Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
You have been asking questions in English since your very first lesson: What is your name? Where do you live? Did you sleep well? These are direct questions, and you know them well. At B1, you learn to ask questions that are more polite, more precise and more natural — the way real speakers do.
This unit covers three tools. First, indirect questions (Could you tell me where the station is?) — the polite, softer way to ask. Second, the difference between subject and object questions (Who called you? vs Who did you call?). Third, question tags (It's cold, isn't it?) — the little endings that turn a statement into a question.
A direct question inverts the subject and the auxiliary verb (be, do, have, can, will...). The pattern is: (question word) + auxiliary + subject + main verb.
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | do | you | live? |
| What | has | she | done? |
| — | Can | they | swim? |
When we want to be polite — with strangers, in shops, at reception, in a formal email — we often "wrap" the question inside a longer, gentler phrase. This is an indirect question.
The golden rule: after the opening phrase, use statement word order (subject + verb) and drop do / does / did. There is no inversion.
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| Where is the station? | Could you tell me where the station is? |
| What time does it start? | Do you know what time it starts? |
| Why did she leave? | I wonder why she left. |
Common polite openers: Could you tell me...? · Do you know...? · Do you have any idea...? · I wonder...? · Can I ask...?
Some questions ask about the subject (the doer of the action); others ask about the object (the person or thing that receives the action). English treats them very differently.
| Type | We ask about... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject question | who / what does the action → NO do/did | Who called you? (Someone called you.) |
| Object question | who / what receives the action → USE do/did | Who did you call? (You called someone.) |
A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement, usually to check information or invite agreement. The rule is a mirror: a positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag. Use the same auxiliary as the statement.
| Statement | Tag | Full sentence |
|---|---|---|
| You are tired, | aren't you? | You are tired, aren't you? |
| She doesn't drive, | does she? | She doesn't drive, does she? |
| They have arrived, | haven't they? | They have arrived, haven't they? |
| He will help, | won't he? | He will help, won't he? |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with question forms. Check your own speaking and writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Could you tell me where is the bank? | Could you tell me where the bank is? | Indirect question → statement word order, no inversion. |
| Do you know what time does it start? | Do you know what time it starts? | Drop "do/does" in indirect questions. |
| Do you know that the shop is open? | Do you know if the shop is open? | Yes/No indirect question needs "if" or "whether". |
| Who did paint this picture? | Who painted this picture? | Subject question → no "did". |
| You are Turkish, aren't you not? | You are Turkish, aren't you? | Positive statement → simple negative tag. |
A visitor asks for help at a hotel reception. Read it twice and notice the polite indirect questions and the friendly question tags.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them to ask your own questions.
Imagine you are interviewing a new classmate or a colleague. Write 8 questions and short answers (8 sentences in total). Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): ask · wonder · curious · polite · interview · information · clarify · confirm
Elif is a journalist at a popular news website in Izmir, and she is famous for her interviews. Many people say that she asks the best questions in the business, because she knows exactly what to ask and how to ask it politely. 'A good question can change a whole conversation,' she often says.
Every working day for Elif begins in a similar way. She wakes up early, makes a cup of strong tea, and reads the morning news on her phone. Before any interview, she sits at her small desk and writes her questions in an old notebook. She has used notebooks like this for many years, and she keeps every one of them on a shelf in her office. 'When I write a question by hand, I think about it more carefully,' she explains. 'I ask myself: is this question clear? Is it fair? Will it help the other person to talk?' Elif believes that the best interviews do not feel like tests. Instead, they feel like real conversations between two people who trust each other.
Elif did not always want to be a journalist. When she was at school, she was a shy child, and she rarely asked questions in class. However, everything changed when she was seventeen. She joined the school newspaper, and her first interview was with the head teacher. Although she was nervous, she prepared twenty questions the night before, so the interview went smoothly.
Life on the school newspaper was not always easy. In the beginning, Elif was afraid of making mistakes, and she sometimes wanted to give up. Luckily, her English teacher, Mr Yildiz, encouraged her to continue. He told her that every good reporter starts as a beginner, and that mistakes are simply part of learning. Slowly, Elif grew more confident. During that year she also interviewed the school cook, the football coach and even a local artist who visited the town. Each interview taught her something new. She learned to listen carefully, to wait for the answer, and never to interrupt. By the end of the year, writing questions felt natural, and she knew that she had found the job she loved.
Since then, Elif has interviewed hundreds of people. She has spoken to famous singers, busy politicians and ordinary families. While she was working abroad in London, she also learned an important lesson: indirect questions, such as 'Could you tell me why you made that decision?', sound more polite and often get better answers.
Her time in London changed the way Elif worked. In a busy foreign city, she met people from many different countries and cultures. She quickly learned that a direct question could sometimes sound rude, especially to someone she had only just met. Polite forms, such as 'Would you mind telling me...?' or 'I was wondering if you could explain...', made her guests feel more comfortable. Elif wrote these useful phrases in her notebook and practised them until they felt natural. When she returned to Izmir, she taught the same phrases to her colleagues, and today many young reporters at her website use them every day.
Some interviews have stayed in Elif's memory for a long time. Once, she spent a whole afternoon with an old fisherman who had lived by the sea for sixty years. He was quiet at first, but Elif did not rush him. She asked gentle questions about his childhood, his boat and his family, and soon he was telling wonderful stories. 'That day I understood something important,' she says. 'Ordinary people often have the most interesting lives. You just need to give them time and ask the right questions.' Since then, Elif has always tried to treat every guest with the same respect, whether they are a famous politician or a shy young student. For her, no story is too small.
Elif also knows that different people need different questions. Before she meets a scientist, she reads about their research so that she can understand their work. Before she talks to a musician, she listens to their songs. This preparation takes many hours, but Elif thinks it is worth it. 'If you do not prepare, people can tell,' she says. 'But when you show real interest, they open up and share much more.' She often reminds younger reporters that good questions are short and simple. A long, complicated question, she says, can confuse the guest and hide the real point.
Of course, not every interview goes perfectly. Elif still remembers one difficult day when a famous actor gave very short, cold answers. At first she felt worried, but she stayed calm and changed her plan. Instead of asking about his new film, she asked about his first job when he was young. Suddenly the actor smiled and began to talk freely. 'People love to talk about their beginnings,' Elif says. 'If one question does not work, you must be ready to try another.' This flexibility, she believes, is one of the most important skills a journalist can have.
Elif believes that curiosity is a skill. 'People think journalists are born with it, but that is not true,' she explains. 'I improved my questions because I practised every day.' She still gets nervous before a big interview, but she has never lost her love of asking questions. Her main goal has not changed: to help people share their stories.
These days, Elif spends part of her free time teaching. Once a month, she runs a small workshop for students who dream of becoming journalists. She teaches them how to plan an interview, how to stay calm, and how to turn a nervous silence into a friendly chat. 'Do not be afraid of quiet moments,' she tells them. 'Sometimes the best answer comes after a short pause.' Her students often ask her for the secret of a great interview. Elif always gives the same answer with a smile: 'There is no secret. Be curious, be polite, and always listen more than you speak.' For Elif, asking questions is not only her job; it is her way of understanding the world and the people who live in it.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the tense.
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. What was Elif like when she was a school child, and how did she change?
2. What lesson did Elif learn while she was working in London?
3. Do you agree with Elif that curiosity is a skill that can be learned? Why?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, when, while, however, although, also. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd wants a government job abroad, and Sarah gives him advice.
You will hear Todd and Sarah. Todd wants to apply for a job at the U.S. State Department, and Sarah, who knows the process, gives him advice. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add four more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you show contrast, background events and extra information like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | I am curious about her life, and I have many questions. |
| but | show a small contrast | The question is personal, but I would ask it politely. |
| so | show a result | I admire her work, so I would love to interview her. |
| because | give a reason | I would ask that because I want to understand her choice. |
| also | add an extra point | I would ask about her career. I would also ask about her family. |
| when | say at what past time | When she was young, what did she dream of? |
| while | two things at the same time | While she worked abroad, did she feel homesick? |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although I am shy, I would enjoy the interview. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | I have never interviewed anyone. However, I would try my best. |
This is a writing task about questions, so show off this unit's grammar. Instead of only writing direct questions, wrap some of them in polite, indirect forms — they sound more natural in writing.
| Direct (simple) ✗ | Indirect (better in writing) ✓ |
|---|---|
| What was your childhood like? | I would ask her what her childhood was like. |
| Did you ever feel afraid? | I would like to know whether she ever felt afraid. |
| Do you have any regrets? | I wonder if she has any regrets. |
Write about a person you would like to interview (real or famous, alive or from history) and the questions you would ask them.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...