How to form yes or no questions in English
What are yes/no questions?
A yes/no question is a question that you can answer with yes or no. We ask these questions all the time: to check information, to ask for help, or to start a conversation.
Examples:
Yes, I am. No, I don’t. Yes, of course.
In English, a question has a different word order from a statement. You can’t just add a question mark. In this lesson you will learn how to build yes/no questions step by step, and how to answer them.
Pronunciation tip: in a yes/no question, your voice goes up at the end. In a statement, it goes down.
If you don’t know the verb to be yet, start with our guide: The Verb “To Be” Explained.
Two ways to make a yes/no question
The way you make a question depends on the verb in the sentence:
- With to be (am, is, are) and can: move the verb before the subject.
- With all other verbs (like, play, work, live…): add do or does before the subject.
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| You are ready. | Are you ready? |
| She can swim. | Can she swim? |
| You like tea. | Do you like tea? |
| He plays tennis. | Does he play tennis? |
Questions with “to be”
With the verb to be, you don’t need any helper. Just put am, is or are before the subject.
Formula: Am / Is / Are + subject + the rest of the sentence + ?
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| I am late. | Am I late? |
| Your mother is at home. | Is your mother at home? |
| The shoes are new. | Are the shoes new? |
| They are students. | Are they students? |
Examples:
Remember: with to be, never add do or does. We say Are you happy?, not Do you are happy?
Questions with “do” and “does”
All other verbs need a helper verb to make a question. This helper is do or does. It has no meaning of its own. Its only job is to help you build the question.
| Use do with | Use does with |
|---|---|
| I, you, we, they | he, she, it |
| my parents, the students | my mother, the teacher |
Formula: Do / Does + subject + base verb + the rest of the sentence + ?
The main verb goes back to its base form (the form without -s). The -s moves to does.
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| You like pizza. | Do you like pizza? |
| They live here. | Do they live here? |
| She works in a bank. | Does she work in a bank? |
| The bus stops here. | Does the bus stop here? |
Examples:
Questions with “can”
The verb can works like to be. Move it before the subject. The main verb stays in the base form, and you don’t add do.
Formula: Can + subject + base verb + ?
Examples:
Short answers
In real conversations, we usually answer yes/no questions with a short answer. We don’t repeat the whole sentence. We use Yes or No, the subject, and the same helper verb as in the question.
Formula:
- Yes, + subject + am / is / are / do / does / can.
- No, + subject + ‘m not / isn’t / aren’t / don’t / doesn’t / can’t.
| Question | Short answers |
|---|---|
| Are you a student? | Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. |
| Is he tired? | Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t. |
| Are they here? | Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t. |
| Do you like tea? | Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. |
| Does she work here? | Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t. |
| Can you swim? | Yes, I can. / No, I can’t. |
Remember: in a Yes answer, don’t use a short form. Say Yes, I am., not Yes, I’m. In a No answer, short forms are fine: No, I’m not.
Learn How to Make YES/NO QUESTIONS
Everyday yes/no questions
Here are useful questions that you can use every day. Click any phrase to hear it.
Yes, I do. / A little. Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t. Yes, of course. Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. Yes, it does. / No, it doesn’t. Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t. Yes, I’m fine, thanks.
Quick summary
- To be and can: move the verb before the subject. Are you ready? Can she swim?
- All other verbs: use do (I, you, we, they) or does (he, she, it) + subject + base verb. Do you like tea? Does he play tennis?
- Never use do or does together with am / is / are.
- Short answers: Yes/No + subject + the same helper verb. Yes, I do. No, she isn’t.
- Don’t shorten a Yes answer: Yes, I am., not Yes, I’m.
