Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0011 · Lesson No.011 · 零基础英语第十一课 · Pre-A1 → A1

Simple Questions | 简单问句

What? Who? Where? When? Why? How? Do you…? Is it…?
什么？谁？哪里？什么时候？为什么？怎样？你……吗？它是……吗？

Questions are not one grammar rule. English has several small question machines. Once you know which machine you need, the sentence becomes much easier.

英语问句不是“一条万能规则”。它有几套小系统。先判断属于哪一套，再造句，会比背几十个独立问句容易得多。

This lesson organises the questions you have already met in Lessons 001–010. We will put them into a map: be questions, do/does questions, can questions, and question-word questions.

这一课会把前十课出现过的问句重新整理成一个系统：be 问句、do/does 问句、can 问句，以及 what/who/where/when/why/how 等疑问词问句。

Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.010 · Can You Help Me?

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The lesson map | 本课路线

• yes/no questions and information questions
• be questions: Is it…? Are you…?
• do/does questions: Do you…? Does she…?
• can questions: Can you…?
• what, who, where, when, why, how
• which and whose
• how old, how many, how much, how long
• question word + be
• question word + do/does
• short answers
• question order and statement order
• intonation and listening recognition
• Mandarin 吗/呢 patterns vs English auxiliaries
• question-building ladders
• reading, writing, speaking, retrieval and self-testing

1. Two big jobs: yes/no or information | 两种基本任务

Many beginner questions do one of two jobs.

Yes/no question | 是非问题

• Are you ready?
• Do you like tea?
• Can you help me?

The answer can begin with yes or no.

Information question | 信息问题

• What is your name?
• Where do you live?
• When does class start?

The answer must give missing information.

2. The first question machine: be | 第一套问句机器：be

If the statement uses am/is/are, the question often moves that verb before the subject.

Statement	Question
You are ready.	Are you ready?
She is here.	Is she here?
It is a book.	Is it a book?
They are at home.	Are they at home?

Mandarin can often keep much of the statement order and add 吗. English be questions normally change the order.

3. Are you…? | 你……吗？

• Are you ready?
• Are you tired?
• Are you a student?
• Are you from China?
• Are you at home?

Short answers:

• Yes, I am.
• No, I’m not.

4. Is he / is she / is it…? | 他/她/它……吗？

• Is he your brother?
• Is she a teacher?
• Is it your phone?
• Is it in the bag?

Short answers:

• Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.
• Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
• Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.

5. Are they…? | 他们/它们……吗？

• Are they your parents?
• Are the keys on the table?
• Are the shops open?

Short answers:

• Yes, they are.
• No, they aren’t.

6. The second question machine: do | 第二套问句机器：do

With ordinary verbs in the simple present and subjects such as I/you/we/they, English often uses do.

Statement	Question
You like tea.	Do you like tea?
You work here.	Do you work here?
They live in Beijing.	Do they live in Beijing?
We need tickets.	Do we need tickets?

do is a grammar helper here. Do not force it to carry a separate Chinese dictionary meaning.

7. Do you…? | 你……吗？

• Do you like tea?
• Do you have children?
• Do you work on Monday?
• Do you study English every day?
• Do you need help?

Short answers:

• Yes, I do.
• No, I don’t.

8. Does he/she…? | 他/她……吗？

With he/she/it, use does in the simple present.

• Does she like tea?
• Does he work here?
• Does your sister live in Beijing?
• Does the shop open at nine?

After does, use the base verb:

• She likes tea. → Does she like tea?
• He works here. → Does he work here?
• She studies English. → Does she study English?

Do not say Does she likes…?

9. Short answers with do/does | 简短回答

• Does she work here? — Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.
• Does he like coffee? — Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.
• Do they live here? — Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.

The short answer uses the helper verb, not the full main verb.

10. The third question machine: can | 第三套问句机器：can

can moves before the subject.

Statement	Question
You can help me.	Can you help me?
She can swim.	Can she swim?
He can come today.	Can he come today?

No extra do is needed.

11. Can you…? | 你能……吗？

• Can you help me?
• Can you speak English?
• Can you show me?
• Can you come tomorrow?

Short answers:

• Yes, I can.
• No, I can’t.

12. Do not mix the machines | 不要把三套机器混起来

Wrong	Correct
Do you are ready? ✗	Are you ready? ✓
Are you like tea? ✗	Do you like tea? ✓
Do you can help? ✗	Can you help? ✓

Before building a question, identify the verb system.

13. What? | 什么？

• What is this?
• What is your name?
• What do you want?
• What do you need?
• What does this word mean?

what asks for a thing, idea, identity, action or information depending on the sentence.

14. Who? | 谁？

• Who is this?
• Who is she?
• Who is your teacher?
• Who do you live with?

who asks about a person.

15. Where? | 哪里？

• Where is the station?
• Where is my phone?
• Where do you live?
• Where does she work?

Notice two structures: Where is…? with be and Where do/does…? with ordinary verbs.

16. When? | 什么时候？

• When is the class?
• When is your appointment?
• When do you study English?
• When does the shop open?

when asks about time broadly. What time asks more specifically about clock time.

17. What time? | 几点？

• What time is it?
• What time does class start?
• What time do you go home?
• What time does the train leave?

This reconnects Lesson 006.

18. Why? | 为什么？

• Why are you tired?
• Why is the shop closed?
• Why do you study English?
• Why does she need help?

A simple answer often uses because:

• I’m tired because I worked late.
• I study English because I need it for work.

Past tense in the first example is a preview. The question system can be learned before every tense is mastered.

19. How? | 怎样？

• How are you?
• How do you go to work?
• How does she learn English?
• How do you spell it?

how asks about manner, condition or method depending on the phrase.

20. Which? | 哪一个？

• Which one?
• Which bus goes to the station?
• Which book do you want?
• Which day is better?

which usually asks the listener to choose from a known or limited set.

21. Whose? | 谁的？

• Whose bag is this?
• Whose phone is this?
• Whose book is on the table?

Answers:

• It’s mine.
• It’s Mei’s.
• It’s my brother’s.

The pronoun mine is a useful preview. At beginner level, It’s my bag is also fine.

22. How old? | 多大？

• How old are you?
• How old is she?
• How old is your son?

This reconnects Lesson 005.

23. How many? | 多少个？

• How many books do you have?
• How many people are in your family?
• How many tickets do you need?

how many normally works with plural countable nouns.

24. How much? | 多少 / 多少钱？

• How much water do you need?
• How much rice do you want?
• How much is it?

It can ask amount or price.

25. How long? | 多久？

• How long is the class?
• How long is the journey?
• How long do you study every day?

This asks duration, not clock time.

26. How often? | 多久一次？

• How often do you exercise?
• How often do you study English?
• How often does she visit her parents?

Answers can use frequency:

• Every day.
• Twice a week.
• Sometimes.
• Once a month.

How often is slightly above the first beginner core but connects naturally to Lesson 008 frequency language.

27. Question word + be | 疑问词 + be

Question word	be	subject
What	is	this?
Who	is	she?
Where	is	the station?
How old	are	you?

This is one major question pattern.

28. Question word + do/does | 疑问词 + do/does

Question word	helper	subject	base verb
What	do	you	want?
Where	do	you	live?
When	does	class	start?
Why	does	she	study English?

This is the second major information-question pattern.

29. Question word + can | 疑问词 + can

• What can I do?
• Where can I buy a ticket?
• How can I help?
• When can you come?

can behaves like its own helper. Do not add do.

30. Statement order vs question order | 陈述语序和问句语序

Statement	Question
You are tired.	Are you tired?
You like tea.	Do you like tea?
She works here.	Does she work here?
You can swim.	Can you swim?

Mandarin often builds yes/no questions with particles such as 吗 without this English-style auxiliary movement. That is why English question order deserves deliberate practice.

31. Mandarin 吗 vs English helpers | “吗”不能直接翻成一个英语词

Compare:

• 你累吗？ → Are you tired?
• 你喜欢茶吗？ → Do you like tea?
• 你会游泳吗？ → Can you swim?

Chinese uses one broad yes/no mechanism in many cases. English chooses the helper according to the verb system.

所以不要问“吗等于哪个英文词？”正确问题是：“这个英文句子属于哪套问句系统？”

32. Mandarin 呢 | 呢 的英语表达依语境变化

Chinese 呢 can have several functions. English does not have one permanent equivalent.

• 你呢？ → What about you? / How about you?
• 我的书呢？ → Where is my book? / What about my book? depending on context

Meaning and situation decide the English form.

33. Who as subject | Who is calling?

Some questions are simpler because the question word itself is the subject:

• Who is calling?
• Who lives here?
• Who wants tea?

Notice that Who lives here? does not use does because who is the subject of the verb.

This is slightly beyond the first beginner core. Recognise the pattern first; do not force every who-question into the same do/does structure.

34. What as subject | What happened?

Similarly, what can be the subject:

• What happened?
• What works?
• What makes this different?

You will meet these naturally later. The important lesson is that question words do not always behave identically.

35. Short answers are grammar practice | 简短回答也在训练语法

Question	Short answer
Are you ready?	Yes, I am.
Is she here?	No, she isn’t.
Do you like tea?	Yes, I do.
Does he work here?	No, he doesn’t.
Can you help?	Yes, I can.

Short answers teach you which helper belongs to the question.

36. Do not answer every question with one word | 不要永远只答一个词

One-word answers are sometimes enough, but fuller short sentences create more language practice.

• Where do you live? — Singapore. △
• Where do you live? — I live in Singapore. ✓ useful practice
• What do you want? — Water. △
• What do you want? — I want some water. ✓

In real conversation, short answers are normal. In training, use enough language to strengthen the pattern.

37. Questions can build a conversation | 问句让对话继续

A: What is your name?
B: My name is Mei.
A: Where are you from?
B: I’m from China.
A: Where do you live now?
B: I live in Singapore.
A: Do you work here?
B: Yes, I do.

Each answer creates a possible next question.

38. The question ladder | 从封闭问题到开放问题

1. Are you a student? — yes/no
2. Do you study English? — yes/no
3. Where do you study English? — place
4. When do you study English? — time
5. Why do you study English? — reason
6. How do you study English? — method

This ladder grows one topic without changing topic every sentence.

39. Question families by topic | 按主题做问句家族

Food

• Do you like tea?
• What do you like to drink?
• How much water do you drink?
• Where do you buy food?

Family

• Do you have siblings?
• How many people are in your family?
• Where do your parents live?
• How old is your sister?

Routine

• Do you work on Monday?
• What time do you get up?
• How do you go to work?
• When do you study English?

40. Question words do not equal Chinese words perfectly | 疑问词不是永远一对一

Examples:

• 怎么 = how in many contexts, but not every context
• 多少 = how many / how much depending on noun type
• 几点 = what time
• 多久 = how long
• 多久一次 = how often

Translate the information job, not only the surface word.

41. Intonation in yes/no questions | 是非问句语调

English yes/no questions often have rising intonation, but real intonation varies by speaker, emotion and context.

A beginner should not memorise “all yes/no questions must rise” as an absolute rule. Focus first on correct grammar and clear key words. Then listen to natural models.

42. Intonation in WH-questions | 疑问词问句语调

WH-questions often use falling intonation in neutral information-seeking speech, but again, real speech varies.

Pronunciation rules are tendencies, not mechanical laws. Listen to phrases, not isolated arrows on paper.

43. Listening for the question word | 听问句先抓疑问词

If a question feels fast, first catch the information type:

• what → thing/information
• who → person
• where → place
• when → time
• why → reason
• how → manner/method

Then listen for the main verb and topic.

44. Listening for the helper | 听 be/do/does/can

• Are you ready?
• Do you like tea?
• Does she work here?
• Can you help me?

The small helper predicts the grammar of the answer.

45. Repairing a question you did not hear | 没听清问题怎么办？

• Sorry, what was the question?
• Can you say the question again?
• Did you ask where I live?
• Do you mean my work or my school?

Lesson 010 repair language belongs inside question practice.

46. Reading practice A: meeting someone | 阅读 A

Anna meets Mei at an English class. Anna asks, “What is your name?” Mei answers. Anna asks where Mei is from and where she lives now. Then she asks, “Do you work in Singapore?” Mei says yes. Mei asks Anna, “What do you do?” Anna says she is a teacher. They ask each other why they are learning another language.

1. What is the first question?
2. What place questions does Anna ask?
3. Which yes/no question does she ask?
4. What question does Mei ask about work?
5. Which question asks for a reason?

47. Reading practice B: station information | 阅读 B

Wei is at a station. He asks, “Which train goes to the airport?” The staff member says Train A. Wei asks, “What time does it leave?” The answer is 10:15. Then Wei asks, “Which platform?” The staff member says Platform 4. Wei checks, “Train A, 10:15, Platform 4. Is that correct?”

1. Which question asks for a choice?
2. Which question asks for time?
3. Which question asks for place?
4. How does Wei confirm the information?

48. Reading practice C: family questions | 阅读 C

David is looking at a family photo. He asks Mei, “Who is this?” Mei says it is her sister. David asks, “How old is she?” Then he asks, “Where does she live?” Mei says her sister lives in Beijing. David asks, “Does she work there?” Mei says yes. Finally he asks, “What does she do?” Mei says she is an engineer.

1. Which question asks identity?
2. Which asks age?
3. Which asks location?
4. Which is yes/no?
5. Which asks job?

49. Writing practice: turn statements into questions | 陈述句变问句

Statement	Your question
You are tired.	______
You like tea.	______
She works here.	______
You can swim.	______
The station is near here.	______

Suggested: Are you tired? / Do you like tea? / Does she work here? / Can you swim? / Is the station near here?

50. Writing practice: create a question family | 建立一个问句家族

Choose one topic: food, family, work, school, transport or daily routine.

Write:

1. one be question
2. one do question
3. one what question
4. one where question
5. one when question
6. one how question

This proves you are generating questions, not memorising one script.

51. Speaking practice: interview | 简单采访

Ask another learner or a fictional character ten questions:

• name
• country
• home
• family
• food
• work/study
• time
• transport
• English learning
• weekend

Do not prepare all answers. The question system should survive new information.

52. Speaking practice: question-only minute | 一分钟只练提问

Choose a topic and ask as many correct questions as you can in one minute. Do not answer them.

This isolates question production from answer production and makes the weak link visible.

53. Error clinic | 常见错误诊所

Common error	Better English	What broke?
Do you are tired? ✗	Are you tired? ✓	mixed be/do systems
Are you like tea? ✗	Do you like tea? ✓	wrong helper
Does she likes tea? ✗	Does she like tea? ✓	does + base verb
Where you live? ✗	Where do you live? ✓	do missing
Where does she lives? ✗	Where does she live? ✓	base verb after does
What this is? ✗	What is this? ✓	be order
How many water? ✗	How much water? ✓	countability
How much books? ✗	How many books? ✓	countability

54. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断

• I know question words but word order is wrong → question machine selection.
• I mix be and do → identify the main verb system.
• I use does but keep -s on the main verb → base-form repair.
• I can ask yes/no but not WH questions → add question word before the known machine.
• I can write questions but cannot say them → oral retrieval.
• I hear a question but do not know what information it wants → question-word listening.
• I ask correctly but cannot answer → short-answer system.

55. Retrieval lab | 提取练习

• 你准备好了吗？ → ______
• 你喜欢茶吗？ → ______
• 她在这里工作吗？ → ______
• 你会游泳吗？ → ______
• 这是什么？ → ______
• 这是谁？ → ______
• 车站在哪里？ → ______
• 你什么时候学英语？ → ______
• 你为什么学英语？ → ______
• 你怎么去上班？ → ______

Suggested answers: Are you ready? / Do you like tea? / Does she work here? / Can you swim? / What is this? / Who is this? / Where is the station? / When do you study English? / Why do you study English? / How do you go to work?

56. Ten-minute daily practice | 每天十分钟

2 min	be questions	be 问句
2 min	do/does questions	一般现在时问句
2 min	WH question words	疑问词
2 min	short answers	简答
2 min	question-only speaking	只问不答

57. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练

Day 1	be yes/no questions	be 是非问句
Day 2	do/does yes/no questions	do/does
Day 3	can questions + short answers	can 问句
Day 4	what/who/where	基础疑问词
Day 5	when/why/how	时间原因方法
Day 6	how old/many/much/long	how 组合
Day 7	ten-question interview	综合问答

58. Self-test: 35 questions | 35 题自测

1. Turn “You are ready” into a question.
2. Turn “She is here” into a question.
3. Turn “You like tea” into a question.
4. Turn “She likes tea” into a question.
5. Turn “You can swim” into a question.
6. Ask: 这是什么？
7. Ask: 这是谁？
8. Ask: 车站在哪里？
9. Ask: 你住在哪里？
10. Ask: 课程什么时候开始？
11. Ask: 你为什么学英语？
12. Ask: 你怎么去上班？
13. Ask: 哪一辆公交？
14. Ask: 这是谁的包？
15. Ask: 你多大？
16. Ask: 你有多少本书？
17. Ask: 你需要多少水？
18. Ask: 多少钱？
19. Ask: 课程多久？
20. Ask: 你多久运动一次？
21. Answer: Are you ready? positively.
22. Answer: Do you like tea? negatively.
23. Answer: Does she work here? positively.
24. Answer: Can you help? negatively.
25. Correct: Do you are tired?
26. Correct: Are you like tea?
27. Correct: Does she likes tea?
28. Correct: Where you live?
29. Correct: Where does she lives?
30. Correct: What this is?
31. Explain why 吗 does not equal one English helper.
32. Explain how many vs how much.
33. Build one question family about food.
34. Build one question family about family.
35. Ask five correct questions without notes.

Answer key | 答案

1 Are you ready?; 2 Is she here?; 3 Do you like tea?; 4 Does she like tea?; 5 Can you swim?; 6 What is this?; 7 Who is this?; 8 Where is the station?; 9 Where do you live?; 10 When does class start?; 11 Why do you study English?; 12 How do you go to work?; 13 Which bus?; 14 Whose bag is this?; 15 How old are you?; 16 How many books do you have?; 17 How much water do you need?; 18 How much is it?; 19 How long is the class?; 20 How often do you exercise?; 21 Yes, I am; 22 No, I don’t; 23 Yes, she does; 24 No, I can’t; 25 Are you tired?; 26 Do you like tea?; 27 Does she like tea?; 28 Where do you live?; 29 Where does she live?; 30 What is this?; 31 English chooses be/do/does/can based on the verb system; 32 countable number vs uncountable amount/price; 33–35 answers vary.

59. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师

Do not teach question words as a list without question structure. A learner who knows what = 什么 but cannot produce What do you want? does not yet control the question.

Teach question machines by contrast: Are you…? versus Do you…? versus Can you…?. Then place WH-words in front of systems the learner already knows.

Use transformation drills sparingly but precisely. Statement → question is useful because it shows exactly what moves or changes.

For Mandarin speakers, explicitly compare 吗-questions with English helper selection. The goal is not to say one system is better; it is to prevent direct structural transfer.

In speaking, accept a short pause before the helper. Accuracy can precede speed. Repeated question-only practice helps automate the opening of the sentence.

60. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务

1. Ask three be questions.
2. Ask three do/does questions.
3. Ask two can questions.
4. Ask one what, who, where, when, why and how question.
5. Ask one how old, how many, how much and how long question.
6. Give correct short answers to five yes/no questions.
7. Interview a fictional person for one minute.
8. Repair one question after making an error.
9. Listen to ten questions and identify the information type.
10. Create a ten-question conversation without copying a fixed script.

If you can do this, questions are becoming a system rather than a list.

如果能完成，你已经不只是“背问句”，而是在自己生成问句。

Next: Lesson No.012 | 下一课

Questions tell us what we want to know. Next, build the matching negative system: how to say what is not true, what you do not do, what you cannot do and what you do not have.

I am not tired. I don’t like coffee. She doesn’t work here. I can’t come today.
我不累。我不喜欢咖啡。她不在这里工作。我今天不能来。

Lesson No.012 · Simple Negatives · 简单否定句

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Reference floor: British Council A1 Elementary · British Council A1–A2 Grammar · Cambridge Essential Grammar in Use A1–B1.