Question Forms & Suggestions
Section: Use of English | Syllabus: Cambridge Primary English as a Second Language (0057)
Asking Questions to Develop Ideas
- Extend your range of question forms to ask about ideas in more depth — not just to check simple facts.
- Word order in questions: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb, e.g. "Did she finish?" not "She did finish?"
- Question forms across different tenses:
- Present simple: Do you like...? / Does she like...?
- Past simple: Did you go...?
- Present continuous: Are you going...?
- Present perfect: Have you finished...?
- Questions that develop ideas and extend understanding, rather than just needing "yes" or "no":
- "What do you mean by...?"
- "Could you explain why...?"
- "What happens if...?"
A question reorders the statement: the auxiliary verb moves before the subject
Worked Example: Forming a Question to Develop an IdeaQuestion: Turn the statement "She stayed home because she was tired" into a question that asks for more detail.
Step 1 — Identify the tense: the statement is past simple, so the auxiliary needed is "did." Step 2 — Use the correct question word order: auxiliary + subject + main verb — "did she stay." Step 3 — Add a question word that asks for more detail rather than yes/no, such as "why" or "how." Answer"Why did she stay home?" (or "How did she feel?")
Making Suggestions with What/How About
- To make a suggestion, use What about or How about + a noun or the -ing form of a verb — never the base form or "to" infinitive.
- Examples: "What about a picnic?", "What about going swimming?", "How about trying a new recipe?", "How about we ask the teacher?"
- Suggestions can be softened with words like maybe or perhaps before them, to sound less direct.
Common Mistakes
MistakeForgetting to invert the auxiliary and subject when forming a question, e.g. "She did stay home?"
FixPut the auxiliary verb before the subject: "Did she stay home?"
MistakeUsing the base form of the verb after "what about" / "how about," e.g. "What about go swimming?"
FixAlways use a noun or the -ing form after "what about" / "how about": "What about going swimming?"
MistakeAsking only simple yes/no questions instead of questions that develop or extend an idea.
FixUse "why," "how" or "what do you think" to ask questions that invite more detailed answers.
Worked Example: Making a SuggestionQuestion: You want to suggest going to the cinema this weekend. Write a suggestion using "What about" or "How about."
Step 1 — Choose the structure: What about / How about + noun or -ing form. Step 2 — Turn "go to the cinema" into the -ing form: "going to the cinema." Step 3 — Combine into a full suggestion, adding the time detail "this weekend." Answer"What about going to the cinema this weekend?"
Interactive revision notes, videos and practice questions load below.