To Be
in Yes/No Questions
In a question that can be answered with yes or no,
put the verb at the beginning of the sentence. Add a question mark.
| statement | I am a student | You are a student | He is a student |
| question | Am I a student? | Are you a student? | Is he a student> |
Notice where the verb moves to:
Statement: You are hungry.
Subject/verb
Question: Are you hungry?
Verb/subject
You can answer these questions
with short answers.
| Are you hungry? | Yes, I am |
| Is he a doctor? | Yes, he is. |
| Are they too hot? | Yes, they are. |
Negative short answers sometimes have two forms.
| Are you tired? | No, I'm not. |
| Am I fat? | No, you aren't. No you're not. |
| Is he a teacher? | No, he isn't. No, he's not. |
| Are home yet? | No, we aren't. No, we're not. |
| Are they elephants? | No, they aren't. No, they're not. |
Note: there is only one short answer for in the first
person--No, I'm not.