Interrogative sentences are always the ones that cause the most problems when learning English, because they have a very different structure than what we're used to. And when we add other elements beyond the subject and verb, things get complicated! As in this case, where we need to find a place for English time adverbs in questions .
To ask about when a certain action happened or is happening, simply start the sentence with " When…? ", which means " When…? ".
While, to ask a question about the duration of an action, the words to start the interrogative sentence with will be: " How long…? " , which means " For how long…? "
- When do you think you will come back home? = When do you think you will come back home?
- How long have you lived in Hong Kong? = How long have you lived in Hong Kong? (We can also say " how much time? ")
Questions about the frequency of an action are a different story, as they require the use of the corresponding tense adverbs. The standard form uses the words " How often…? ", which literally means " How often…? ", but you can also use the classic interrogative form, with the auxiliary do :
- Do you often eat Chinese food? = Do you often eat Chinese food?
- Do they always act like this? = Do they always act like this?
- Does she ever think of me? (We always use ever in questions to mean "never"; never is incorrect in this case)
- What time do you usually have lunch? = What time do you usually have lunch?
If we want to know a precise frequency, we can ask " How many times…? "
- How many times a day do you eat rice? = How many times a week do you eat rice?
Using still and yet in questions
A separate discussion is necessary regarding the time adverbs still and yet , which can both mean " yet ", but are used in different contexts.
Yet is used in negative and interrogative sentences. Depending on its position, it indicates something that hasn't happened yet or that was predicted to happen already. If it's present, yet goes after not ; otherwise, it's placed at the end of the sentence .
- Have you finished dinner yet ? = Have you already finished dinner? (normal tone, it's a simple question)
- Haven't you finished dinner yet ? (surprised tone, you're taking longer than expected)
- She hasn't called me yet . = She hasn't called me yet. (I expected it)
Still , however, can also be used in the affirmative form. In main sentences, it is placed after the auxiliary verb but before the main verb, except when the main verb is to be: in that case, as we saw previously for other adverbs of time, it should be placed after. In interrogative sentences, however, it should always be placed before the main verb .
- Are you still here? = Are you still here?
- I just woke up, but I'm still tired. = I just woke up, but I'm still tired.
- Does she still go to yoga? = Do you still go to yoga?
