❓ Asking Questions in English — Forms, Word Order & Question Words

Core order = QWASM → Question word + W (same as Q) + Auxiliary + Subject + Main verb. In Yes–No questions there’s no question word.

QWASM order Yes–No questions Be as main verb Do-support (present/past simple) Have / have got / present perfect Modal questions Subject vs Object questions Preposition at the end Embedded (polite) questions How much/How many · Which vs What

🧭QWASM: the default order

PATTERN Question word + Auxiliary + Subject + Main verb

Where do you study English?
When did you start this lesson?
Why are you writing this word down?

Yes–No questions (no question word)

Do you understand this rule?
Are you ready for a quick quiz?
Can you repeat the question, please?
Short answers: Yes, I do / No, I don’t · Yes, I am / No, I’m not.

⚙️Which auxiliary goes in the “A” slot?

be (as main verb)	QWASM with be itself → Are you tired? · Where is your notebook?
do (present/past simple)	Use do/does/did with other main verbs → What time did you finish?
have (present perfect)	Have/has + past participle → What have you learned today?
have got (possession, present only)	Have you got a dictionary? (no past form; use did … have)
modals	modal + subject + base verb → Can you explain? · Should we check the answers?

📦“Have” in questions

Present perfect: What have you studied this week?
Possession (AmE/BrE both ok): Do you have a grammar book?
Possession with have got (present only): Have you got a pen?
✗ What time had you class yesterday? → ✓ What time did you have class yesterday?
✗ Had you got a computer last year? → ✓ Did you have a computer last year?

🧑‍🏫Subject vs Object questions (quick reminder)

Who checked your answer? (subject → no do/does/did in present/past simple)
Who did you ask? (object → auxiliary + subject + base verb)

🧩Questions with prepositions

SPOKEN / NATURAL Put the preposition at the end.

Who did you study with?
What word are you looking for?
What are you listening to?

Formal alternative

With whom did you study?

🏷️Embedded (polite) questions

PATTERN Intro phrase + normal statement word order (no inversion, no do).

Could you tell me where the next exercise is?
Do you know what this word means?
✗ … what does this word mean?

🔤Question words (uses & examples)

who (person)	Who is your English teacher?
where (place)	Where do you write new words?
when (time)	When do you usually study?
why (reason)	Why did you choose this lesson?
how (manner)	How do you say this in English?
what (thing/idea/action)	What are you doing now?
which (limited choice)	Which exercise do you want first, A or B?
whose (possession)	Whose notebook is this?
how many (countable quantity)	How many questions are there?
how much (uncountable quantity / price)	How much time do we have? · How much is the workbook?
how long (duration)	How long did the lesson take?
how often (frequency)	How often do you practice speaking?
how far (distance)	How far is your school from home?
how old (age)	How old were you when you started English?

Which vs What

Which + noun when options are limited: Which answer is correct, A or B?
What + noun when the set is open: What apps do you use to study?

🚫Common mistakes

✗ Who did explain the rule? → ✓ Who explained the rule?
✗ What time had you class? → ✓ What time did you have class?
✗ How much exercises… → ✓ How many exercises…
✗ Where you are from? → ✓ Where are you from?

✅Quick checks

Use QWASM for most questions; remove the Q-word for Yes–No questions.
With be as main verb, invert be directly.
In present/past simple (not be): use do/does/did.
Subject question? → no do/does/did (Who checked?).
Preposition questions in speech → preposition at the end.

Recap: Think QWASM. Choose the right auxiliary (be, do, have, modals), keep subject questions auxiliary-free in the simple tenses, and place prepositions at the end in natural speech. Use the right question word (how much/many, which/what, etc.). 🌟