Who did the teacher give a book to?

Special case — modal subject questions

The “no auxiliary” rule applies only to do/does/did. When the question uses a modal (will, can, should, must, might…), the modal stays even in subject questions.

• Who will buy the food? (modal “will” stays)
• Who can help me? (modal “can” stays)
• Which should we choose? (modal “should” stays)

Compare with the do/does/did versions, where the auxiliary disappears entirely:

• Who bought the food? (no “did” — the verb stays in past simple)
• Who helps you? (no “does” — the verb keeps its -s)

The classic mistake — adding “did”

Subject questions with passive voice

The same idea works with passive verbs. The “to be” auxiliary is required for the passive itself, but you don’t need an extra do.

• Who was invited? (passive subject question — receiver of “invite”)
• Who invited the speaker? (active subject question — doer)
• What was stolen? (passive)
• What stole the cheese? (active — perhaps the mouse)

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6. Modal questions

With a modal, you simply put the modal in the auxiliary slot. Pattern: (Q-word) + Modal + Subject + Verb. No do/does/did — the modal IS the auxiliary.

By function

Modal	Function	Example
Can	Ability / informal request / informal permission	Can you swim? / Can I borrow your pen?
Could	Polite request / past ability / hypothetical	Could you help me, please?
Will	Future / promise / instant decision	Will you call me tomorrow?
Would	Polite offer / hypothetical	Would you like something to drink?
Shall (with I/we)	Suggestion / offer	Shall we go to the concert?
Should	Advice / recommendation	Should I buy a ticket?
Must	Strong necessity	Must I finish this tonight?
May	Formal permission / formal possibility	May I come in?

The politeness ladder for requests

Same request, four levels of politeness. Each step adds distance and formality.

1. Can you open the window? (neutral, friendly)
2. Could you open the window? (polite, default for adults)
3. Would you mind opening the window? (very polite)
4. I was wondering if you could possibly open the window. (formal, careful)

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7. Tense in questions

Each tense has its own auxiliary. Pick the right one and the rest of the question drops into place.

Tense	Auxiliary	Example question
Present simple	do / does	Where do you live? / What does she want?
Present continuous	am / is / are	What are you doing? / Why is he laughing?
Past simple	did	When did you arrive?
Past continuous	was / were	What were you doing at 5pm?
Present perfect	have / has	Where have you been recently?
Present perfect continuous	have/has been	How long have you been working here?
Past perfect	had	Had you cooked dinner before she arrived?
Past perfect continuous	had been	How long had you been waiting?
Future (will)	will	What will you do tomorrow?
Future (going to)	am/is/are going to	Are you going to work today?
Future continuous	will be	What will you be doing at 8?
Future perfect	will have	Will you have finished by Monday?

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8. Negative & tag questions

Negative questions

Form: contract not with the auxiliary — Don’t you…?, Isn’t it…?, Wouldn’t you…?, Haven’t they…?. They have three main jobs:

• Surprise / disbelief — “Didn’t you know about the meeting?”, “Haven’t you finished yet?”
• Confirmation-seeking — “Isn’t this beautiful?”, “Wasn’t that an amazing film?” (you expect agreement)
• Polite offers / suggestions — “Wouldn’t you like some more cake?”, “Why don’t we leave at eight?”, “Shouldn’t we ask first?”

Tag questions

A small question stuck on the end of a statement — the spoken English equivalent of “right?”. The tag uses the same auxiliary as the main statement, with the polarity flipped.

• Positive statement → negative tag
  It’s cold, isn’t it?
  You came yesterday, didn’t you?
  She’ll help us, won’t she?
• Negative statement → positive tag
  It isn’t cold, is it?
  You don’t smoke, do you?
  They haven’t finished, have they?

The intonation matters

Edge cases

• I am → tag is aren’t I? (not “amn’t I”). “I’m late, aren’t I?”
• Let’s… → tag is shall we? “Let’s go, shall we?”
• Imperatives → tag is usually will you? or won’t you? “Close the door, will you?”
• Nobody / nothing count as negative → positive tag. “Nobody called, did they?”

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9. Prepositions & “how come”

Prepositions go to the END

If a verb takes a preposition, the preposition stays with the verb — it lands at the very end of the question. Don’t try to move it to the front.

• Where are you from? (not “From where are you?”)
• What are you talking about? (not “About what are you talking?”)
• Who did you go with? (not “With whom did you go?” in normal speech)
• What is the film about?
• Who are you waiting for?
• Which company do you work for?
• Where did the postcard come from?
• Who do these keys belong to?

Formal alternative: in very formal writing or speech, you can move the preposition to the front and use whom: “With whom did you travel?”, “To whom should I address the letter?”. In modern conversational English this sounds stiff — the stranded version is the default.

“How come…?” — the informal alternative to “Why…?”

A common conversational alternative to Why…?. Crucially, “How come” does NOT take auxiliary inversion. Statement word order follows.

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10. Indirect / embedded questions & polite patterns

When a question lives inside another sentence (often after a polite opener), it stops behaving like a question. No inversion. No auxiliary in the embedded part. Statement word order takes over.

Direct vs indirect — the same question, two ways

Direct (with inversion)	Indirect (no inversion)
Where does she live?	Could you tell me where she lives?
What time does the concert finish?	Do you know what time the concert finishes?
How much does this book cost?	Could you tell me how much this book costs?
Where is the bank?	Do you know where the bank is?
When will the swimming pool open?	Do you know when the swimming pool opens / will open?

Embedding yes/no questions — use IF or WHETHER

• Direct: Is there a bank near here?
  Indirect: Could you tell me if there is a bank near here?
• Direct: Did she pass the exam?
  Indirect: Do you know whether she passed the exam?
• Direct: Is he coming?
  Indirect: I’m not sure if/whether he’s coming.

Polite opener phrases — the ladder

The phrase you wrap your question in determines the politeness level. From neutral to very formal:

1. Can you tell me…? (neutral, friendly)
2. Could you tell me…? (polite, the default)
3. Do you know…? (neutral, often easier)
4. Do you happen to know…? (polite, softens the request)
5. Would you mind telling me…? (very polite)
6. I was wondering if/whether… (formal, careful — used for big asks)
7. Would it be possible to…? (formal request)

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11. Common mistakes & QUASI checklist

Top 10 mistakes — spot the error

? Wrong	? Right	Why
Who did buy a new car?	Who bought a new car?	Subject question — drop did and use past simple.
Who stolen the handbag?	Who stole the handbag?	Past simple, not past participle.
Could you tell me how much does this book cost?	Could you tell me how much this book costs?	No inversion in embedded questions.
Does he listens to music?	Does he listen to music?	After does, use the bare infinitive.
Do you know when will the pool open?	Do you know when the pool opens / will open?	No inversion in embedded; tense is up to you.
From where are you?	Where are you from?	Stranded preposition stays at the end.
How come are you late?	How come you’re late?	How come doesn’t take auxiliary inversion.
It’s cold, no?	It’s cold, isn’t it?	Tag must repeat the same auxiliary.
If it will rain, we’ll cancel.	If it rains, we’ll cancel.	No will in if-clauses (Type 1).
She asked when does the train leave.	She asked when the train left.	Embedded statement; no inversion; backshift.

The QUASI checklist — walk through any question

1. Q — Do you need a question word? (yes for wh-, no for yes/no)
2. (adj) — If using How, is there an adjective or adverb to attach?
3. A — Which auxiliary? Match it to the tense of the answer.
4. S — Subject comes after the auxiliary.
5. I — Bare infinitive (or past participle / -ing for perfect/continuous).
6. Extras — Object, preposition, place, time — in that order.
7. ? — Question mark at the end (unless it’s an embedded indirect question inside a statement).

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12. Practice — 10 worksheets

Each worksheet has its answer key in the green “Answers” box below the questions. Cover the answers, do the exercise, then check.

Worksheet 1 — Yes/no questions (ASI)

Make a yes/no question from each statement.

1. You like coffee. ? ___
2. She is from Spain. ? ___
3. They have finished. ? ___
4. He can swim. ? ___
5. It was raining. ? ___
6. You want some tea. ? ___
7. She works on Sundays. ? ___
8. They went to the party. ? ___
9. He has been to Japan. ? ___
10. You are coming with us. ? ___
11. The film was good. ? ___
12. She would like a coffee. ? ___
13. You should call her. ? ___
14. He had left before you arrived. ? ___
15. They will be there. ? ___

Worksheet 2 — Order the words

Put the words in the right order to make a question.

1. colleague / lived / long / new / has / How / your / next-door → ___
2. you / emails / send / ever / work / at / Do → ___
3. concert / was / a / time / you / to / the / When / last / went → ___
4. if / Could / pharmacy / here / a / you / me / near / tell / is / there → ___
5. breakfast / usually / Who / the / makes → ___
6. cycling / do / going / Who / like / you / with → ___
7. at / don’t / weekend / you / What / doing / the / enjoy → ___
8. bike / to / would / What / you / kind / like / buy / of → ___
9. you / time / film / know / starts / Do / what / the → ___

Worksheet 3 — How + adjective / adverb

Complete with much, many, long, often, old, far, well, tall.

1. How ___ does this book cost? (price, uncountable)
2. How ___ countries have you visited? (countable)
3. How ___ have you lived in Malta?
4. How ___ is the airport from here?
5. How ___ do you go to the gym?
6. How ___ is your daughter? (age)
7. How ___ does she sing? (skill)
8. How ___ water do we need?
9. How ___ is that building? (height)
10. How ___ have you been studying English?

Worksheet 4 — Identify: subject or object question?

For each question, decide whether the question word is the subject (S) or object (O).

1. Who called you yesterday? ? ___
2. Who did you call yesterday? ? ___
3. What did she say? ? ___
4. What woke the baby up? ? ___
5. Who broke the window? ? ___
6. Who did the police arrest? ? ___
7. Whose phone is ringing? ? ___
8. Whose phone did you borrow? ? ___
9. Which costs more? ? ___
10. Which do you prefer? ? ___
11. How many people came to the party? ? ___
12. How many people did you invite? ? ___

Worksheet 5 — Form subject vs object questions

For each statement, write the question that asks about the underlined part. Watch out for subject questions — no auxiliary!

1. Ann bought a new car. ? ___
2. Ann bought a new car. ? ___
3. The wind broke the window. ? ___
4. The wind broke the window. ? ___
5. Sarah’s phone is ringing. ? ___
6. I called Mark yesterday. ? ___
7. Five people came to the meeting. ? ___
8. I invited five people. ? ___
9. The teacher gave me this book. ? ___
10. The teacher gave me this book. ? ___

Worksheet 6 — Modal questions

Make a question with the modal in brackets.

1. You / open / the window? (could) ? ___
2. I / borrow / your pen? (can) ? ___
3. We / go / for lunch? (shall) ? ___
4. You / like / a coffee? (would) ? ___
5. I / take / the day off? (should) ? ___
6. You / help / me with this? (could) ? ___
7. I / come in? (may) ? ___
8. We / leave / now? (must) ? ___
9. You / drive / me to the station? (can) ? ___
10. I / call / you tomorrow? (shall) ? ___

Worksheet 7 — Negative & tag questions

Add the correct tag, or rewrite as a negative question expressing surprise/confirmation.

1. It’s a beautiful day, ___?
2. You can swim, ___?
3. She doesn’t like coffee, ___?
4. They’ve finished, ___?
5. He won’t come, ___?
6. I’m late, ___? (careful with this one)
7. Let’s go to the cinema, ___?
8. Nobody called, ___?
9. Surprise: He didn’t tell me about the meeting ? ___ he tell you?
10. Confirmation: This is amazing ? ___ this amazing?

Worksheet 8 — Indirect / embedded questions

Rewrite each direct question as an indirect one starting with the phrase given. Watch the word order — no inversion in the embedded part!

1. Where does she live? ? Could you tell me ___?
2. What time does the concert finish? ? Do you know ___?
3. How much does this book cost? ? Could you tell me ___?
4. Is there a bank near here? ? Could you tell me ___?
5. Did she pass the exam? ? Do you know ___?
6. When will the pool open? ? Do you know ___?
7. What is the teacher’s name? ? I can’t remember ___.
8. Where did Elizabeth see the fox? ? Can you tell me ___?
9. Has he arrived yet? ? Do you happen to know ___?
10. Why is the meeting cancelled? ? Could you explain ___?

Worksheet 9 — Complete the question

Complete each question using the verb in brackets. Watch out for subject questions and embedded questions.

1. How often ___ swimming? (you / go)
2. Who ___ The Lord of the Rings? (write)
3. Could you tell me how much ___? (this jacket / cost)
4. What ___ at the end of the lesson? (happen)
5. ___ your trip to Lisbon last weekend? (you / enjoy)
6. What kind of films ___? (Alex / usually watch)
7. Who ___ Lisa’s wallet? (take)
8. Do you know when ___? (the museum / open)
9. Where ___ your friend tonight? (you / meet)
10. Can you remember where ___? (he / work)

Worksheet 10 — Ask for the underlined word(s)

The signature exercise from Kyle’s classroom. For each statement,

A reverse-engineering exercise: for each statement,few yes/no items in brackets.

1. My grandfather helped me with my project last weekend.
2. We are flying to Norway in December.
3. David bought a new bicycle last Saturday.
4. I haven’t visited Lisa for months.
5. I would love to study in Spain. (yes/no)
6. My cousin can dance beautifully.
7. He travelled to Germany last spring.
8. The neighbours eventually arrived.
9. We are planning to call them later this evening.
10. Sara chose the antique vase because she loved its colour.
11. His father made him some soup because he was tired.
12. Margaret spotted a deer in the forest.
13. I occasionally water the plants. (yes/no)
14. The meeting started at 3 o’clock on Tuesday.
15. There was a café next to his office.
16. The student visited the library to borrow some books.
17. Peter and his sister work in Australia.
18. She can’t send her parents enough money.
19. The letter arrived from Portugal.
20. There are three rabbits in the field.
21. The horses belong to him.
22. There are several photos and paintings on the shelf.
23. The receptionist isn’t very polite.
24. She cleans her car twice a month.
25. Charlotte typically arrives at work at 8. (yes/no)
26. I have not eaten chocolate this month. (yes/no)
27. The student understands Mandarin.
28. The wedding is on Saturday.
29. She is not Italian. (yes/no)
30. The hotel will be opened next month.

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Cross-references: Modal Verbs · Conditional Sentences · Gerunds & Infinitives