Present simple questions are one of the most fundamental grammar topics in English and are considered among the easiest to learn. For IELTS beginners, mastering present simple questions is a must-have foundation.
These questions are commonly used in daily English conversation. Though simple, they are essential for building strong grammar skills and achieving better scores in English exams, including IELTS. There are two main types of present simple questions: Wh- questions and Yes/No questions. Let’s explore them in detail with IDP below.
1. Wh- Questions in the Present Simple Tense
Wh- questions in the present simple tense are very common in the IELTS Speaking section. They are used to ask for specific information about the present.
1.1. Definition
Wh- questions begin with question words such as what, when, where, who, whom, which, whose, why, and how. Below is a table explaining each question word:
Wh-word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
When | Asking about time | When does the train usually leave? |
Where | Asking about place or location | Where do you live? |
Why | Asking for reason | Why do you often play volleyball? |
Which | Asking for choice | Which is the best camera for my work? |
What | Asking about something | What time do you go to school? |
Whose | Asking about possession | Whose black cat is this? |
Who | Asking about people | Who is that man? |
Whom | Asking about the object of a verb | Whom do you believe in this problem? |
How | Asking about method or process | How does this machine work? |
1.2. Present Simple Wh- Question Structure
There are 3 main structures used with Wh- questions:
(1) Wh- + to be (am/are/is):
Affirmative: Wh + am/are/is + subject + ...?
Where is it?
Negative: Wh + am/are/is + not + subject + ...?
Why isn’t he here?
(2) Wh- + do/does:
Affirmative: Wh + do/does + subject + verb (base form)...?
Where do you live?
Negative: Wh + do/does + not + subject + verb...?
Why doesn’t your boss give you a raise?
(3) Wh- + modal verb:
Structure: Wh + modal verb + subject + base verb...?
Where can I find you?
(4) Special cases:
Who + V (s/es) + O: Who cares?
Which/Whose + noun + verb + object: Whose hat is this?
How + adjective + noun: How tall is Everest Peak?
1.3. How to Form Wh- Questions in the Present Simple
Follow these steps to avoid mistakes:
Identify the underlined part of the answer and choose the right Wh-word
Place the Wh-word at the beginning of the question
Follow with do/does + subject + base verb + object
2. Yes/No Questions in the Present Simple
Yes/No questions are used to ask for confirmation or denial of information. These are short, direct questions that are common in everyday conversation and useful in IELTS Speaking to start or continue discussion.
2.1. Definition
Yes/No questions begin with a helping verb (do/does/is/are/am) and are answered with Yes or No.
2.2. Structure
(1) With do/does:
Structure: Do/Does + subject + base verb...?
Answers:
Yes, subject + do/does
No, subject + don’t/doesn’t
Do you like tea? → Yes, I do / No, I don’t
Note:
Do is used with I, we, you, they and plural nouns
Does is used with he, she, it and singular or uncountable nouns
(2) With to be (am/are/is):
Structure: Is/Are/Am + subject + adjective/noun/preposition...?
Answers:
Yes, subject + is/are/am
No, subject + isn’t/aren’t/am not
Are you okay? → Yes, I am / No, I am not
3. Present Simple Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Dạng hoàn thành câu hỏi Wh - question
1 - where/ Anna / come from/ ?
2 - what / sports/ Mike / like/ ?
3 - how often/ he/ go to the cinema/ ?
4 - when/ you/ get up/ ?
5 - what time/ the film/ start/ ?
Exercise 2: Chuyển các câu cho trước sang các dạng khẳng định, phủ định hoặc nghi vấn
1 - He lives in Japan.
2 - Does Helena walk to school?
3 - This is not the grocery store.
4 - Are they students?
Exercise 3: Phân biệt
1 - —– girls can do this exercise?
2 - —– color is your sister's hat?
3 - —– do you often do before every lesson?
4 - —– is the best choice for me?
Exercise 4: Điền từ vào chỗ trống
1 - ____ Maria and Anna ride their bikes to the library ? – Yes, ____
2 - ____ your sister likes Capuchino? – No, ____
3 - ____ her house next to a post office? – Yes, ____
4 - ____ those dresses beautiful? – No, ____
5 - ____ Lisa living with her aunt? – Yes, she ____
Exercise 5: Hoàn thành câu
1 - He / not / sleep late at the weekends =>________
2 - They / not / believe the secretary =>________
3 - you / understand the question? =>________
4 - Am I the only girl at the party? Yes, you___
6 - Is your ex-girlfriend beautiful? Hmm. Yes, she___ But she's not as pretty as you
Exercise 6: Bài tập nâng cao về các dạng câu hỏi thì hiện tại đơn: Chia động từ để hoàn thành bài luận:
The graphs below show the types of music albums purchased by people in Britain according to sex and age. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
The three bar charts (1) …………………(illustrate) a survey of the consuming habit in music albums in Britain by sex and age group.
It (2)……………(be) obvious that, according to the graphs, male buyers (3)…………… (be) more than female ones in all types of music. Then, the demand for classic music (4)…………………(show) dramatically less than the two others. Regarding the pop music CD, first, people aged 16-34 (5)…………………(take) the highest percentage which (6)……………(be) 30% and above, followed by the male buyers with slightly under 30%. A similar trend has been stated for the Rock music products. However, for classical music, the most active consumers, at 20%, (7)……………(be) people older than 45, and even more dramatically, 25-34 age group (8)…………………(take) the next place at 16% approximately.
Next, the percentage of female consumers (9)……………(be) always slightly lower than the male, which (10)…………………(be) 8%-10% for pop and rock, 2%-3% for the classics, respectively.
Đáp án:
Exercise 1:
1 - Where does Anna come from?
2 - What sports does Mike like?
3 - How often does he go to the cinema?
4 - When do you get up?
5 - What time does the film start?
Exercise 2:
1 - Negative: He doesn’t live in Japan
Interrogative: Does he live in Japan?
2 - Affirmative: Helena walks to school.
Negative: Helena doesn’t walk to school.
3 - Affirmative: This is the grocery store.
Interrogative: Is this the grocery store?
4 - Affirmative: They are students.
Negative: They are not students.
Exercise 3:
1 - Which girls can do this exercise?
2 - What color is your sister’s hat?
3 - What do you often do before every lesson?
4 - Which is the best choice for me?
Exercise 4:
1 - Do Maria and Anna ride their bikes to the library? - Yes, they do
2 - Does your sister like Capuchino? - No, she doesn't
3 - Is her house next to the post office? - Yes, it is
4 - Are those dresses beautiful? - No, they aren’t
5 - Is Lisa living with her aunt? - Yes, she isn't
Exercise 5:
1 - He doesn’t sleep late on the weekends.
2 - They don’t believe the secretary
3 - Do you understand the question?
4 - Yes, you are
5 - Hmm. Yes, she is. But she's not as pretty as you
Exercise 6:
1 - illustrate
2 - is
3 - are
4 - shows
5 - take
6 - is
7 - are
8 - takes
9 - is
10 - is
Conclusion
Mastering question types in the present simple tense is essential for building a strong grammar foundation, especially for IELTS beginners. We hope these formulas and examples help you improve your accuracy and confidence in the IELTS Speaking section.
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