Question Types: revision Practice Tests with B2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Question Types: Revision

Asking questions is one of the most important skills in English. At B2 level, you already know several question types, but it is easy to confuse them or make small errors that change the meaning of what you are asking. This lesson revises all the main question types in English — yes/no questions, wh- questions, tag questions, indirect questions, and choice questions — so you can use them accurately and naturally in both speaking and writing.

Consider these examples:

• Do you enjoy travelling abroad? (yes/no question)
• Where did you go last summer? (wh- question)
• You've been to Japan, haven't you? (tag question)
• Could you tell me where the station is? (indirect question)
• Would you prefer tea or coffee? (choice question)

Each type follows its own rules. Let's revise them all carefully.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions expect either yes or no as the answer. To form them, you invert the subject and the auxiliary verb (or modal verb). If there is no auxiliary verb in the positive statement, you add do / does / did.

Forming Yes/No Questions

Statement → Question

She is tired. → Is she tired?
They have finished. → Have they finished?
He can swim. → Can he swim?
You like jazz. → Do you like jazz?
She works here. → Does she work here?
They left early. → Did they leave early?

Tense / Structure	Statement	Yes/No Question
Present simple	He plays football.	Does he play football?
Past simple	They travelled last year.	Did they travel last year?
Present continuous	She is working.	Is she working?
Present perfect	You have met him.	Have you met him?
Past perfect	He had left already.	Had he left already?
Future (will)	She will call you.	Will she call you?
Future (going to)	They are going to move.	Are they going to move?
Modal verb	You should rest.	Should you rest?

Key Rule

Always invert the subject and the first auxiliary verb. Never invert with the main verb alone (unless the main verb is be).

❌ Likes she music?
✅ Does she like music?

Wh- Questions

Wh- questions ask for specific information. They begin with a question word and follow the same inversion rules as yes/no questions, with the question word placed at the front.

Common Question Words

Question Word	Asks About	Example
What	things / actions / ideas	What did you say?
Who	people (subject or object)	Who called you?
Whom	people (object — formal)	Whom did you call?
Which	choice from a limited set	Which route do you prefer?
Where	place	Where are you going?
When	time	When does the meeting start?
Why	reason	Why did she leave so early?
How	manner / degree / amount	How do you manage your time?
How long	duration	How long have you lived here?
How often	frequency	How often do you exercise?
How much / many	quantity	How much does it cost?
Whose	possession	Whose bag is this?

Subject Questions vs. Object Questions

This is a very important distinction at B2 level. When the question word is the subject of the sentence, you do not use do/does/did, and there is no inversion.

Object question (question word = object):
What did she buy? → She bought something. (something is the object)
Who did you invite? → You invited someone.

Subject question (question word = subject):
What happened? → Something happened. (something is the subject)
Who called you? → Someone called you.

Type	Structure	Example
Subject question	Wh- word + verb (no inversion)	Who wrote this report?
Object question	Wh- word + auxiliary + subject + main verb	What did you write?

❌ Who did write this report?
✅ Who wrote this report? (subject question — no auxiliary needed)

Tag Questions

Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a statement. They are used to check information, invite agreement, or confirm something you believe is true. They are very common in spoken English.

How to Form Tag Questions

The basic rule has two parts:

• If the statement is positive, the tag is negative.
• If the statement is negative, the tag is positive.

The tag uses the same auxiliary verb as the main clause, and a pronoun that refers to the subject.

Positive statement + negative tag:
She has finished the report, hasn't she?
They were at the conference, weren't they?
You will help me, won't you?

Negative statement + positive tag:
He isn't coming, is he?
You haven't met her, have you?
She wouldn't agree, would she?

Statement	Tag
It's a great idea,	isn't it?
You've been here before,	haven't you?
He can drive,	can't he?
They didn't object,	did they?
We should leave now,	shouldn't we?
She won't be late,	will she?
You rarely eat meat,	do you?
Nobody called,	did they?

Special Cases for Tag Questions

1. The verb "to be" (present simple):
I am late, aren't I? (Note: amn't I is not standard; aren't I is the accepted form.)

2. Imperative sentences:
Close the window, will you?
Let's start, shall we?

3. Nothing / nobody / nowhere (negative meaning):
Nothing went wrong, did it?
Nobody complained, did they?

4. Intonation matters:
A falling intonation on the tag means the speaker expects agreement.
A rising intonation means the speaker is genuinely asking and is unsure.

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are more polite and formal than direct questions. They are often used when speaking to strangers, in professional situations, or when you want to sound less direct. Importantly, indirect questions use statement word order — there is no inversion and you do not use do/does/did.

How to Form Indirect Questions

Direct question → Indirect question

Where is the post office?
→ Could you tell me where the post office is?

What time does the train leave?
→ Do you know what time the train leaves?

Has she submitted the application?
→ I was wondering whether she had submitted the application.

Common Introducing Phrases

• Could you tell me…
• Do you know…
• Would you mind telling me…
• I'd like to know…
• I was wondering…
• Can you explain…
• I'm not sure…
• Have you any idea…

Using If / Whether

When the original question is a yes/no question, use if or whether to introduce the indirect version.

Is the report ready?
→ Could you tell me if / whether the report is ready?

Did he agree?
→ I was wondering whether he had agreed.

Direct Question	Indirect Question
Where do they live?	Do you know where they live?
Why did she resign?	I'd like to know why she resigned.
How long will it take?	Could you tell me how long it will take?
Is he coming?	Do you know if he is coming?
Has the package arrived?	I was wondering whether the package had arrived.

Key Rule for Indirect Questions

After the introductory phrase, use normal statement word order. Do not invert the subject and verb. Do not add do/does/did.

❌ Could you tell me where is the station?
✅ Could you tell me where the station is?

❌ Do you know what time does the film start?
✅ Do you know what time the film starts?

Choice Questions

Choice questions ask someone to choose between two or more options. They use the word or and follow the same structure as yes/no questions.

Would you prefer to fly or take the train?
Is she in the London office or the Edinburgh office?
Did you contact them by email or by phone?
Are you coming on Friday or Saturday?

Note that choice questions cannot be answered with yes or no — a specific choice is required.

Negative Questions

Negative questions can express surprise, seek confirmation, or make a complaint. They are formed by adding not (or its contraction) to the auxiliary verb.

With contraction (more common in speech):
Didn't you receive my email?
Haven't they finished yet?
Isn't this the right address?

Without contraction (more formal):
Did you not receive my email?
Have they not finished yet?

Negative questions can be tricky to answer. The answer matches the truth of the situation, not the form of the question.

Didn't you call him?
✅ Yes, I did. (= I did call him.)
✅ No, I didn't. (= I did not call him.)

Important Differences and Special Cases

Who vs. Whom

Who is used when the question word is the subject.
Whom is used when the question word is the object (more formal).

Who sent the message? (subject — who sent it)
Whom did you send the message to? / To whom did you send the message? (object — you sent it)

In informal spoken English, who is often used for both, but whom is important in formal writing and professional contexts.

What vs. Which

What is used when the range of choices is open or unlimited.
Which is used when choosing from a specific, limited set of options.

What do you do for a living? (open — any job)
Which of these two jobs are you applying for? (limited — two specific options)

How Come?

How come is an informal way to ask why. It uses statement word order — no inversion.

How come you didn't tell me? (= Why didn't you tell me?)
❌ How come did you not tell me?
✅ How come you didn't tell me?

Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are questions that do not expect an answer. They are used for emphasis or effect.

Who wouldn't want a better work-life balance? (= Everyone wants it.)
What's the point of arguing? (= There is no point.)

Common Mistakes

❌ Where does she lives?
✅ Where does she live? (After do/does/did, use the base form of the verb.)

❌ What you are doing?
✅ What are you doing? (Invert the subject and auxiliary verb.)

❌ Could you tell me where is the museum?
✅ Could you tell me where the museum is? (Indirect questions use statement word order.)

❌ She's your manager, isn't she is?
✅ She's your manager, isn't she? (The tag only contains the auxiliary and pronoun.)

❌ Who did write the report?
✅ Who wrote the report? (Subject questions do not use do/does/did.)

❌ Do you know if is he available?
✅ Do you know if he is available? (No inversion after if / whether in indirect questions.)

❌ I am right, am I not? (unnatural in most contexts)
✅ I am right, aren't I? (Aren't I is the standard contracted tag for I am.)

❌ Nobody called, didn't they?
✅ Nobody called, did they? (Nobody has a negative meaning, so the tag is positive.)

Question Types: Quick Summary

Question Type	Purpose	Key Feature	Example
Yes/No question	Expects yes or no	Invert subject + auxiliary; add do/does/did if needed	Have you met her?
Wh- question (object)	Asks for specific information	Wh- word + auxiliary + subject + verb	What did you say?
Wh- question (subject)	Asks who/what did something	Wh- word + verb (no inversion, no auxiliary)	Who called?
Tag question	Confirms, checks, or seeks agreement	Positive → negative tag; negative → positive tag	She's brilliant, isn't she?
Indirect question	Polite / formal requests for information	Introductory phrase + statement word order; if/whether for yes/no	Could you tell me where she works?
Choice question	Asks for a choice between options	Uses or; same structure as yes/no question	Would you prefer tea or coffee?
Negative question	Surprise, confirmation, complaint	Negative auxiliary (contracted or full form)	Haven't you finished yet?

Key points to remember:

• Always invert the subject and the first auxiliary verb in direct questions.
• Use do/does/did only when there is no other auxiliary verb.
• In subject questions, there is no inversion and no do/does/did.
• In indirect questions, use statement word order after the introductory phrase.
• In tag questions, a positive statement takes a negative tag, and vice versa.
• Use if or whether in indirect questions when the original is a yes/no question.

Now practise question types in the exercises below.