How to Change a Statement to Question
Look for helping verbs., Move the helping verb to the start of the sentence., Only move one word from long helping verbs., Look for helping verbs in contractions.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for helping verbs.
Helping verbs are separate words that change the meaning of the main verb.If a statement has a helping verb, you can change it to a question easily.
Here are some example statements with the helping verb in bold text:
The teachers have treated us kindly.
They had already eaten.
She will win the fight.
My cat would climb that tree.
A pie can feed eight people.
We shall meet again.
I was standing. -
Step 2: Move the helping verb to the start of the sentence.
Leave the rest of the sentence as it is.
Just move the helping verb to the front, and you've got a question.
The teachers have treated us kindly. → Have the teachers treated us kindly? They had already eaten. → Had they already eaten? She will win the fight. → Will she win the fight? My cat would climb that tree. → Would my cat climb that tree? That pie can feed eight people. → Can that pie feed eight people? We shall meet again. → Shall we meet again? I was standing. → Was I standing? , Some helping verbs are more than one word long.
For example, has been, will have been, will be, or would have been are all helping verbs.
Just move the first word to the beginning of the sentence, and leave the rest where they are.
Here are two examples:
Your brother has been growing quickly. → Has your brother been growing quickly? I could have been studying. → Could I have been studying? , Helping verbs are often put in contractions, making them hard to find.
Keep an eye out for examples like these:
We'll be running all day. → We will be running all day. → Will we be running all day? Our boss hasn't arrived yet. → Hasn't our boss arrived yet? (Or you can say "Has our boss not arrived yet?") -
Step 3: Only move one word from long helping verbs.
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Step 4: Look for helping verbs in contractions.
Detailed Guide
Helping verbs are separate words that change the meaning of the main verb.If a statement has a helping verb, you can change it to a question easily.
Here are some example statements with the helping verb in bold text:
The teachers have treated us kindly.
They had already eaten.
She will win the fight.
My cat would climb that tree.
A pie can feed eight people.
We shall meet again.
I was standing.
Leave the rest of the sentence as it is.
Just move the helping verb to the front, and you've got a question.
The teachers have treated us kindly. → Have the teachers treated us kindly? They had already eaten. → Had they already eaten? She will win the fight. → Will she win the fight? My cat would climb that tree. → Would my cat climb that tree? That pie can feed eight people. → Can that pie feed eight people? We shall meet again. → Shall we meet again? I was standing. → Was I standing? , Some helping verbs are more than one word long.
For example, has been, will have been, will be, or would have been are all helping verbs.
Just move the first word to the beginning of the sentence, and leave the rest where they are.
Here are two examples:
Your brother has been growing quickly. → Has your brother been growing quickly? I could have been studying. → Could I have been studying? , Helping verbs are often put in contractions, making them hard to find.
Keep an eye out for examples like these:
We'll be running all day. → We will be running all day. → Will we be running all day? Our boss hasn't arrived yet. → Hasn't our boss arrived yet? (Or you can say "Has our boss not arrived yet?")
About the Author
Christina Jones
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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