Hello Dear English Learners, This post is being created with the Collaboration of TAMS Studies – World Class English Language Academy. In this post, we are going to talk about ‘Yes/No Questions’, Their Format, Their Usage and Some Common Sentences which you learn ad practice to make your life better.
Yes No Questions in the English Language
These sentences are called Yes/No Questions because their answer is always in a Yes or a No.
These Sentences always start with Auxiliaries or Modal Auxiliaries
List of Auxiliaries and Modal Auxiliaries:
- Do
- Did
- Are
- Is
- Am
- Was
- Were
- Are
- Have
- Has
- Had
- Will
- Would
- Can
- Could
- Shall
- Should
- May
- Might
Examples of Yes No Questions:
- Have you learnt Yes No Questions?
- Do you understand the English language?
- Is your homework completed?
- Are you going to enjoy this book?
- Am I going to bear this?
- Was he about to leave when you reached?
- Were they listening to what you were speaking?
- Will you pay for me?
- Would you like to have a cup of coffee?
- Shall we eat?
- Should you go there often?
- May I go to drink water?
- Might they have gone to the program?
- Can she complete this project?
- Could you please help me?
You need to understand all these sentences start with a helping verb. And then the subject comes.
The answer to these questions is always in a Yes or a No. However, the person can add details.
Some More Examples of Yes No Questions in the English Language.
- Do you like vanilla ice cream?┬а(answer:┬аyes┬аor┬аno)
- Have you ever seen a ghost?┬а(answer:┬аyes┬аor┬аno)
- Is she working very hard?
- Were they travelling together?
- Does that taste okay?
- Did you go to the concert?
- Have they eaten yet?
- Had they visited Rome before?
- Could you help me lift this?
- Should I open the window?
- Do you usually walk to work?
- Did you like disco music in the 70s?
- Is this phone call being recorded?
- Has the garden been looked after while you were away?
- Should we have been writing this down?Is the weather nice in Turkey in the winter?
- Was she angry when you told her about the accident?
- Have you an identity card? (formal)
- Do you have an identity card? (neutral)
- Have you got an identity card? (informal)
- Did you have your glasses with you when you left the car?
- Had you got your glasses with you when you left the car? (less common)
- Would you like to play tennis with me later?
Responding to yes-no┬аquestions
Other ways of saying┬аyes┬аand┬аno┬аinclude┬аyeah, yep, mm, okay, and┬аnah, nope. These are informal:
A:Would you like to play tennis with me later?B:Okay. (meaning┬аyes)
A:Have you seen Greg?B:Nope. (meaning┬аno)
We can also give more than just a┬аyes┬аor┬аno┬аanswer. We sometimes add more information:
A:Can I grow potatoes in a pot?B:Yeah. They grow really well in pots.
A:Will you be going to RyanтАЩs party?B:No. IтАЩm actually going to be away on Friday night.
Sometimes we donтАЩt use┬аyes┬аor┬аno┬аas a reply but the answer that we give means┬аyes┬аor┬аno:
A:Do you know Tina Gomez?B:WeтАЩve known each other for years. We went to the same school. (meaning┬аyes)
A:Do you have the Thrills latest album?B:IтАЩm afraid weтАЩve just sold the last one!┬а(meaning┬аno)
We sometimes respond using the auxiliary verb from the question instead of┬аyes┬аand┬аno:
A:Hey Tim, did you go fishing today?B:I┬аdid.┬аI went with the boys.
A:Has Jason had breakfast?B:He┬аhasnтАЩt.┬аHeтАЩs still in bed.
Negative┬аyes-no┬аquestions
We usually use negative┬аyes-no┬аquestions to check or confirm something we believe or expect to be the case, or when we consider that something is the best thing to do:
- IsnтАЩt┬аthat PaulineтАЩs car? (IтАЩm pretty sure that this is correct. IтАЩm asking for confirmation.)ShouldnтАЩt┬аwe be leaving?┬а(I think that we should leave now.)
We form negative┬аyes-no┬аquestions with┬аnot. We usually use the contraction┬аnтАЩt. If we use┬аnot┬аin its full form, the question sounds very formal:
- IsnтАЩt┬аthat the oldest building on this street?
When using the full form┬аnot, the order auxiliary + subject (s) +┬аnot┬аis more common than auxiliary +┬аnot┬а+ subject:
[AUX][s]Is that┬а[not]not┬аthe oldest building in this street?┬а(formal) (preferred to [the very formal]┬аIs┬аnot┬аthat┬аthe oldest building on this street?)
We can use negative┬аyes-no┬аquestions to make invitations, offers and complaints stronger:
- WonтАЩt┬аyou stay for dinner?┬а(invitation; stronger than┬аWill you stay for dinner?)
- WouldnтАЩt┬аyou like another coffee?┬а(offer; stronger than┬аWould you like another coffee?)
- CanтАЩt┬аthe manager do something about the noise?┬а(complaint; stronger than┬аCan the manager do something about the noise?)
Intonation and┬аyes-no┬аquestions
The intonation┬аof┬аyes-no┬аquestions is normally either rising [riтЖЧsing arrow] or fall-rising [dowтЖШn uтЖЧp arrow] intonation depending on the meaning. If we do not know the answer, we use rising intonation. If we more or less know the answer and are looking for confirmation, we use fall-rising intonation:
- Are you wтЖЧarm enough?
- Did you once liтЖШve in IrтЖЧeland?┬а(I think the answer is┬аyes.)
We often use fall-rising intonation with┬аyes-no┬аquestions when asking a number of questions together:
A:┬аYouтАЩre living iтЖШn BтЖЧayswater?┬а[Question 1]B:┬аYeah. ThatтАЩs right.A:┬аAre you rentinтЖШg youтЖЧr house?┬а[Question 2]B:┬аYeah, we are.A:┬аIs it expтЖШensiтЖЧve?┬а[Question 3]B:┬аItтАЩs not very expensive for somewhere so near the city centre.
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Figures of Speech Alliteration
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