Unit

49 Questions 1
A In questions the subject is usually after the first verb:
subject + verb verb + subject
Tom will → will Tom? Will Tom be here tomorrow?
you have → have you? Have you been working hard?
the house was → was the house? When was the house built?
The subject is after the first verb:
Is Katherine working today? (not Is working Katherine)

B In present simple questions, we use do/does:

you live → do you live? Do you live near here?
the film starts → does the film start? What time does the film start?

In past simple questions, we use did:

you sold → did you sell? Did you sell your car?
the train stopped → did the train stop? Why did the train stop?

But do not use do/does/did if who/what etc. is the subject of the sentence. Compare:

who object who subject

Emma phoned somebody . Somebody phoned Emma.
object subject
Who did Emma phone? Who phoned Emma?

In these examples, who/what etc. is the subject:

Who wants something to eat? (not Who does want)
What happened to you last night? (not What did happen)
How many people came to the party? (not did come)
Which bus goes to the centre? (not does go)

C In questions beginning who/what/which/where, prepositions (in, for etc.) usually go at the end:
Where are you from? What was the weather like?
Who do you want to speak to? Which job has Tina applied for?
You can use preposition + whom in formal style:
To whom do you wish to speak?

D isn’t it … ? / didn’t you … ? etc. (negative questions)

We use negative questions especially to show surprise:
Didn’t you hear the doorbell? I rang it three times.
or when we expect the listener to agree with us:
‘Haven’t we met before?’ ‘Yes, I think we have.’
Note the meaning of yes and no in answers to negative questions:
⎧ ‘Yes.’ (= Yes, I want to go)
‘Don’t you want to go?’ ⎨
⎩ ‘No.’ (= No, I don’t want to go)
We often use negative questions with Why … ? :
Why don’t we eat out tonight? (not Why we don’t eat)
Why wasn’t Emma at work yesterday? (not Why Emma wasn’t)

98 Questions 2 ➜ Unit 50 Question tags (do you? isn’t it? etc.) ➜ Unit 52
 Unit
Exercises 49
49.1 Ask Joe questions.
JOE

1 (where / live) Where do you live? In Manchester.

2 (born there?) No, I was born in London.
3 (married?) Yes.
4 (how long?) 17 years.
5 (what / do?) I’m a journalist.
6 (what wife / do?) She’s a doctor.
7 (children?) Yes, two boys.
8 (how old?) 12 and 15.

49.2 Make questions with who or what.

1 Somebody hit me. Who hit you?

2 I hit somebody. Who did you hit?
3 Somebody paid the bill. Who
4 I’m worried about something. What
5 Something happened.
6 Diane said something.
7 This book belongs to somebody.
8 Somebody lives in that house.
9 I fell over something.
10 Something fell off the shelf.
11 This word means something.
12 Sarah was with somebody.
13 I’m looking for something.
14 Emma reminds me of somebody.

49.3 Put the words in brackets in the correct order.

1 (when / was / built / this house?) When was this house built?
2 (how / cheese / is / made?)
3 (why / Sue / working / isn’t / today?)
4 (what time / arriving / your friends / are?)
5 (why / was / cancelled / the meeting?)
6 (when / invented / paper / was?)
7 (where / your parents / were / born?)
8 (why / you / to the party / didn’t / come?)
9 (how / the accident / did / happen?)
10 (why / happy / you / aren’t?)
11 (how many / speak / can / languages / you?)
49.4 Write negative questions from the words in brackets. In each situation you are surprised.
1 a: We won’t see Lisa this evening.
b: Why not? (she / not / come / out with us?) Isn’t she coming out with us?
2 a: I hope we don’t meet Luke tonight.
b: Why? (you / not / like / him?)
3 a: Don’t go and see that film.
b: Why not? (it / not / good?)
4 a: I’ll have to borrow some money.
b: Why? (you / not / have / any?)
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Unit Questions 2 (do you know where … ? /
50 he asked me where …)
A Do you know where … ? / I don’t know why … / Could you tell me what … ? etc.
We say: Where has Tom gone?

but Do you know where Tom has gone? (not has Tom gone)
When the question (Where has Tom gone?) is part of a longer sentence (Do you know … ? /
I don’t know … / Can you tell me … ? etc.), the word order changes. We say:
What time is it? but Do you know what time it is?
Who are those people? I don’t know who those people are.
Where can I find Louise? Can you tell me where I can find Louise?
How much will it cost? Do you have any idea how much it will cost?

Be careful with do/does/did questions. We say:

What time does the film start? but Do you know what time the film starts?
(not does the film start)
What do you mean? Please explain what you mean.
Why did she leave early? I wonder why she left early.

Use if or whether where there is no other question word (what, why etc.):

Did anybody see you? but I don’t know if anybody saw me.
or … whether anybody saw me.

B He asked me where …
The same changes in word order happen in questions in reported speech. Compare:
direct The police officer said to us ‘Where are you going ?’
reported The police officer asked us where we were going .
direct Clare asked ‘What time do the shops close ?’
reported Clare wanted to know what time the shops closed .
In reported speech the verb usually changes to the past (were, closed etc.). See Unit 47.
Study these examples. You had a job interview and the interviewer asked you these questions:
Are you willing to travel? Why did you apply for the job?

What do you do in your spare time? Can you speak any other languages?

How long have you been

working in your present job? Do you have a driving licence?

Later you tell a friend what the interviewer asked you. You use reported speech:
She asked if (or whether) I was willing to travel.
She wanted to know what I did in my spare time.
She asked how long I had been working in my present job.
She asked why I had applied for the job. or … why I applied …
She wanted to know if (or whether) I could speak any other languages.
She asked if (or whether) I had a driving licence.

100 Reported speech ➜ Units 47–48

 Unit
Exercises 50
50.1 Which is right? Tick (✓) the correct alternative.
1 a Do you know what time the film starts? 5 a Why you didn’t phone me yesterday?
b Do you know what time does the film start? b Why didn’t you phone me yesterday?
c Do you know what time starts the film? c Why you not phoned me yesterday?
2 a Why Amy does get up so early every day? 6 a Do you know where does Helen work?
b Why Amy gets up so early every day? b Do you know where Helen does work?
c Why does Amy get up so early every day? c Do you know where Helen works?
3 a I want to know what this word means. 7 a How much it costs to park here?
b I want to know what does this word mean. b How much does it cost to park here?
c I want to know what means this word. c How much it does cost to park here?
4 a I can’t remember where did I park the car. 8 a Tell me what you want.
b I can’t remember where I parked the car. b Tell me what you do want.
c I can’t remember where I did park the car. c Tell me what do you want.
50.2 Put the words in the correct order.
1 (it / you / what time / know / is) Do you know what time it is ?
2 (is / to the airport / far / it) How ?
3 (wonder / is / how / old / Tom) I .
4 (they / married / been / have) How long ?
5 (they / married / how long / been / have / know)
Do you ?
6 (tell / the station / you / me / is / where)
Could ?
7 (in the accident / injured / anyone / don’t / whether / know / was)
I .
8 (what / tomorrow / know / time / will / arrive / you / you)
Do ?
50.3 You were visiting London. You met a lot of people who asked you a lot of questions:

1 Where are you from? 5 Where are you staying?

How long have you How long are you

2 been in London? 6 going to stay?

Have you been to Do you think London

3 London before? 7 is expensive?

Why did you

4 Do you like London? 8 come to London?

Now you tell a friend what people asked you. Use reported speech.
1 He asked me where I was from.
2 She asked me
3 They
4
5
6
7
8

➜ Additional exercise 25 (page 316) 101

Unit Auxiliary verbs (have/do/can etc.)
51 I think so / I hope so etc.
A In these sentences there is an auxiliary verb and a main verb:
auxiliary main
I have lost my keys.
She can’t come to the party.
The hotel was built ten years ago.
Why do you want to go home?
In these examples have/can’t/was/do are auxiliary (= helping) verbs.
You can use an auxiliary verb when you don’t want to repeat something:
‘Have you locked the door?’ ‘Yes, I have.’ (= I have locked the door)
Gary wasn’t working, but Laura was. (= Laura was working)
Jessica could lend me the money, but she won’t. (= she won’t lend me the money)
We use do/does/did for the present and past simple:
‘Do you like onions?’ ‘Yes, I do.’ (= I like onions)
‘Does Simon live in London?’ ‘He did, but he doesn’t any more.’
You can use auxiliary verbs to deny what somebody says (= say it is not true):
‘You’re sitting in my place.’ ‘No, I’m not.’ (= I’m not sitting in your place)
‘You didn’t lock the door before you left.’ ‘Yes, I did.’ (= I locked the door)

B We use have you? / isn’t she? / are they? etc. to show that we are interested in what somebody has said,
or to show surprise:
‘I’ve just seen Steven.’ ‘Oh, have you? How is he?’
‘Lisa isn’t very well today.’ ‘Isn’t she? What’s wrong with her?’
‘It rained every day during our holiday.’ ‘Did it? What a shame!’
‘James and Tanya are getting married.’ ‘Are they? Really?’

C We use auxiliary verbs with so and neither:

‘I’m tired.’ ‘So am I.’ (= I’m tired too)
‘I never read newspapers.’ ‘Neither do I.’ (= I never read newspapers either)
Sarah can’t drive and neither can Mark.
Note the word order after so and neither (verb before subject):
I passed the exam and so did Paul. (not so Paul did)
Instead of neither, you can use nor. You can also use not … either:
‘I don’t know.’ ‘Neither do I.’ or ‘Nor do I.’ or ‘I don’t either.’

D I think so / I suppose so etc.

You can say I think so / I suppose so etc. when we don’t want to repeat something:
‘Are those people Korean?’ ‘I think so.’ (= I think they are Korean)
‘Is Kate working tomorrow?’ ‘I suppose so.’ (= I suppose she is working tomorrow)
‘Will you be at home this evening?’ ‘I expect so.’ (= I expect I’ll be at home …)
In the same way we say: I hope so, I guess so and I’m afraid so.
The usual negative forms are:
I think so / I expect so → I don’t think so / I don’t expect so
I hope so / I’m afraid so → I hope not / I’m afraid not
I guess so / I suppose so → I guess not / I suppose not
‘Is that woman American?’ ‘I think so. / I don’t think so.’
‘Do you think it will rain?’ ‘I hope so. / I hope not.’ (not I don’t hope so)

102 American English ➜ Appendix 7

 Unit
Exercises 51
51.1 Complete each sentence with an auxiliary verb (do/was/could/might etc.). Sometimes the verb
must be negative (don’t/wasn’t etc.).
1 I wasn’t tired, but my friends were .
2 I like hot weather, but Ann .
3 ‘Is Andy here?’ ‘He five minutes ago, but I think he’s gone home now.’
4 I haven’t travelled much, but Gary .
5 Lisa said she might come and see us tomorrow, but I don’t think she .
6 I don’t know whether to apply for the job or not. Do you think I ?
7 ‘Please don’t tell anybody what happened.’ ‘Don’t worry. I .’
8 ‘You never listen to me.’ ‘Yes, I !’
9 I usually work on Saturdays, but last Saturday I .
10 ‘Do you think it’s going to rain?’ ‘It . Take an umbrella in case.’
11 ‘Are you and Chris going to the party?’ ‘I , but Chris .’
12 ‘Please help me.’ ‘I’m sorry. I if I , but I .’

51.2 You never agree with Amy. Answer in the way shown.

1 I’m hungry. Are you? I’m not.

2 I don’t like driving. Don’t you? I do.
YOU
3 I like football.
4 AMY I didn’t enjoy the film.
5 I’m not tired.
6 I thought the exam was easy.

51.3 Tina tells you something. If the same is true for you, answer with So … or Neither … (as in the
first example). Otherwise, ask Tina questions (as in the second example).

1 I’m not tired. Neither am I.

2 I work hard. Do you? What do you do?
YOU
3 I watched TV last night.
4 TINA I won’t be at home tomorrow.

5 I like reading.
6 I’d like to live somewhere else.
7 I can’t go out tonight.
8 I’m looking forward to the weekend.

51.4 What do you say to Sam? Use I think so, I hope not etc.
1 (You don’t like rain.) 5 (Jane has lived in Italy for many years.)
SaM: Is it going to rain? SaM: Does Jane speak Italian?
YOU: I hope not. (hope) YOU: (suppose)
2 (You need more money.) 6 (You have to leave Sam’s party early.)
SaM: Do you think you’ll get a pay rise? SaM: Do you have to leave already?
YOU: (hope) YOU: (afraid)
3 (You’re going to a party. You can’t stand John.) 7 (You’re not sure what time the film begins, but
SaM: Will John be at the party? it’s probably 7.30.)
YOU: (hope) SaM: What time is the film? 7.30?
YOU: (think)
4 (You’re not sure whether Amy is married, 8 (You are the receptionist at a hotel.
but she probably isn’t.) The hotel is full.)
SaM: Is Amy married? SaM: Do you have a room for tonight?
YOU: (think) YOU: (afraid)
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Unit
52 Question tags (do you? isn’t it? etc.)
A Study these examples:
You haven’t seen It was a good Yes, it was great.
No, I haven’t.
Lisa today, have you? film, wasn’t it?

Have you? and wasn’t it? are question tags. These are mini-questions that you can put on the end of
a sentence.
In question tags, we use an auxiliary verb (have/was/will etc.).
We use do/does/did for the present and past simple (see Unit 51):
‘Karen plays the piano, doesn’t she?’ ‘Well, yes, but not very well.’
‘You didn’t lock the door, did you?’ ‘No, I forgot.’

B Normally we use a negative question tag after … and a positive question tag after a
a positive sentence: negative sentence:
positive sentence + negative tag negative sentence + positive tag
Kate will be here soon, won’t she? Kate won’t be late, will she?
There was a lot of traffic, wasn’t there? They don’t like us, do they?
Joe should pass the exam, shouldn’t he? You haven’t eaten yet, have you?
Notice the meaning of yes and no in answer to a negative sentence:
⎧ ‘Yes.’ (= Yes, I am going out)
‘You’re not going out this morning, are you?’ ⎨
⎩ ‘No.’ (= No, I am not going out)

C The meaning of a question tag depends on how you say it. If your voice goes down, you are not
really asking a question. You expect the listener to agree with you:
‘It’s a nice day, isn’t it?’ ‘Yes, beautiful.’
‘Paul doesn’t look well today, does he?’ ‘No, he looks very tired.’
‘Lisa’s very funny. She’s got a great sense of humour, hasn’t she?’ ‘Yes, she has.’
But if the voice goes up, it is a real question:
‘You haven’t seen Kate today, have you?’ ‘No, I haven’t.’
(= Have you seen Kate today?)
You can use a negative sentence + positive tag to ask for things or information, or to ask somebody
to do something. The voice goes up at the end of the tag:
‘You couldn’t do me a favour, could you?’ ‘It depends what it is.’
‘You don’t know where Karen is, do you?’ ‘Sorry, I have no idea.’

D After Let’s … (= Let us) the question tag is shall we:

Let’s go for a walk, shall we? (the voice goes up)
After Don’t … , the question tag is will you:
Don’t be late, will you? (the voice goes down)
After I’m … , the negative question tag is aren’t I? (= am I not?):
‘I’m right, aren’t I?’ ‘Yes, you are.’

104 Auxiliary verbs (have/do/can etc.) ➜ Unit 51

 Unit
Exercises 52
52.1 Complete these sentences with a question tag.

1 Kate won’t be late, will she ? No, she’s never late.

2 You’re tired, aren’t you ? Yes, a little.
3 You travel a lot, ? Yes, I love travelling.
4 You weren’t listening, ? Yes, I was!
5 Sarah doesn’t know Ann, ? No, they’ve never met.
6 Jack’s on holiday, ? Yes, he’s in Australia.
7 It didn’t take long to get here, ? No, just ten minutes.
8 You can speak German, ? Yes, but not fluently.
9 They won’t mind if I take a picture, ? No, of course they won’t.
10 There are a lot of people here, ? Yes, more than I expected.
11 Let’s go and have coffee, ? Yes, let’s do that.
12 This isn’t very interesting ? No, not really.
13 I’m too impatient ? Yes, you are sometimes.
14 You wouldn’t tell anyone, ? No, of course not.
15 Helen has lived here a long time, ? Yes, 20 years.
16 I shouldn’t have lost my temper, ? No, but that’s all right.
17 He’d never met her before, ? No, that was the first time.
18 Don’t forget to call me, ? No, I won’t forget.

52.2 In these situations you expect your friend to agree with you. Use a question tag in your sentences.
1 You look out of the window. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. You say to your friend:
(beautiful day) It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
2 You’re with a friend outside a restaurant. You’re looking at the prices, which are very high.
You say: (expensive) It
3 You and a colleague have just finished a training course. You really enjoyed it. You say to your
colleague: (great) The course
4 Your friend’s hair is much shorter than when you last met. You say to her/him:
(have / your hair / cut) You
5 You’re listening to a woman singing. You like her voice very much. You say to your friend:
(a good voice) She
6 You’re trying on a jacket in a shop. You look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see.
You say to your friend:
(not / look / right) It
7 You and a friend are walking over a small wooden bridge. The bridge is old and some parts are
broken. You say:
(not / very safe) This bridge

52.3 In these situations you are asking for information, asking people to do things etc.
1 You need a pen. Perhaps Jane has one. Ask her.
Jane, you don’t have a pen I could borrow, do you?
2 You have to move a heavy table. You want Joe to help you with it. Ask him.
Joe, you
3 You’re looking for Sarah. Perhaps Lisa knows where she is. Ask her.
Lisa, you
4 You want to borrow a tennis racket. Perhaps Helen has one. Ask her.
Helen,
5 Anna has a car and you need a lift to the station. Perhaps she’ll take you. Ask her.
Anna,
6 You’re looking for your keys. Perhaps Robert has seen them. Ask him.
Robert,

105