How to Ask Questions in English

Have you ever asked someone:
❌ “You are happy?”

instead of

✔️ “Are you happy?”

You’re not alone!

In English, the word order in questions is really important—and different from many other languages. Let’s learn how to ask questions the right way so you sound more natural and confident!

1. Yes/No Questions with Be Verbs

Be + subject + rest
✅ Are you tired?
✅ Is he at home?

Common mistake:

• ❌ You are tired?

2. Yes/No Questions with Do/Does/Did

Do/Does/Did + subject + base verb
✅ Do you like sushi?
✅ Did they finish the project?

Common mistake:

• ❌ You like sushi?

3. WH- Questions

WH word + Do/Does/Did/Be + subject + verb
✅ Where does she live?
✅ What are they doing?

Common mistake:

• ❌ Where she lives?

🗣 Quick Note on Speaking:
In spoken English, you might hear:
“You’re coming?”
It sounds like a question only because of the rising intonation at the end.
But in writing and most speaking situations, it's much better to use full question form like:
“Are you coming?”

📊 Quick Summary Table

📝 Practice: Fix These Questions

1. You are ready?

2. She likes pizza?

3. What she is doing?

4. They finished?

Learning how to ask questions correctly will make your English sound more natural and confident. It might feel strange at first, but with practice, it becomes easy!

Want to test your Questions skills and learn more about it?

We created printable worksheets with Japanese translations so you can understand better and practice more!

🔜 Coming soon — grammar bundles & worksheets will be available here!
Follow us on Instagram@kohaku_english_online for updates 💛

Disclaimer:

English has many exceptions, and sometimes native speakers break the rules too! The explanations here are meant to give you a strong foundation, but don’t worry if you come across something different in real life. With practice and exposure, it will all start to feel more natural!