How to Ask ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ Questions

To ask a question that can be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the present simple, we need a special word at the beginning.

We use do or does to start the question. The main verb always stays in its base form.

• Use do with: I, you, we, they (and plural nouns like students, cats).
• Use does with: he, she, it (and singular nouns like my friend, the dog).

The basic structure is: Do/Does + Subject + Base Form of Verb + …?

How to Give Short Answers

When someone asks a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, you can give a short answer. This is polite and common in English.

The short answer uses do or does again, not the main verb.

• For ‘Yes’ answers: Yes, + Subject + do/does.
• For ‘No’ answers: No, + Subject + don’t/doesn’t. (don’t is do not; doesn’t is does not).

Questions with ‘Wh-‘ Words (Information Questions)

Sometimes you want more information, not just ‘yes’ or ‘no’. For these questions, we use ‘Wh-‘ words like what, where, when, why, who.

The ‘Wh-‘ word comes first, then do or does, then the subject, and then the base form of the verb.

The structure is: Wh- word + do/does + Subject + Base Form of Verb + …?

Examples

• Do you live in Madrid?
• Does she like coffee?
• Do they play football?
• Does he work on Saturdays?
• Do we have class today?
• What do you do?
• Where does she live?
• When do they eat dinner?

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:

• Forgetting do or does: In Spanish, you often just change your voice to ask a question. In English, you must use do or does.
  • You like coffee? (Incorrect)
  • Do you like coffee? (Correct)
• Using is instead of do/does: Remember, is is for the verb ‘to be’. Do/does is for other actions.
  • Is you like coffee? (Incorrect)
  • Do you like coffee? (Correct)
• Adding -s to the main verb with does: When you use does, the main verb is always in its base form.
  • Does he likes pizza? (Incorrect)
  • Does he like pizza? (Correct)

Frequently asked questions

Why do we use ‘do’ and ‘does’ for questions?

In English, do and does are ‘helping verbs’ that show it’s a question in the present simple. They don’t have a special meaning here; they just help form the question.

When do I use ‘do’ and when do I use ‘does’?

You use do for I, you, we, they and plural nouns. You use does for he, she, it and singular nouns.

Can I say ‘Yes, I like’ instead of ‘Yes, I do’?

It’s better to use the short answer Yes, I do. or No, I don’t. This is the natural and most common way to answer ‘yes/no’ questions in English.

Does the main verb change when I use ‘do’ or ‘does’?

No, the main verb always stays in its base form (the infinitive without ‘to’) when you use do or does in a question or a negative sentence. For example, Does she like…? not Does she likes…?