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How to Ask and Answer Basic English Questions

How to Exchange Personal Information in English

Introduction

Asking and Answering Questions
Greetings and Introductions
Numbers and Time
Telephone Conversations
- Important Phrases for Phone Calls
- Making Telephone Calls
Eating Out and Shopping
Traveling
Going to the Doctor

Types of Questions and Examples — ThoughtCo.

Table of Contents

Yes or No Questions vs. Information Questions
Questions With Greetings: Saying Hello
Using Questions to Exchange Personal Information
General Questions
Shopping
Using "Like" to Ask Questions

By

Kenneth Beare

Updated on May 03, 2024

One of the most important tasks in speaking any language is asking questions. This article will help you learn how to ask and answer questions so you can begin having conversations in English—starting with the most basic types of questions.

To help you, questions are divided into categories with a short explanation and example conversations. See all types of basic questions, whether you're asking about someone's personal information, meeting someone new, or trying to shop at a store.

Yes or No Questions vs. Information Questions

There are two main types of questions in English: questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, and questions that require a more detailed response.

Yes or no questions will often start with words such as do, is, are, can, will, would, should, and may. On the other hand, information questions are asked with the interrogative words what, where, when, how, why, and which. These questions generally require longer answers to provide the specific information requested. Notice that each of these questions is answered with the positive or negative form of the helping verb.

Yes or No Questions

Are you happy today?	Yes, I am.
Did you have fun at the party.	No, I didn't.
Will you come to class tomorrow?	Yes, I will.

Information Questions

Where are you from?	I'm from Seattle.
What did you do on Saturday evening?	We went to see a film.
Why was the class difficult?	The class was difficult because the teacher didn't explain things well.

Questions With Greetings: Saying Hello

Start the conversation with a greeting. Examples include:

How are you? (formal)
How's it going? (informal)
What's up? (informal)
How's life? (informal)

Practice Dialogue

Mary: What's up?
Jane: Nothing much. How are you?
Mary: I'm good.

Using Questions to Exchange Personal Information

Here are some of the most common questions used when asking for personal information:

What's your name?
Where are you from?
What's your surname/last name?
What's your first name?
Where do you live?
What's your address?
What's your telephone number?
What's your email address?
How old are you?
Where were you born?
Are you married?
What is your marital status?
What do you do?/What's your job?

Practice Dialogue

General Questions

General questions are questions we ask to help us start a conversation or keep the conversation going. Here are some common general questions:

Where did you go?
What did you do [next]?
Where were you?
Do you have a car/house/children/etc. ?
Can you play tennis/golf/football/etc.?
Can you speak another language?

Practice Dialogue

Kevin: Where did you go last night?
Jack: We went to a bar and then out on the town.

Kevin: What did you do?
Jack: We visited a few clubs and danced.

Kevin: Can you dance well?
Jack: Ha ha. Yes, I can dance!

Kevin: Did you meet anyone?
Jack: Yes, I met an interesting Japanese woman.

Kevin: Can you speak Japanese?
Jack: No, but I want to learn!

Shopping

Here are some common questions that will help you when you go shopping.

Can I try it on?
How much does it cost?/How much is it?
Can I pay by credit card?
Do you have something bigger/smaller/lighter/etc.?

Practice Dialogue

Shop Assistant: How can I help you?/May I help you?
Customer: Yes. I'm looking for a sweater like this one, but in a smaller size.

Shop Assistant: Here you go.

Customer: May I try it on?
Shop Assistant: Sure, the changing rooms are over there.

Customer: How much does it cost?
Shop Assistant: It's $45.

Shop Assistant: How would you like to pay?
Customer: Can I pay by credit card?

Shop Assistant: Certainly. We accept all major cards.

Using "Like" to Ask Questions

Questions with "like" are very common, but they can be a little confusing. Here is an explanation of each type of question with "like."

What do you like?	Use this question to ask about hobbies, likes, and dislikes in general.
What does he look like?	Ask this question to learn about the physical characteristics of a person.
What would you like?	Ask this question to find out what someone wants at the moment of speaking.
What is she like?	Ask this question to learn about a person's character.

Practice Dialogue

John: What do you like doing in your spare time?
Susan: I like hanging out downtown with my friends.

John: What does your friend Tom look like?
Susan: He's tall with a beard and blue eyes.

John: What is he like?
Susan: He's very friendly and really intelligent.

John: What would you like to do now?
Susan: Let's go hang out with Tom!

Once you understand these questions, try testing your knowledge by taking this Understanding Basic Questions in English quiz.

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Your Citation

Beare, Kenneth. "How to Ask and Answer Basic English Questions." ThoughtCo, May. 3, 2024, thoughtco.com/ask-and-answer-questions-1210033. Beare, Kenneth. (2024, May 3). How to Ask and Answer Basic English Questions. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ask-and-answer-questions-1210033 Beare, Kenneth. "How to Ask and Answer Basic English Questions." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ask-and-answer-questions-1210033 (accessed May 5, 2024).