Languages › English as a Second Language Understanding Basic Questions in English Do you know the answer? Basic Conversations for English Language Learners Introduction Asking and Answering Questions How to Ask and Answer Simple Questions How to Ask Polite Questions How to Ask for Permission Giving and Requesting Personal Information Check Your Knowledge: Basic English Questions Greetings and Introductions Formal and Informal Greetings How to Introduce Yourself and Others Check Your Knowledge: Introductions and Greetings Numbers and Time Talking About Numbers How to Tell Time Using "How Much" and "How Many" Check Your Knowledge: "How Much" and "How Many" Telephone Conversations Important Phrases for Phone Calls Making Telephone Calls Eating Out and Shopping Eating at a Restaurant Going to a Bar Going Shopping Check Your Knowledge: Eating at a Restaurant Traveling At the Airport Asking for and Giving Directions Staying at a Hotel or Motel Check Your Knowledge: Taking a Trip Going to the Doctor Making a Doctor's Appointment Talking About Joint Pain Check Your Knowledge: Going to the Doctor Daniel Viñé Garcia / Getty Images By Kenneth Beare Kenneth Beare English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on July 24, 2018 1. Would you like something to drink? I didn't. Could I have some water? Yes, some chips. Correct Wrong A polite reply such as "Could I a have some water?" is a nice way to reply to a polite offer. 2. Would you like some coffee? Yes, I do. Yes, thank you. I often drink coffee. Correct Wrong It's common to thank someone when offered something with 'Would you like..?' 3. Whose is this? It's Tom's. It's my. No, it isn't. Correct Wrong 'Whose' is used to ask about the owner. 4. Who wrote "Happy in Purgatory"? Peter Hemings. I read it last week. In London. Correct Wrong 'Who' refers to a person. 5. Where were you born? 1965. In Seattle. I wasn't. Correct Wrong 'Where' refers to a place. 6. Where is the nearest bank? No, I don't. On the corner. On Saturdays. Correct Wrong Use a prepositional phrase such as 'on the corner' to show where something is located. 7. Where do you come from? I come from work. I'm coming from work. The USA. Correct Wrong This question refers to your nationality or which country you come from. 8. Where did you go? We went to LA. By car. At three o'clock. Correct Wrong 'Where' refers to a destination. 9. What would you like? I like playing golf, reading and sleeping. A steak, please. I don't like it. Correct Wrong The question 'What would you like?' is often used in restaurants. 10. What's your surname? 32 Brown Street. Jones. I'm a banker. Correct Wrong The surname refers to your family or last name. 11. What time is it? Soon. Two-thirty. It's your turn. Correct Wrong Tell time by stating the hour followed by the minutes such as 'Two thirty' or 'Five fifteen'. 12. What is it like? He likes playing golf and reading. It's great! She's tall and beautiful. Correct Wrong 'Like' can be used as a preposition to describe something. 13. What does he look like? He likes reading and playing golf. He's very funny. He's quite tall and handsome. Correct Wrong The phrasal verb 'look like' refers to physical appearance. 14. What do you do? I'm watching TV. I'm a teacher. I'm fine, thank you. Correct Wrong The question 'What do you do?' is used to ask about a person's job and is one of the most common questions in English. 15. How big is it? It's two kilometers from here. It's quite large. No, it was easy. Correct Wrong 'How big' refers to the size of an object. 16. What did you do? We visited friends on the coast. I'm a banker. We've been to Paris recently. Correct Wrong Use the past simple for questions with 'did'. Always pay close attention to the helping verb to understand the tense. 17. How was it? I enjoyed it. In New York She's coming soon. Correct Wrong The question 'How was it?' can refer to an experience, somewhere you visit, or something you do in the past. 18. What do you think about your job? I work for a bank. It's hard but a lot of fun. I didn't like it much. Correct Wrong 'What do you think about...?' asks for an opinion. 19. Where do you live? At school. At three o'clock. In Portland. Correct Wrong 'Where' refers to a place. 20. Why don't we go out? No, let's stay home. To Frank's. We don't have any left. Correct Wrong Use 'Why don't we...' to make a suggestion in English. Understanding Basic Questions in English You got: % Correct. You Can Answer Almost Anything! You know your English!. Andrew Rich / Vetta / Getty Images It seems you understand most of the basic questions in English. Go out there and have some conversations in English to practice your skills every day. Share Your Results Understanding Basic Questions in English You got: % Correct. You Understand Most Questions You've done well on your lessons. Anton Violin / Moment / Getty Images You can understand a lot of questions, but you may not understand a few. Brush up on some of these basic questions and make sure to practice speaking often to become more fluent in English. Share Your Results Understanding Basic Questions in English You got: % Correct. You Might Not Understand Every Question You'll need to study more!. John Fedele / Blend Images / Getty Images You had some difficulties understanding these basic questions. Use the resources below to improve your understanding of everyday questions. Try to practice often until these questions are easy for you. Share Your Results