English learners hear and use questions right from the start of their learning journey, often beginning with a simple How are you?. But English questions can be more complicated than they look—especially for beginners. There are question words (like who and what), verbs that change their positions, and sometimes the word do or does appears seemingly out of nowhere… That’s a lot to keep track of!

Fortunately, we have guides that tell you everything you need to know about the three main kinds of English questions!

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The three main types of questions in English

English uses different types of questions to get different kinds of information, and each type has its own rules for word order. You can think of these rules as word order formulas that tell you how to arrange the subject, verb, object, and other words in a sentence.

Yes/no questions

Yes/no questions can be answered with yes or no. For example:

  • Are you going to school tomorrow?
  • Does she have a car?
  • Should we call them first?

“Wh” questions (questions using question words)

“Wh” questions use a “wh” word to ask for specific information, such as where something is happening, who is doing something, or when something happened. For example:

  • Where is your school?
  • Why does she have a car?
  • When should we call them?

Tag questions

Unlike yes/no questions and “wh” questions, tag questions use short question tags at the end of a statement to ask the listener to confirm or deny it. For example:

  • Your school is downtown, isn’t it?
  • She has had the car for a long time, hasn’t she?
  • We shouldn’t call them until later, should we?

Tips for forming English questions

In English, each type of question has different variations that follow different formulas for word order. That can feel like a lot to learn! Here are some tips for studying and practicing English questions:

  • Practice questions with the verb to be. Beginners can make the most of their study time by focusing on this very common—but very irregular—verb. Questions with to be often follow a different word order formula than other verbs, so strengthen one formula at a time with lots of to be practice!
  • Start with present tense. This is usually the first tense you study, so it’s a natural place to begin! That means you can skip thinking about questions with did for now. Instead, focus on making yes/no questions and “wh” questions using the present tense verbs you already know. Begin by grouping questions according to the word order formula they use. As you get more practice, try organizing them by topic—like questions you'd need at a restaurant, questions you’d ask on a date, or questions you’d use in a work meeting.
  • Sharpen your pencil. Writing is a great, low-pressure way to practice forming questions in English. Start by copying questions you see in your Duolingo lessons, then practice creating brand-new ones. You can also write short dialogues filled with questions and answers, make a list of questions you'll need the next time you use English (like for an upcoming job interview), or write out the burning questions you have about your favorite English-language movies and TV series!
  • Gradually add more verbs to your study routine. As you learn new verbs in your Duolingo lessons, try forming both yes/no and “wh” questions with them. For example, you could write yes/no questions with the verb on the left side of a sheet of paper and “wh” questions on the right. Before long, you'll have a growing list of questions built from the verbs you know!
  • Think about your language goals. If you're planning a trip to an English-speaking destination, practice the questions you'll need the most—that might mean focusing on “wh” questions, like
    Where is the museum?
    ). If you're preparing for a career in hospitality, you might practice more yes/no questions, like
    Would you like to pay by card?
    .

Any questions? 😉

Even though there are many kinds of questions in English, you'll soon start to notice a few patterns you can follow. That's why learning the question formulas can be so helpful! Start with just one or two types of verbs, and pay attention to the questions you hear around you—in your Duolingo lessons, in the English-language music you listen to, in movies and TV shows, and on social media. Anywhere you use English, you'll be getting practice with English questions. 💪