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Questions with Be and Do

Practice asking and answering questions.

1. Warm up
Ask and answer the following with a partner.

1. What do you do on weekends? 3. How tall are you?

2. Do you watch a lot of TV? 4. What do you eat for breakfast?

2. Vocabulary
A. Are these words verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Write verb, noun, or adj in the space.

1. want 5. color 9. hair 13. cold

2. dog 6. eyes 10. work 14. eat

3. good 7. like 11. fast 15. tall

4. car 8. new 12. study

B. Read the responses then complete the questions with one of the words from Part 2A.

Question Response

1. Where do you ? In a hospital.

2. What color is your ? It is blonde.

3. What do you for dinner tonight? Hmmm, I think I want pizza tonight.

4. I like your new car. Is it ? Yes, it is. It is very fast.

5. Do you horror movies? Not really. I prefer dramas.

6. Was it hot or in Greece? It was hot.

7. Is that dress ? It’s beautiful. Thank you. I bought it last week.

8. What did you for dinner yesterday? I ate a nice pasta dish.

9. What is your favorite ? Maybe blue or green.

C. Underline the main verb, noun, or adjective after ‘be’ or ‘do’ in each of the questions.

1. Where do you work? 5. Was it hot or cold?

2. Is your brother tall or short? 6. What color is your hair?

3. What is your favorite color? 7. Do you like watching sports?

4. What did you study at college/university?

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 3. Questions with Be and Do
A. Review the questions in Part 2C and circle ‘be’ or ‘do’ to complete the rules.

1. Questions that ask about verbs, use: be / do

2. Questions that ask about nouns, use: be / do

3. Questions that ask about adjectives, use: be / do

B. Complete the table below with the correct form of the verb ‘be’.

Subject Present simple Past simple Subject Present simple Past simple

1. I 4. We

2. You 5. You

3. He / she / it 6. They

C. Complete the table below with the correct form of the verb ‘do’.

Singular Plural
Subject Present simple Past simple Subject Present simple Past simple

1. I 4. We

2. You 5. You

3. He / she / it 6. They

D. Read examples a and b then write the questions that use ‘do’ in Part 2C in the spaces.

Question word(s) Do Subject Verb

a. Who do you live with?

b. Do you play a sport?

1.
?

2.
?

3.
?

E. Write the questions that use ‘be’ in Part 2C in the spaces.

Be Subject Adjectives

1. ?

2. ?

Questions word(s) Be your Noun / Adjective + noun

3. ?

4. ?

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 4. Practice
A. Complete the questions with the correct form of the verbs ‘be’ and ‘do’.

1. What you like to do at night? 6. What you eat for dinner last night?

2. What color your eyes? 7. Who your best friend at high school?

3. Where you live when you were young? 8. you play any sports as a child?

4. you drink a lot of coffee? 9. it hot or cold last weekend?

5. you tall or short? 10. Who you usually go on holiday with?

B. Read the responses on the right and write a question for each. Check the questions above
for help.

Question Response

e.g. What do you eat for breakfast? I eat toast for breakfast.

1. ? My favorite food is pizza.

2. ? It is cold today.

3. ? I went to Fiji on holiday last year.

4. ? My best friend’s name is Joy.

5. ? My parents live in California.

6. ? I go on holiday three times a year.

7. ? My car is red.

8. ? I like action movies.

C. Ask your partner the questions above. Continue the conversation if interesting.

5. Interview
A. Write questions to find out more about your classmates.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

B. Ask your partner your questions. Change roles and respond to your partner’s questions.

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 Questions with Be and Do
Level: Beginner: A1
Elementary: A2
Updated: Jan 21, 2022
Language: Function: Asking and answering questions. Talking about daily life.
Forms: Modal and auxiliary verbs. Present tense. Past forms.
Teaching time: 120 minutes.
Overview: Students construct questions using the auxiliary verb ‘do’ and verb ‘be’ as well as identifying parts of speech: verbs,
nouns, and adjectives. Students will learn and practice how to respond to these different questions in a variety of
question construction activities and an interview.

1. WARM UP 5. Do you 7. like horror movies?

A warm up activity helps set the mood for the topic/lesson and 6. Was it hot or 13. cold in Greece?
is a good opportunity to assess students’ ability to generate 7. Is that dress 8. new? It’s beautiful.
language as well as elicit target vocabulary used in the lesson. If
8. What did you 14. eat for dinner yesterday?
students struggle to engage with their partners, ask questions
to encourage participation. Allow a few minutes for students 9. What is your favorite 5. color?
to complete the activity and continue the conversation if
interesting. D. Individually, students read the questions and underline the
most important word in each (verb, noun, or adjective) that
2. VOCABULARY appear after the verbs ‘be’ and ‘do. Students can compare their
underlined words with a partner. Answer any questions that
A. Before beginning, write the following on the board words: run, arise. Check underlined words with the class.
blue, book. Review with students which is a verb, noun, and 1. Where do you work?
adjective by asking:
2. Is your brother tall or short?
1. Which is a describing word?
3. What is your favorite color?
2. Which is an object/thing?
4. What did you study at college/university?
3. Which is an action?
5. Was it hot or cold in Greece for your vacation?
B. In pairs, students read words 1-15 and decide which are verbs, 6. What color is your hair?
nouns, and adjectives. Check answers with the class.
7. Do you like watching sports?
1. want verb
2. dog noun 3. QUESTIONS WITH BE AND DO
3. good adj A. Individually, students review the questions in Part 2C and
4. car noun complete rules 1-3 with ‘do’ or ‘be’. Students can compare
their answers with a partner or check answers with the class.
5. color noun
Elicit evidence to support answers from Part 2C. Answer any
6. eyes noun questions that arise.
7. like verb 1. Questions that ask about verbs, use: do
8. new adj 2. Questions that ask about nouns, use: be
9. hair noun 3. Questions that ask about adjectives, use: be
10. work verb
B. Check understanding of the words: singular and plural.
11. fast adj Individually, students complete the table with the correct form
12. study verb of the verb ‘be’. Students can compare their answers with a
partner and discuss any differences or check with the class.
13. cold adj
Answer any questions that arise.
14. eat verb
1. am was
15. tall adj
2. are were
C. In pairs, students alternate reading the responses then complete 3. is was
the questions with one of the words from Part 2A. Encourage
4. are were
students to find clues in the responses to help choose the best
missing words. Not all words in Part 2A are used. 5. are were
1. Where do you 10. work? 6. are were
2. What color is your 9. hair? C. Individually, students complete the table with the correct form
3. What do you 1. want for dinner tonight? of the verb ‘do’. Students can compare their answers with a
partner and discuss any differences or check with the class.
4. I like your new car. Is it 11. fast?

© www.esllessonhandouts.com Teaching Notes: page 4

 1. do did 5. Where do your parents live?
2. do did 6. How often do you go on holiday? How many times do you
3. does did go on holiday a year?

4. do did 7. What color is your car?

5. do did 8. What kind of movies do you like?

6. do did C. If time permits, have students take turns asking and answering
the questions with their partner. Partners can answer honestly.
D. Individually, students review the questions from Part 2C then
write the ‘do’ questions in the spaces provided. Assist students 5. INTERVIEW
as they work through the activity. Students can check their
questions with a partner or check answers with the class. A. This activity can be completed for homework if you have no time
? word(s) Do Subject Verb in class. Individually, students write questions to find out more
about their classmates. Check students’ questions are correct
1. Where do you work? before continuing.
2. What did you study at college?
B. In pairs, students ask and answer the questions they wrote in
3. Do you like watching sports? Part 5A. Encourage students to ask follow-up questions if the
answer is interesting to continue the conversation. There is
E. Individually, students review the questions in Part 2C then write
no need to correct mistakes at this stage. Participate in the
the ‘be’ questions in the spaces provided. Explain to students
conversation if appropriate or helpful.
that they can use a noun with the question word ‘what’ to make
questions more specific, e.g. What+color are your eyes? Assist
students as they work through the activity. Students can check
their questions with a partner or check answers with the class.
Be Subject Adjectives
1. Is your brother tall or short?
2. Was it hot or cold?
Questions word(s) Be your Adjective + noun
3. What is your favorite color?
4. What color is your brother’s hair?

4. PRACTICE
A. Individually, students complete the questions with the correct
form of the verbs ‘be’ and ‘do’. Students can check their
questions with a partner and discuss any differences or elicit
answers from students. As an extension activity, student pairs
can take turns asking and responding to the questions.
1. What do you like to do at night?
2. What color are your eyes?
3. Where did you live when you were young?
4. Do you drink a lot of coffee?
5. Are you tall or short?
6. What did you eat for dinner last night?
7. Who was your best friend at high school?
8. Did you play any sports as a child?
9. Was it hot or cold last weekend?
10. Who do you usually go on holiday with?

B. Read the example question and response to the class.

Individually, students read the responses on the right and write
questions for each. Students can review the questions in Part
4A for help. Assist students as they work through the activity
and answer any questions that arise. Students can check their
questions with a partner or check them with the class. Answers
may vary.
1. What is your favorite food?
2. Is it hot or cold today?
3. Where did you go on holiday last year?
4. What is your best friend’s name?

© www.esllessonhandouts.com Teaching Notes: page 5