Questions: getting the word order right.
Forming a question is basic, but under exam pressure the word order slips: the auxiliary has to come before the subject (“Where do you live?”, not “Where you live?”). Get that, the subject-question exception, question tags and the indirect-question twist right, and a whole category of error disappears from your speaking.
Why this matters. You do not ask many questions in the Speaking test, but you ask them in the room, in real life, and in Part 3 follow-ups, and a broken question (“You are from where?”, “Where you live?”) is a visible accuracy slip. Two patterns cause most trouble: dropping the auxiliary (do/does/did/have/are), and keeping question word order inside an indirect question (“Can you tell me where the station is?”, not “where is the station”). Question tags are the third piece, common in natural British speech and a quiet sign of control.
The rule is one thing: the auxiliary comes before the subject.
Almost every English question puts a helping verb (do, does, did, is, are, have, can, will…) in front of the subject. Master that one move and the four types below all fall into place.
Yes/no questions
auxiliary + subject + verb?
Start with the auxiliary. If the statement has no auxiliary, use do/does/did: “You live here” becomes “Do you live here?”
Are you working today? Have you been to Wales? Did she call?
Wh-questions
wh-word + auxiliary + subject + verb?
The question word goes first, then the same auxiliary-before-subject order. What, where, when, why, who, how, how long…
Where do you live? How long have you been learning English?
Subject questions
who / what + verb? (no auxiliary)
When who or what is the subject of the question, there is no inversion and no do: the word order stays like a statement.
Who called? What happened? (not “Who did call?”)
Question tags
statement + , + auxiliary + pronoun?
A short tag turns a statement into a check. The tag uses the same auxiliary and reverses the polarity: positive statement, negative tag, and vice versa.
You’re from Manchester, aren’t you? He doesn’t drive, does he?
The errors that mark you down
Three recur. First, statement word order in a direct question: “Where you live?” or “You are going?” instead of “Where do you live?”, “Are you going?”. Second, the indirect question twist: once a question is embedded (“Could you tell me …”, “I wonder …”), the word order goes back to a statement: “Could you tell me where the station is?”, not “where is the station”. Third, the wrong tag auxiliary: it must match the statement’s verb, so a past simple statement takes did (“You went, didn’t you?”), not “haven’t you”.
What question control reads like at each band.
At Band 5
Questions often keep statement order (“You are student?”) or drop the auxiliary (“Where you from?”). The meaning gets through with rising intonation, but the form is visibly broken, and tags and indirect questions are not attempted.
At Band 6
Basic yes/no and wh-questions are usually formed correctly, but the auxiliary slips under pressure, subject questions sometimes take an unnecessary do (“Who did call?”), and indirect questions keep question order (“Do you know where is it?”).
At Band 7
Direct questions are accurate, and indirect questions are mostly handled. The occasional question tag appears, sometimes with the wrong auxiliary, but the word order is reliable and does not distract.
At Band 8+
Every question type is accurate and natural, including question tags with the right auxiliary and polarity and smooth indirect questions. Questions are simply not a source of error, and tags are used idiomatically for emphasis and rapport.
Same statement, four ways to question it.
Take the auxiliary that is already in the statement, or add do/does/did if there is none, and move it in front of the subject. The exceptions are the subject question (no move) and the indirect question (no move).
| Type | Structure | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/no | aux + subject + verb? | Do you enjoy your work? Have you finished? |
| Wh- | wh- + aux + subject + verb? | Why did you choose this city? |
| Subject question | who/what + verb? (no aux) | Who told you that? What went wrong? |
| Question tag | statement + reversed aux + pronoun? | It’s cold today, isn’t it? |
| Indirect question | opener + wh-/if + statement order | Could you tell me where the office is? |
Indirect questions are softer, and safer. Openers like “Could you tell me…”, “Do you know…” and “I’d like to know…” are more polite, and they sidestep the inversion entirely, because the embedded part returns to statement order. For turning a question into reported speech (“She asked where I lived”), see reported speech →.
Ten to drill.
Choose the correctly formed question for each. Press Check answers for your score and the reason behind each one. Nothing is sent anywhere.
You know the rule. Holding the word order together while you think on your feet is the work.
A broken question is a small, visible error, and the indirect-question word order is the one that catches even strong speakers.
In a lesson I have you ask the questions, not just answer them, and I catch the dropped auxiliary or the inverted indirect question the moment it happens, until correct word order is automatic. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first step is a free 25-minute introduction. This page is adapted from the grammar chapter of the forthcoming Ultimate Guide to IELTS Speaking.