Auxiliary verbs in questions form the backbone of English interrogative structures. Whether you are learning English as a second language or preparing for a competitive exam, understanding how to use “be,” “do,” “have,” and modal auxiliaries correctly can dramatically improve your communication skills and test scores.

Introduction

Auxiliary verbs in questions are essential for forming correct interrogative sentences in English. Often called “helping verbs,” words like be, do, and have work alongside main verbs to create questions, negatives, and different tenses. The fundamental rule is simple: in a question, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. For example, “You are coming” becomes “Are you coming?” This article provides 100 examples of auxiliary verbs in questions, along with critical tips for acing competitive exams .

What Are Auxiliary Verbs?

Auxiliary verbs are verbs used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense, mood, or voice. The primary auxiliaries are be, do, and have. There are also modal auxiliaries like can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, and must .

The Golden Rule for Questions

In most English questions, the auxiliary verb moves in front of the subject. This structure is known as inversion.

• Statement: She is reading.
• Question: Is she reading?

If there is no other auxiliary verb, we use do, does, or did to form the question.

• Statement: They live here.
• Question: Do they live here?

100 Examples of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions

Part 1: The Verb “Be” (am/is/are/was/were)

Use “be” when forming questions with continuous tenses, passives, or when “be” is the main verb (state/condition).

Present Simple (State):

1. Are you tired?
2. Is she your sister?
3. Am I late for the meeting?
4. Are we on the right track?
5. Is he available now?
6. Are they ready to leave?
7. Was the movie good?
8. Were you at the party last night?
9. Is it cold outside?
10. Are these books yours?

Present Continuous (Action now):

11. Are you listening to me?
12. Is he working on the project?
13. Are they coming to dinner?
14. Is it raining outside?
15. Am I speaking too fast?
16. Are we meeting them tomorrow?
17. Is she still sleeping?
18. Are the kids playing in the yard?
19. Why are you laughing?
20. What is he doing now?

Past Continuous:

21. Were you sleeping when I called?
22. Was she driving at that time?
23. Were they waiting for the bus?
24. What were you thinking?

Passive Voice:

25. Is the report finished?
26. Was the package delivered?
27. Are these documents signed?
28. Were the invitations sent out?

Part 2: The Verb “Do” (do/does/did)

Use “do” for questions in the Simple Present and Simple Past tenses with action verbs.

Simple Present (Do/Does):

29. Do you like Chinese food?
30. Do we have enough time?
31. Do they know the answer?
32. Do I know you?
33. Does she work here?
34. Does he play the guitar?
35. Does it matter to you?
36. Does your dog bite?
37. Where do you live?
38. What does this word mean?
39. How much does it cost?
40. Why do we need this?
41. When does the train leave?
42. How do you make pancakes?

Simple Past (Did):

43. Did you enjoy the party?
44. Did he call you back?
45. Did they finish the race?
46. Did she go to London?
47. Did we book the right hotel?
48. Where did you learn English?
49. What did she say?
50. When did they arrive?
51. How did you do that?
52. Why did he leave early?

Part 3: The Verb “Have” (have/has/had)

Use “have” to form questions in the perfect tenses.

Present Perfect:

53. Have you ever seen the ocean?
54. Have we met before?
55. Have they called you yet?
56. Has she finished her homework?
57. Has he arrived at the airport?
58. Has it stopped raining?
59. How long have you lived here?
60. What have you done?
61. Where has he gone?

Past Perfect:

62. Had you eaten before you left?
63. Had she finished when you arrived?
64. Had they ever visited Paris before?
65. Why had he left before the end?

Part 4: Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modals express possibility, necessity, permission, or ability. They are always followed by the base form of the verb.

Can / Could:

66. Can you speak English?
67. Can I help you?
68. Can we trust him?
69. Can she swim?
70. Could you pass the salt?
71. Could I borrow your pen?
72. Could they hear us?
73. How can we improve?

Will / Would:

74. Will you marry me?
75. Will they be there?
76. Will it rain tomorrow?
77. When will we arrive?
78. Would you like some coffee?
79. Would she agree to this?
80. Would they mind waiting?

Should / Must / Might:

81. Should I call the doctor?
82. Should we tell her the truth?
83. Should he apologize?
84. Must you go so soon?
85. Must we wear a tie?
86. Might he be sleeping?
87. Might it rain later?
88. What should I do?

Part 5: Mixed Wh- Questions (Object Questions)

Using the QUASM structure: Question word + Auxiliary + Subject + Main Verb .

89. What are you looking at?
90. Who did you meet yesterday?
91. Which one does she want?
92. How many people do you know here?
93. How much money did you spend?
94. What time does the shop open?
95. Who(m) will they invite?
96. What kind of music do you like?

Part 6: Subject Questions

When the question word (who, what, which) is the subject, do NOT use “do/does/did.” The verb agrees with the subject. .

97. Who wants ice cream? (Not: Who does want?)
98. What happened last night? (Not: What did happen?)
99. Which car won the race?
100. How many people work here? (Not: How many people do work?)

Important Tips for Competitive Exams (SSC CGL, Banking, IELTS)

Mastering auxiliary verbs in questions is critical for error spotting and sentence improvement sections. Here are key rules to remember:

1. The “Do/Does/Did” Trap

• Never use “do” with “be”: “Do you are ready?” is incorrect. The correct form is “Are you ready?” .
• Never use “do” with modals: “Do you can swim?” is incorrect. The correct form is “Can you swim?” .
• Verb form after “Do”: After “do,” “does,” or “did,” the main verb must be in the base form (infinitive without to).
  • Correct: Did she go? (Not: Did she went?)
  • Correct: Does he like it? (Not: Does he likes it?) .

2. The Subject Question Distinction

This is a high-scoring area. If the question word (Who, What, Which) is the subject of the sentence, do not add an auxiliary verb like did or does.

• Right: Who wrote this letter?
• Wrong: Who did write this letter?

3. Tag Questions

Remember the polarity rule: Positive statement + Negative tag; Negative statement + Positive tag. The tag must use the same auxiliary as the main clause.

• He is coming, isn’t he?
• They haven’t arrived, have they?
• You work here, don’t you?

4. Prepositions at the End

In informal English and Wh- questions, prepositions often come at the end. Do not move them to the front unnecessarily.

• Natural: What are you talking about?
• Overly Formal: About what are you talking?

5. Negatives with Adverbs

Words like never, hardly, seldom are already negative. Do not use a negative auxiliary with them.

• Wrong: I don’t never go there. (Double negative)
• Right: I never go there.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When do I use “do” vs. “does” in questions?

Use “does” with third-person singular subjects in the simple present tense (he, she, it, or a name). Use “do” with all other subjects (I, you, we, they, plural nouns). After using “does,” remember to drop the “s” from the main verb.

• Example: Does she like (not likes) pizza?
• Example: Do they want coffee?

2. Why is “Who did call you?” wrong?

It is grammatically incorrect because “who” is the subject of the verb “call.” When the question word is the subject, you do not need the auxiliary verb “did.” You simply put the main verb in the correct past tense. The correct sentence is “Who called you?” .

3. How do I choose between “Are you” and “Do you”?

This depends on the main verb.

• Use “Are you” when the main verb is in the -ing form (continuous) or when “be” is the main verb describing a state (e.g., Are you tired? Are you going?).
• Use “Do you” when the main verb is an action verb in the simple present tense (e.g., Do you work? Do you like it?) .

Disclaimer
This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the examples and tips, language usage can vary by region (e.g., British vs. American English). Readers are advised to consult official syllabus and grammar guides for specific competitive examination requirements.

Also Read: How to Use Prepositions Correctly: 100 Examples and Tips for Mastery

Auxiliary Verbs: Definition, Uses, Rules and 100 Examples for Exams