Be<\/span><\/h2>\nWhen your main verb is be<\/span> (am, is, are, was, were<\/span>), forming a question is simple. You just move the form of be<\/span> to the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.<\/p>\n\n- Statement: She is a student.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Is she a student?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Statement: They were late.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Were they late?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You do not use an auxiliary verb like do<\/span> mit dem Verb be<\/span>.<\/p>\nAsking Questions with Other Main Verbs<\/h2>\n
For most other verbs in English (not be<\/span> or modal verbs), we use an auxiliary verb to form questions. The most common auxiliaries are do<\/span>, does<\/span>, und did<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n- Verwendung do<\/span> f\u00fcr I, you, we, they<\/span> in the present simple.<\/li>\n
- Verwendung does<\/span> f\u00fcr he, she, it<\/span> in the present simple.<\/li>\n
- Verwendung did<\/span> for all subjects in the past simple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The structure is: Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb (base form).<\/p>\n
\n- Statement: You live here.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Do you live here?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Statement: He works on Saturdays.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Does he work on Saturdays?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Statement: They arrived yesterday.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Did they arrive yesterday?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Remember, the main verb always returns to its base form (infinitive without to<\/span>) after do, does, did<\/span>.<\/p>\nUsing Modal Verbs in Questions<\/h2>\n
Modal verbs like can, could, will, would, should, must, might, may<\/span> also act as auxiliary verbs. To form a question with a modal verb, you simply place the modal verb before the subject.<\/p>\n\n- Statement: You can speak English.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Can you speak English?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Statement: I should go.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Question: Should I go?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You do not use do<\/span> with modal verbs. The main verb after the modal verb stays in its base form.<\/p>\n