English — Yes/no questions
A yes/no question expects the answer yes or no. English forms it either by putting the verb be before the subject (Are you ready?) or by adding the auxiliary do/does/did or a modal (can, will, must) before the subject and the base verb (Do you work? Can you swim?).
How it works
With be, invert subject and verb: You are late → Are you late? With any other verb in the present or past simple, put do (I/you/we/they), does (he/she/it) or did (all persons, past) first, then the subject, then the base verb: She works → Does she work? They went → Did they go? Modals go straight to the front with the base verb: Can you swim? Will they come?
Examples
| Statement | Yes/no question |
|---|---|
| You are ready. | Are you ready? |
| She is a teacher. | Is she a teacher? |
| They work here. | Do they work here? |
| He likes coffee. | Does he like coffee? |
| You saw the film. | Did you see the film? |
| You can swim. | Can you swim? |
| They will come. | Will they come? |
Good to know
The -s and the past tense move onto do, not the main verb, which stays in its base form: say Does he like coffee? (not Does he likes) and Did you see the film? (not Did you saw). After a modal the verb is always the bare base: Can you swim? (not Can you to swim / Can you swims).