Introduction

In the previous lesson, you learned how to use the Present Simple in affirmative and negative sentences. Now it is time to complete the picture. Communication is not only about making statements — it is also about asking questions and answering them naturally. In everyday life, we constantly ask about habits, routines, preferences and regular activities.

When you ask “Do you work on Saturday?”, “Does she live near here?” or “Do they play football?”, you are using the Present Simple in question form. In this unit, we will carefully explore how to build these questions and how to give short, natural answers with confidence.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to form questions in the Present Simple and give short, natural answers.

You will use the auxiliary verbs do and does correctly, build accurate question structures, and respond clearly in everyday conversations.

Forming Questions in the Present Simple

To form questions in the Present Simple, we use the auxiliary verbs do and does. The structure changes compared to affirmative sentences. Instead of saying subject + verb, we begin with the auxiliary.

With I, you, we and they, we use do. For example: “Do you work on Saturday?” “Do they live here?” “Do we have a meeting today?”

With he, she and it, we use does. For example: “Does she work on Saturday?” “Does he live near here?” “Does it rain a lot in winter?”

In questions, the main verb returns to its base form.

This rule is essential. Even if the subject is he, she or it, you do not add -s to the main verb in questions. You say “Does she work?”, not “Does she works?”

Yes/No Questions

The questions we have seen so far are yes/no questions. They begin with do or does and the answer is usually “yes” or “no”.

For example: “Do you drink coffee?” “Does he play tennis?” “Do they study English?”

These questions are extremely common in daily conversation because they allow us to ask about routines and habits quickly and directly.

Short Answers

When someone asks a yes/no question, we usually respond with a short answer. In English, we do not simply say “Yes” or “No”. We repeat the auxiliary verb.

If someone asks, “Do you work on Saturday?” you answer: “Yes, I do.” or “No, I don’t.” If someone asks, “Does she live here?” you answer: “Yes, she does.” or “No, she doesn’t.”

Notice that we use do or does in the answer, not the main verb.

Do not repeat the main verb in short answers.

It is incorrect to say “Yes, she works” as a short answer to “Does she work?”. The correct short answer is “Yes, she does.”

Questions in Real Life

Let us imagine a conversation between two colleagues. One asks: “Do you start work at 8?” The other replies: “Yes, I do.” Then the first person asks: “Does your brother work here too?” The answer might be: “No, he doesn’t. He works in another company.”

You can also ask about hobbies. “Do you play the guitar?” “Does she go to the gym?” “Do they travel often?” These are all natural uses of the Present Simple.

The more you practice forming questions and answering them, the more fluent and confident you will become in conversation.

Practice Exercises

Now it is your turn to build questions and short answers.

Read each sentence carefully and apply the correct structure.

1. Make a question: You work on Sunday.
2. Make a question: She plays tennis.
3. Make a question: They live near here.
4. Give a short answer (Yes): Do you drink coffee?
5. Give a short answer (No): Does he study English?
6. Give a short answer (Yes): Do they watch TV in the evening?
7. Make a question: He goes to school by bus.
8. Give a short answer (No): Does she like pizza?

Answer Key

1. Do you work on Sunday?
2. Does she play tennis?
3. Do they live near here?
4. Yes, I do.
5. No, he doesn’t.
6. Yes, they do.
7. Does he go to school by bus?
8. No, she doesn’t.