The rules for forming negative and interrogative sentences using auxiliary verbs in English
Forming negative sentences and forming questions in English may seem complicated at first. The relatively many English verb tenses use different auxiliary verbs that take part in the changes needed when expressing negation and interrogation. Despite having seemingly different grammar rules for each verb tense, there are actually a few simple grammar rules which are applied systematically across all tenses and verb forms. To know more, read these sections of our review on negation and question formation in English.
1. Auxiliary Verbs
2. Negative sentences
3. Yes / No questions
4. Wh questions
5. Wh Subject questions
6. Summary
The verb forms used as auxiliary verbs in English are:
1. to be
am,is,are
was,were
be,been,being
2. to do
3. to have
have,has
had
having
4. The modal verbs
can,could
may,might
shall,should
will,would
must
A negative sentence (or statement) states that something is not true or incorrect. A negative adverb has to be added in order to negate or “cancel” the validity of the sentence. This “negation” element is created according to the following general rule.
The Negation Rule: In English, in order to claim that something is not true, you form a negative sentence by adding the word not after the first auxiliary verb in the positive sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb in the positive sentence, as in the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses, then you add one (in both these cases, the auxiliary verb do).
Watch out:
• When an auxiliary verb (including modals) is used, the main verb is not inflected (no s or ed ending), meaning that either the base form or past participle is used.
• The verb to be uses a different negation pattern.
Review the following table for examples of negation in English. Some examples use the contracted forms more used in informal writing and speech, and some others use the full forms.
Note:
In informal writing settings, you can contract the auxiliary verb with either the sentence subject or the word not. In formal writing settings, refrain from contracting any words.
She is not playing. [formal]
She isn’t playing. = She’s not playing. [informal]
A question (interrogative sentence) asks about some missing information the speaker would like to have. There are 3 types of questions in English, each asking about a different kind of requested information, and having a different formation rule. Questions usually use a rising intonation towards the end of the sentence, also in positive sentences used as questions.
You like ice-cream ?
[positive sentence intonated as a question]
Do you like ice cream ?
[yes/no question]
A Yes/No question is a closed question, meaning that it has one of two answers, yes or no. It asks whether something is true or not, i.e., whether the original positive sentence is valid. A question element needs to precede the subject in order to form this question. The “question element” is formed according to the following rule:
The Y/N Question Rule: To form a yes/no question in English, transfer the first auxiliary verb that appears before the main verb in the positive sentence to the position before the subject. If there is no auxiliary verb, as in the Present Simple and Past Simple, then you add one (in both these cases, the auxiliary verb do).
Watch out:
• When an auxiliary verb (including modals) is used, the main verb is not inflected (no s or ed ending), meaning that either the base form or past participle is used.
• The verb to be uses a different yes/no question pattern
Review the following table for examples of yes/no questions in English.
A Wh question is an open question, meaning that it can have any number of answers. It asks about some missing information the speaker needs. This corresponds to the different sentence elements, such as the verb, objects, manner, place, time, purpose, etc. Questions about the subject have a special form (see the next section). A question element needs to precede the subject in order to form this question. The “question element” is formed according to the following rule.
The Wh Question Rule: To form a Wh question in English, add a Wh question word before the corresponding yes/no question.
Watch out:
• When an auxiliary verb (including modals) is used, the main verb is not inflected (no s or ed ending), meaning that either the base form or past participle is used.
• The verb to be uses a different Wh question pattern.
Review the following table for examples of Wh questions in English.
A Wh Subject question is an open question, meaning that it can have any number of answers. It asks about missing information the speaker needs about the subject of the sentence (performer of the action). A question element needs to precede the subject in order to form this question. The “question element” is formed according to the following rule.
The Subject Wh Question Rule: To form a subject Wh-question in English, replace the subject with a question word, using who (for people) or what (for non-people) ? The word order is that of a positive sentence.
Watch out:
• There is no auxiliary verb in Wh Subject questions in the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses. The question word simply replaces the subject.
• In the present tenses, the verb is always in the third person singular, using the appropriate verb form.
Review the following table for examples of Wh Subject questions in English.
As this review has shown, the rules for negation and question formation are very systematic in English. Each verb tense uses its specific auxiliary verbs and follows the same rules. Reviewing grammar rules is not enough to make you use them properly. The more you pick them up in your reading, and more importantly, use them in your English writing, the better you will use them.
Grammar Guide Index
Parts of Speech - General Overview
English Adjectives - Basic Terms
English Verbs (Part 1) - Basic Terms
English Verbs (Part 2) - More Terms
Negative Sentences and Question Formation
The Irregular Verbs in English (Part 1)
The Irregular Verbs in English (Part 2)
Spelling Rules for the Verb Tenses
Present Tenses:
Past Tenses:
Sentence Structure (Part 1) - Basic Clause Structure
Sentence Structure (Part 2) - Phrases
Sentence Structure (Part 3) - Clauses
Sentence Structure (Part 4) - Sentence Types