Present simple: questions and short answers
Ask yes/no and wh- questions with do and does, and give short answers.
In this lesson you will
- Ask yes/no questions with Do / Does
- Give short answers
- Ask wh- questions: Where do you…? What does she…?
Learn
Yes/no questions: Do + I/you/we/they + verb? · Does + he/she/it + verb? — Do you like jazz? Does she work here? The main verb has no -s after does.
Short answers: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. · Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t. Don’t repeat the main verb (Yes, I like ✗).
Wh- questions: question word + do/does + subject + verb: Where do you live? What does he do? (= What’s his job?) When do they finish? Why does it close early?
Common question words: what, where, when, who, why, how, what time, how often.
| Question word | do/does | Subject | Verb | … |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Do | you | speak | Italian? |
| — | Does | he | have | a car? |
| Where | do | they | work? | |
| What time | does | the film | start? |
Examples
- Do you live near here? — Yes, I do.
- Does your brother play chess? — No, he doesn’t.
- Where do you work?
- What does she do? — She’s a pilot.
- How often do you go to the gym?
Vocabulary
question
something you ask
answer
what you say to a question
how often
how many times
“How often do you swim?”
chess
a board game with kings and queens
near
close to
“Do you live near here?”
finish
end
“When does the class finish?”
In real life
A job interview (first questions).
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Interviewer: Do you speak any other languages?
Leila: Yes, I do. I speak Arabic and French.
Interviewer: Great. Where do you live now?
Leila: I live in Lyon.
Interviewer: And do you have a driving licence?
Leila: No, I don’t. But I have a bike!
Practice
___ you like chocolate?
Listening: A new flatmate
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Sara: So, do you cook?
Jon: Yes, I do. I cook every evening.
Sara: Great! Do you play music late at night?
Jon: No, I don’t. I go to bed at ten.
Sara: And does your cat like other cats?
Jon: Yes, she does. She’s very friendly.
1.Jon cooks every evening.
2.When does Jon go to bed?
3.Does Jon’s cat like other cats?
Speaking
Ask and answer: Do you work or study? Where do you live? What time do you get up? How often do you eat out? Does your best friend live near you?
Writing
Write eight questions to ask a new classmate (four yes/no questions and four wh- questions).
Lesson quiz
___ your sister have a car?
Review
Key points
- Do + I/you/we/they + verb? Does + he/she/it + verb?
- Short answers: Yes, I do. No, she doesn’t.
- Wh- + do/does + subject + verb: Where do you live?
- No -s after does.
What you learned
- ✓ I can ask yes/no questions.
- ✓ I can give short answers.
- ✓ I can ask wh- questions.
Grammar reference: Present simple