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To be (Questions and WH Questions)

To be Exercises with Answers (A1).

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We use yes/no questions with to be to ask about people and things and check if something is true. The answer to a yes/no question is always yes or no.

How We Use Yes/No Questions with To Be

  • Identity: Is she a teacher?
  • Description: Is this restaurant expensive?
  • Nationality: Is he from Brazil?
  • Age: Are you twenty years old?
  • Location: Are they at the airport?
  • Feelings and states: Is she happy today?

A yes/no question always starts with am, is, or are. The next panel shows exactly how to build one.

Question and Statement Pairs

Every yes/no question matches a statement with the same information.

StatementQuestion
Daniel is a nurse.Is Daniel a nurse?
You are tired.Are you tired?
The museum is open today.Is the museum open today?

To make a yes/no question, move am, is, or are to the front of the sentence, before the subject.

Singular: I, You, He, She, It

StatementQuestion
I am late.Am I late?
You are busy.Are you busy?
He is a doctor.Is he a doctor?
She is from Portugal.Is she from Portugal?
It is expensive.Is it expensive?

Plural: We, You, They

StatementQuestion
We are late.Are we late?
You are students.Are you students?
They are teachers.Are they teachers?

Move am, is, or are before the subject. Do not add do or does. To be never uses do or does: ✗ Does she is happy?  ✓ Is she happy?

We usually answer a yes/no question with a short answer, not a full sentence. A short answer has a subject plus am, is, or are.

Positive and Negative Short Answers

QuestionYesNo
Am I late?Yes, you are.No, you aren't.
Are you ready?Yes, I am.No, I'm not.
Is he a teacher?Yes, he is.No, he isn't.
Are they at home?Yes, they are.No, they aren't.

Positive short answers never contract: ✗ Yes, I'm.  ✓ Yes, I am. Negative short answers can contract: No, he isn't. OR No, he's not.

More Examples

  • Is this seat free? Yes, it is.
  • Are your parents home? No, they aren't. They're at work.
  • Am I right? Yes, you are.

A wh-question asks for information, not just yes or no. Start with a wh-word, then am, is, or are, then the subject.

Common Wh-Words with To Be

Wh-wordAsks aboutExample
Whata thing or an ideaWhat is your name?
Wherea placeWhere are you from?
Whoa personWho is that woman?
Howa state or conditionHow is the weather today?
How oldageHow old are your children?
What timetimeWhat time is it?

More Examples

  • What is your favorite color?
  • Where is the nearest bank?
  • How old is your brother?
  • Who are those students?

The word order stays the same as a yes/no question. Only the wh-word at the front changes: Is she a nurse? becomes What is she?

Check your questions and short answers for these common mistakes.

Wrong Word Order

Not correctCorrectTip
✗ You are ready?✓ Are you ready?Am, is, or are goes before the subject in a question, not after.
✗ She is happy?✓ Is she happy?A question mark alone does not make a question. Move is to the front too.

Adding Do or Does

Not correctCorrectTip
✗ Does she is happy?✓ Is she happy?To be never uses do or does. Just move am, is, or are.
✗ Do you are ready?✓ Are you ready?Do and does belong to other verbs, never to be.

Short Answer Mistakes

Not correctCorrectTip
✗ Are you ready? Yes, I'm.✓ Are you ready? Yes, I am.Positive short answers never contract.
✗ Is he home? No, he not.✓ Is he home? No, he isn't.A short answer still needs am, is, or are, even in the negative.

Wrong Form in Wh-Questions

Not correctCorrectTip
✗ What are your name?✓ What is your name?Your name is one thing (it), so use is, not are.
✗ Where is your parents?✓ Where are your parents?Your parents is plural (they), so use are, not is.