A third, less common type \u2014 the indirect question \u2014 borrows the vocabulary of direct questions but embeds them inside a polite request. All three types are covered below.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nA teacher explains the rules of English question formation \u2014 yes\/no questions first, then WH questions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The formula for a yes\/no question is: auxiliary verb + subject + base verb<\/strong>. The key move is putting the auxiliary verb in front of the subject.<\/p>\n There are three common situations:<\/p>\n Notice that when you add did<\/em>, the main verb loses its past tense ending. This is the single most common error in written English tests: writing Did she went?<\/em> instead of Did she go?<\/em> The auxiliary carries the tense \u2014 the main verb resets to its base form.<\/p>\n For more on how auxiliary verbs behave in questions, see our guide on \u82f1\u6587\u52a9\u52d5\u8a5e\u7528\u6cd5\uff1aAuxiliary & Modal Verbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yes\/no questions use auxiliary verbs \u2014 the same ones you need for modal and helping verb structures.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n WH question words tell your listener what kind of answer<\/em> you’re looking for. Here are all nine, with the information each one targets:<\/p>\n \u0e22\u0e31\u0e07\u0e44\u0e07<\/em> combines with adjectives and adverbs to create compound question words: How long, How much, How many, How often, How far, How old<\/em>. These function exactly like single WH words \u2014 place them at the front of the question.<\/p>\n WH questions start with a question word \u2014 the rest follows the same inversion pattern as yes\/no questions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The structure is: WH word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb<\/strong>. Think of it as a yes\/no question with a WH word bolted to the front.<\/p>\n Take a yes\/no question you already know and add the question word:<\/p>\n The pattern is consistent across all tenses. Past simple? Use did<\/em>. Present perfect? Use have\/has<\/em>. Future? Use will<\/em>. The WH word itself never changes.<\/p>\n Drilling WH question structure on paper is the fastest way to build the inversion habit.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here’s where most learners stall. When the WH word \u0e40\u0e1b\u0e47\u0e19<\/em> the subject of the question, you do not<\/strong> invert \u2014 and you do not add do\/does\/did.<\/p>\n Compare these two questions about the same event:<\/p>\n The same rule applies to \u0e2d\u0e30\u0e44\u0e23<\/em> as a subject:<\/p>\n A quick test: replace the WH word with a regular noun and see if the sentence needs rearranging. “John called you”<\/em> needs no rearranging \u2192 Who called you?<\/em> No auxiliary. “You called John”<\/em> \u2192 to make a question, you’d say “Did you call John?”<\/em> \u2192 so WH version = Who did you call?<\/em><\/p>\n Subject questions are the rule most textbooks skip. Understanding them eliminates a whole category of errors.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n An indirect question wraps a question inside a polite request or statement. The result sounds more formal or tentative \u2014 exactly what you want in business English or when speaking to someone you don’t know well.<\/p>\n The structure: polite opener + question word + subject + verb (no inversion)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Notice what happens: the auxiliary (does<\/em>) disappears, and the subject goes back in front of the verb. The inversion that makes a direct question is reversed in an indirect one. That’s the trap \u2014 learners who know direct questions sometimes over-apply the rule and write “Could you tell me where is the station?”<\/em> That’s wrong in English. Strip out the inversion.<\/p>\n Common indirect question openers: Could you tell me\u2026, Do you know\u2026, Can you explain\u2026, I was wondering\u2026, I’d like to know\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Indirect questions feel more natural in professional settings \u2014 they’re a quick upgrade for business English learners.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Twenty years of teaching in Taiwan has made these three patterns predictable. They show up in writing tests, job interviews, and everyday conversation:<\/p>\n 1. Keeping the past tense after “did”<\/strong><\/p>\n \u0e1c\u0e34\u0e14: Did she went to school?<\/em> 2. Inverting inside indirect questions<\/strong><\/p>\n \u0e1c\u0e34\u0e14: Can you tell me where does he work?<\/em> 3. Forgetting do\/does in simple present questions<\/strong><\/p>\n \u0e1c\u0e34\u0e14: She works in Taichung?<\/em> (rising intonation doesn’t make it a real written question) For a related grammar area that overlaps with questions \u2014 specifically tag questions like “You’re coming, aren’t you?”<\/em> \u2014 see our post on \u9644\u52a0\u554f\u53e5\u82f1\u6587\uff1aQuestion Tags Taiwan Learners Need<\/a>.<\/p>\n And if you find yourself confused about when to use \u0e2a\u0e32\u0e21\u0e32\u0e23\u0e16<\/em> versus \u0e2a\u0e32\u0e21\u0e32\u0e23\u0e16<\/em> in polite questions, our guide on Can, Could or May? \u82f1\u6587\u8acb\u6c42\u8207\u8a31\u53ef<\/a> covers that distinction directly.<\/p>\n Build the question formation habit through daily reading and deliberate writing practice.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This Espresso English video walks through the yes\/no and WH question formulas with worked examples across multiple tenses. Worth bookmarking for review:<\/p>\nHow to Form Yes\/No Questions | \u662f\u975e\u554f\u53e5\u600e\u9ebc\u7d44<\/h2>\n
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\nShe is a teacher.<\/em> \u2192 Is she a teacher?<\/em>
\nThey are studying.<\/em> \u2192 Are they studying?<\/em><\/li>\n
\nYou have finished the test.<\/em> \u2192 Have you finished the test?<\/em>
\nShe can speak French.<\/em> \u2192 Can she speak French?<\/em><\/li>\n
\nHe works in Taipei.<\/em> \u2192 Does he work in Taipei?<\/em>
\nThey visited Japan.<\/em> \u2192 Did they visit Japan?<\/em> (Note: the main verb goes back to base form)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"english](\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/english-question-words-abc-learning.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe 9 WH Question Words | 9\u500b\u7591\u554f\u8a5e<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHow to Form WH Questions | \u7591\u554f\u8a5e\u554f\u53e5\u7684\u7d50\u69cb<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSubject Questions: The Exception | \u4e3b\u8a9e\u7591\u554f\u53e5\uff1a\u4e0d\u5012\u88dd\u7684\u60c5\u6cc1<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nIndirect Questions | \u9593\u63a5\u554f\u53e5<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n3 Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make | \u53f0\u7063\u5b78\u751f\u6700\u5e38\u72af\u76843\u500b\u932f\u8aa4<\/h2>\n
\n\u0e02\u0e27\u0e32: Did she go to school?<\/em>
\nThe auxiliary did<\/em> carries the past tense. The main verb resets to its base form.<\/p>\n
\n\u0e02\u0e27\u0e32: Can you tell me where he works?<\/em>
\nOnce you’ve embedded a question inside a polite opener, drop the inversion. The word order returns to normal statement order.<\/p>\n
\n\u0e02\u0e27\u0e32: Does she work in Taichung?<\/em>
\nIn spoken Mandarin, rising intonation is enough. In written English, the auxiliary must appear.<\/p>\n![\"english](\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/english-language-books-question-formation.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWatch: How to Form Questions in English<\/h2>\n