Lesson L0.4: Asking and Answering Simple Questions
So far you’ve learned to introduce yourself, greet people, and talk about your family and routine. But real conversation is a two-way street — it depends on asking good questions and answering them clearly. Many learners can understand questions but freeze when forming their own, or answer with just one word when more is expected. This lesson fixes both.
What you’ll learn
- The main question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) and when to use each
- How to form yes/no questions correctly
- How to answer with a full, natural sentence instead of just “yes” or “no”
- How to ask a polite follow-up question to keep a conversation going
- How to listen for the question word and respond to the right kind of question
- Common word-order mistakes learners make when forming questions
Two real-life scenarios
Scenario 1 — Small talk in a queue: You’re waiting at a coffee counter and someone asks, “Do you come here often?” A one-word answer ends the chat — a short sentence keeps it going.
Scenario 2 — You need information: You’re new in an office and need to ask a colleague, “Where’s the meeting room?” or “When does the team usually have lunch?” Asking clearly gets you a clear answer.
Questions are the engine of every conversation — they show interest, gather information, and keep a discussion moving instead of stalling into silence.
The building blocks
English questions mostly fall into two types: yes/no questions (“Do you like tea?”) and wh-questions (“What do you do?”). Both follow a specific word order that’s different from a normal sentence — that’s usually where learners get stuck.
Key vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | asks about a person | Who is that? |
| What | asks about a thing or activity | What do you do? |
| Where | asks about a place | Where do you live? |
| When | asks about time | When do you usually eat lunch? |
| Why | asks for a reason | Why do you like this place? |
| How | asks about manner or condition | How do you get to work? |
| How come | a casual way to ask “why” | How come you’re free today? |
| Follow-up question | a second question that continues a topic | That’s interesting — how long have you worked there? |
Sentence patterns you can reuse
Dialogue 1: Small talk in a coffee queue
Dialogue 2: Asking for information at work
Listening practice
Audio script (read this aloud to yourself, or have a friend read it to you):
“So, where are you originally from? And how long have you been living here? That’s interesting — how come you moved? Do you like it so far?”
Comprehension questions:
- How many separate questions does the speaker ask?
- Which question word is used to ask about duration?
- Which question is a yes/no question?
Practice it yourself
Speaking practice: Choose three question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) and form one question with each, out loud, about someone you know.
Writing practice: Write three yes/no questions and three wh-questions you could ask a new colleague on their first day.
Practical activity: In your next real conversation, ask at least one follow-up question after the other person answers, instead of just moving to a new topic.
Common mistakes to avoid
| Instead of this | Say this |
|---|---|
| “You like tea?” | “Do you like tea?” |
| “Where you live?” | “Where do you live?” |
| “What you are doing?” | “What are you doing?” |
| Answering only “Yes” or “No” with nothing else | “Yes, I do — I really enjoy it.” (add a small detail) |
| “Why you are late?” | “Why are you late?” |
| “How much time you take to reach office?” | “How long does it take you to reach the office?” |
Today’s challenge
Ask someone today one wh-question and one yes/no question, and try to add a follow-up question based on their answer. See how much longer the conversation lasts.
Self-assessment
Check off what you can now do confidently:
- I can form a yes/no question correctly using do/does.
- I can form a wh-question with the correct word order.
- I can answer a question with more than just “yes” or “no.”
- I can ask a natural follow-up question.
- I understood the listening script without reading it twice.
Quick quiz
1. Which question is correctly formed?
2. Which wh-question is correct?
3. Which is the best answer to “Do you come here often?”
4. Which word asks about a reason?
5. Which is a good follow-up question?
Lesson summary
You can now form both yes/no and wh-questions correctly, answer with more than one word, and keep a conversation alive with natural follow-up questions. This is one of the most important skills in this entire Foundation level — practice it in every real conversation you have this week.