Yes/No Questions & Short Answers

Learning Zone - English

Universidad MetropolitanaTítulo V Campus

Index

1. Purpose2. How to use them – Yes/No Questions3. Statements & Questions - Examples4. How to use them – Short Answers5. Affirmative and Negative Answers 6. Important7. How to use them (Yes/No Questions with other verbs)8. Explanation9. Yes/No Questions with other verbs10. How to use them (Short Answers)11. Affirmative & Negative Answers with other verbs 12. Practice13. More Practice

Purpose

The purpose to ask a 'Yes/No' question is to have a short answer and in English is more polite than just saying ‘Yes. / No.’ That is why short answers are very commonly used. Be careful, there can be more than one verb. Sometimes, when using other verbs such as do, have, go, etc., we formulate the questions and answers in a different way.

Index

How to use them

Yes/No questions with verb Be

Subject and verb change their position in statement and question.

Explanation: In the statement, the verb goes after the subject. On the other hand, when asking a question, the verb goes before the subject

Statement• You are from England.

Question• Are you from England?

Index

Statements & Questions with verb Be

Statement: I am happy. Subject + verb “be” + complementQuestion: Am I happy?

Verb “be” + subject + complement+?

Statement: It is big. Subject + verb “be” + complement

Question: Is it big? Verb “be” + subject + complement+?

Statement: We are good friends. Subject + verb “be” + complement

Question: Are we good friends? Verb “be” + subject + complement+?

Index

How to use themShort Answers

To form short answers, choose if you want to answer in the affirmative (“yes”) or the negative (“no”) voice.

Then, write the subject or subject pronoun. Finally, write the correct form of the verb “be”.

If you choose “no” as an answer, write “not” after the verb.

Affirmative

NegativeQuestion: Are we funny?Answer: No, we are not.

Question: Are we funny?Answer: Yes, we are.

Index

Affirmative and Negative Answers with verb Be

Examples

Question Affirmative answer Negative answer

Are they teachers? Yes, they are. No, they are not.

Are we funny? Yes, we are. No, we are not.

Is she smart? Yes, she is. No, she is not.

Is it amazing? Yes, it is. No, it is not.

Am I beautiful? Yes, you are. No, you are not.

Index

Important

If “you” is the subject of the question, “you” must be replaced by “I”.

Question Affirmative Answer Negative Answer

Are you working? Yes, I am. No, I am not.

Are you busy? Yes, I am. No, I am not.

Are you cold? Yes, I am. No, I am not.

Index

How to use them

Yes/No questions with other verbs

Subject and verb change their position in statement and question.

Explanation: In the statement, the verb goes after the subject. On the other hand, when asking a question, we put an auxiliary verb first, then the subject and the main verb changes to its basic form.

Statement• Carlos has a dog named Fido.

Question• Does Carlos have a dog named Fido?

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Explanation

• When you have the pronouns “I, you, we they”, you can substitute the noun for a pronoun by following the rules. Then, you will use the verb in its basic form; have, do, go, speak, walk, etc.

• We add the auxiliary verb “Do” at the beginning of the question and close with a question mark.

• The main verb will remain the same even when you change the statement into a question.

Statement

• You have a Chihuahua.

Question

• Do you have a Chihuahua?

Index

Explanation• When dealing with the pronouns “he, she, it” (if there is a noun, follow

the rules to substitute the noun for a pronoun), the verb (in an affirmative voice) will be written differently even though it means the same; such as has, does, goes, speaks, walks, etc. You have to add –es or –s at the end of the main verb.

• Add the verb “Does” at the beginning of the question and close with a question mark.

• Then, when changing the statement into a question, change the verb to its basic form; such as have, do, go, speak, walk, etc.

Statement• She goes to the park to jog.

Question• Does she go to the park to jog?

Index

Yes/No Questions with other verbs

Statement: She has a flower shop. Subject + other verb + complementQuestion: Does she have a flower shop?

Do/Does + subject + main verb + complement + ?

Statement: We do yoga. Subject + other verb + complement

Question: Do we do yoga? Do/Does + subject + main verb + complement

+ ?

Statement: He goes to the beach every Sunday. Subject + other verb + complement

Question: Does he go to the beach every Sunday? Do/Does + subject + main verb + complement+?

How to use themShort Answers

To form short answers, choose if you want to answer in the affirmative (“yes”) or the negative (“no”).

Then, write the subject or subject pronoun. Then, write “yes” or “no” depending on if your answer is affirmative or negative.

If you choose “no” as an answer, write “not” after the verb.

Affirmative

NegativeQuestion: Do you?Answer: Yes, she is.

Question: Do you have money?Answer: No, I do not.

Question: Do you?Answer: Yes, she is.

Question: Do you have money?Answer: Yes, I do.

Index

Affirmative and Negative Answers with other verbs

Examples

Question Affirmative answer Negative answer

Do you need help? Yes, I do. No, I do not.

Does he speak French? Yes, he does. No, he does not.

Does Sara do yoga? Yes, she does. No, she does not.

Does he go to the park? Yes, he does. No, he does not.

Do you have a boyfriend?

Yes, I do. No, I do not.

Index

Practice

Instructions: Choose the correct short answer depending on what says inside the parenthesis.

1.Jaqueline is my French teacher. (negative)• Yes, she is.• No, she is not.

2.They are taking Tango lessons. (affirmative)• Yes, they are.• No, they are not.

3. Are we funny? (affirmative)• Yes, we are.• No, we are not.

Continue

Practice

4. Sandra lives in Bayamón. (negative)• Yes, she does.• No, she does not.

5. They have a baby boy. (affirmative)• Yes, they do.• No, they do not.

6. She has blond hair. (affirmative)• Yes, she does.• No, she does not.

Continue

Practice

7. They speak Italian fluently. (negative)• Yes, they do.• No, they do not.

8. It is beautiful. (affirmative)• Yes, it is.• No, it is not.

9. He goes to the gym from Monday through Friday. (negative)• Yes, he does.• No, he does not.

10. London is the capital city of England. (affirmative)• Yes, it is.• No, it is not.

Continue

More practice

Instructions: Choose the correct form of question.

1. You are eating sushi.• Are you eating sushi?• You are eating sushi?

2. My mother is an amazing person.• My mother amazing person is an?• Is my mother an amazing person?

3. They do Pilates with the instructor.• Do Pilates with they do instructor the?• Do they do Pilates with the instructor?

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Practice

4. Sandra lives in Bayamón. • Does Sandra live in Bayamón?• Sandra does lives in Bayamón?

5. Mr. Jones has a farm.• Does Mr. Jones haves a farm?• Does Mr. Jones have a farm?

6. Mary is an excellent student.• Is Mary an excellent student?• Is Mary is an excellent student?

Continue

Practice

7. Julie goes to school every day.• Does Julie goes to school every day?• Does Julie go to school every day?

8. He has green eyes. • Haves he has green eyes?• Does he have green eyes?

9. She goes out every weekend.• Does she go out every weekend?• She does goes out every weekend?

10. Mary and George have a duplex house.• Mary and George haves a duplex house?• Do Mary and George have a duplex house?

Continue

• N. Elbaum, Sandra. (2006). Grammar in Context 1

Bibliography

Revised by

Prof. María Isaac – English CoordinatorCristabel R. Ocasio Ilarraza – English Tutor

October 2009