XXXI - GRAMMAR Basic rules to form a question

QUESTION FORMS: BASIC RULES

1.    Questions are made by putting an auxiliary verb before the subject.

-          Have you received my letter of June 17th?

-          Is your mother coming tomorrow?

auxiliary	subject	main verb
have	you	received
is	your mother	coming

Note that only the auxiliary is put before the subject. 

The rest of the verb phrase comes after it:

-          Where are the president and his family staying?

2.    When a verb phrase has no auxiliary its question form is made with do, followed by the infinitive without to.

-          Do you like Mozart?

-          What does ‘periphrastic’ mean?

3.    Do is not used to make questions with modal verbs (can, must, should, may etc.), or with the verb To Be:

-          Can you tell me the time?

-          Are you ready?

4.    When who, what or which is the subject of a sentence, it comes directly before the verb, and do is not used:

-          Who left the door open?

If who, what or which is the object of a sentence, the normal rules are followed:

-          Who do you want to speak to?

-          What are you doing?