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 gym? | Could you tell me where the gym is? |
| What time does the film start? | Do you know what time the film 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 like maths, | does she? | She doesn't like maths, 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 library? | Could you tell me where the library 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 library is open? | Do you know if the library 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 new student asks for help on the first day at school. 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 new friend for your school magazine. 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 eleven years old, and she writes for the magazine at her school in Izmir. Everyone knows her, because she asks the best questions in the whole school. 'A good question can change a whole conversation,' she often says. Before every interview, she sits at her desk and writes her questions in an old notebook. 'When I write a question by hand, I think about it more carefully,' she explains. She always asks herself three things: is this question clear? Is it kind? Will it help the other person to talk? For Elif, the best interviews do not feel like tests; they feel like a friendly chat between two people.
Elif was not always so brave. When she was younger, she was a shy child, and she rarely asked questions in class. However, everything changed when she was eight. She joined the school newspaper club, and her very first interview was with the head teacher. Although she was very nervous, she prepared twenty questions the night before, so the interview went smoothly. Her teacher, Mr Yildiz, told her that every good reporter starts as a beginner, and that mistakes are simply part of learning. Slowly, Elif grew more confident, and soon writing questions felt natural.
Since that day, Elif has interviewed many people. She has talked to the school cook, the football coach, a local artist, and even her own grandparents. Last summer, while she was at summer camp, she also learned an important lesson. She met children from many different towns, and she quickly learned that a direct question could sometimes sound rude. Polite forms, such as 'Could you tell me why you chose that?', made new friends feel more comfortable. Elif wrote these useful phrases in her notebook and practised them until they felt natural.
Some interviews have stayed in Elif's memory for a long time. Once, she spent a whole afternoon with an old fisherman who lived near her grandmother's house. He was quiet at first, but Elif did not rush him. She asked gentle questions about his boat and his childhood, and soon he was telling wonderful stories. 'Ordinary people often have the most interesting lives,' she says. 'You just need to give them time and ask the right questions.'
Of course, not every interview is easy. Elif still remembers one shy new classmate who gave very short, cold answers. At first she felt worried, but she stayed calm and changed her plan. Instead of asking about school, she asked about his pet dog. Suddenly the boy smiled and began to talk freely. 'People love to talk about the things they care about,' Elif says. 'If one question does not work, you must be ready to try another.'
Elif believes that curiosity is a skill. 'People think reporters 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 also helps younger children who want to write for the magazine. She always gives them the same advice with a smile: 'Be curious, be polite, and always listen more than you speak.'
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 at summer camp?
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 childhood. 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 was young, did she ever feel afraid? |
| 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...