Wh Questions - The Simple Present Tense

What are Wh - Question Words?

Form:
Wh question word (what, when...) + do / does + Subject (I, you, we...)
+ verb + others

Table:

Wh Question Word Auxilary Verb Subject Verb others

Where do you go to?
What does she watch on TV?
When does Mike leave school?
Who do you like much?
Why does the teacher say that?
How do we reach him?

These wh question words are at the beginning of the sentence. After them, we
use auxiary verb and subject.
We don't use yes or no in the answer.

Example Sentences:

"Where" question asks for the place:

Where does she live? --> She lives in NewYork.

Where do you meet your friends? --> I meet them at the school.

"What" question asks for information about something:

What do you like eating most? --> I like eating fruits most.

What do you read? --> I read funny books.

"When" question asks for information about time:

 When do you meet your father? --> I meet him at 9.

When does she come home? --> She comes home late.

"Who" question asks for information about a person:

Who do you know here? --> I don't know anybody.

Who do you like? --> I like my friend, Tom.

"Why" question asks for information about reason, explanation:

Why does she cry? --> She lost his toy car.

Why do we stay here --> It's cheap.

"How" question asks for information about manner, the way to do:

How do you come here?--> I come here by bus.

How do they get to work --> by train

The Question (interrogative) Form of the Simple

Present Tense
Plural Subjects

With I, you, we, they and plural nouns ( for example: kids, boys, girls ...) we
use auxilary verb do or don't short form.

Positive Questions Negative Questions

Do I have a car? Don't I know the answer?
Do you have a car? Don't you know the answer?
Do we have a car? Don't we know the answer?
Do they have a car? Don't they know the answer?
Do the workers have a car? Don't the students know the answer?
Do Tom and Teddy have a car? Don't you and Mary know the answer?

Singular Subjects

With she, he, it and singular nouns ( for example: the boy, the kid, Tom ...)
we use auxilary verb does or doesn'tshort form.
We don't use -s with the verb in the question form: doesn't play s

For example: Does he live s here?

Positive Questions Negative Questions

Does she speak English? Doesn't she watch TV?
Does he speak English? Doesn't he watch TV?
Does it snow a lot? Doesn't it snow a lot?
Does the teacher speak English? Doesn't the teacher watch TV?
Does Cate speak English? Doesn't Cate watch TV?

Positive and Negative Question Form of The Simple Present Tense Table

you Example Sentences:

Do we read s (not -s) Does Tom play tennis?

Don't they Do your friends live near here?

like
Teddy and Mary Do you and your mother work to
work
The students Does he have a car?
live
Do you watch TV a lot?
go
Where do they live?
play
he What does she do in her free tim
watch
How often do you go to the cinem
 Does she

Doesn't it

Mary
have Why do we learn English?
The boy

1 Where (your parents/live) ?

2 Which restaurant (you/prefer) ?

3 How much (a room/cost) in your hotel?

4 Where (he/go/usually) for his holidays?

5 How often (you/play) the guitar?

6 What time (the train/leave) ?

7 How much (this book/cost) ?

8 Why (you/not/like) Paris? I think it's a wonderful city.

9 What kind of music (you/like) ?

10 What kind of music (he/like) ?

check | reset | answers

Structure of present simple

positive negative question

I don't work in a
I work in a bank. bank. Do I work in a bank?
 You don't work in a Do you work in a
You work in a bank. bank. bank?

He doesn't (does Does he work in a

He works in a bank. not) work in a bank. bank?

She doesn't (does Does she work in a

She works in a bank. not) work in a bank. bank?

It doesn't (does
It rains a lot. not) rain. Does it rain a lot?

We don't work in a Do we work in a

We work in a bank. bank. bank?

They don't work in a Do they work in a

They work in a bank. bank. bank?

Present simple common mistakes

Common mistakes Correct version Why?

The -ing form is not

used in the present
I working in London. I work in London. simple.

The third person he,

He work in London. He works in London. she, itadds s.

Questions in third
person: does +
subject + infinitive.
All other persons: do
He work in London? Does he work in + subject +
Work he in London? London? infinitive.

Negatives in third
person:subject +
doesn't + infinitive.
All other
He not work in He doesn't work in persons: subject +
London. London. don't + infinitive.