Present Simple: yes/no questions
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
Start with do or does. The verb that follows stays in its plain form.
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The pattern
The auxiliary comes first, then the subject, then the plain verb:
Do you speak Italian? — Does he speak Italian?
Nothing else moves, and the main verb never changes shape.
Short answers repeat the auxiliary
English answers with do or does, not with the main verb:
Do you drive? — Yes, I do. or No, I don’t.
Answering Yes, I drive is understandable but sounds abrupt. The short answer is what people actually say.
Questions with to be do not use do
If the main verb is be, the question is made by swapping, with no auxiliary at all:
- Are you ready? — not Do you be ready?
- Is she a teacher?
This is the commonest mix-up between the two Present Simple patterns, and it is worth a moment’s check: is the verb be, or an ordinary verb?
Asking about habits
Because this tense covers routine, its questions usually ask how life normally goes rather than what is happening now:
- Do you usually take the bus?
- Does the shop ever open on Sundays?
All forms
| Subject | Question | Short answer, yes | Short answer, no |
|---|---|---|---|
| I, you, we, they | Do they know? | Yes, they do. | No, they don't. |
| he, she, it | Does he know? | Yes, he does. | No, he doesn't. |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- Do the buses arrive on time in your city?
- Does your teacher use technology in the classroom?
- Do you often drink coffee in the morning?
- Does the local museum charge an entrance fee?
- Do your friends enjoy playing video games?
- Does it get cold in the winter where you live?
- Do your coworkers get along well with each other?
- Does it cost a lot of money to travel to your dream destination?
- Do their children attend a private or public school?
- Does it bother you when people chew loudly?
- Do they always arrive late for meetings?
- Does it get crowded during rush hour in your city?
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: Does she works here? correct: Does she work here?
Does has taken the ending, so the verb drops it.
Wrong: Do he like football? correct: Does he like football?
He takes does.
Wrong: Are you like coffee? correct: Do you like coffee?
Like is an ordinary verb, so the question needs do — not the verb to be.