Practice in Forming Interrogative Sentences

In English, declarative statements and questions employ different word order and sometimes use different verb forms. For example, the simple declarative sentence "Laura walked to the store" starts with a subject (in this case, a person's name) followed by a verb and subject complement. To make a question out of that statement, the verb would move before the subject and change form with the addition of a helper word, thus becoming: "Did Laura walk to the store?"

Practice Exercises

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Practice in Forming Declarative Sentences

By Richard Nordquist

The following exercises will give you practice in changing word order and (in some cases) verb forms as you convert 20 declarative sentences into interrogative sentences. Please note that these exercises are not about adding question words to make entirely new sentences, as in, "Where did Laura walk?" but should just be declarative-to-interrogative conversions. After completing this exercise, try "Practice in Forming Declarative Sentences."

Instructions

Rewrite each of the following sentences as a question. When you're done, compare your new interrogative sentences with the sample answers. Note that for some of these sentences, you'll need to use helper words (did, do, can, etc.) to form a question, and for several of the examples, there may be more than one correct answer.

1. Fritz is leaving today.
2. Margery was accused of cheating.
3. Ernie ate the last doughnut.
4. The chicken crossed the road.
5. Betty can play the saxophone.
6. You can understand why I'm upset.
7. There's a doctor in the house.
8. The geese are returning early this year.
9. Your parents try to cheer you up when you're sad.
10. Darlene chose the most expensive items on the menu.
11. You will take steps to correct this problem.
12. The doctor told us to add cereal to the baby's formula.
13. Bill's teachers understand why he's sleepy all the time.
14. Laura knows how to serve her customers effectively and efficiently.
15. The prices in our cafeteria are reasonable.
16. He will drive the children to swim practice.
17. All the managers were taught how to use the new software.
18. We have received a pay raise this year.
19. Basketball is Etta's favorite sport.
20. The repairs to the car cost more than the car was worth.

Here are sample answers to the exercise. In many cases, more than one correct version is possible.

1. Is Fritz leaving today?​
2. Was Margery accused of cheating?​
3. Did Ernie eat the last doughnut?​
4. Did the chicken cross the road?​
5. Can Betty play the saxophone?​
6. Can you understand why I'm upset?​
7. Is there a doctor in the house?​
8. Are the geese returning early this year?​
9. Do your parents try to cheer you up when you're sad?​
10. Did Darlene choose the most expensive items on the menu?​
11. Will you take steps to correct this problem?​
12. Did the doctor tell us to add cereal to the baby's formula?​
13. Do Bill's teachers understand why he's sleepy all the time?​
14. Does Laura know how to serve her customers effectively and efficiently?​
15. Are the prices in our cafeteria reasonable?​
16. Will he drive the children to swim practice?​
17. Were all the managers taught how to use the new software?​
18. Have we received a pay raise this year?​
19. Is basketball Etta's favorite sport?​
20. Did the repairs to the car cost more than the car was worth?