Kinds of Questions

In the English language there are several types of questions.

1. General questions

Also known as "Yes/No questions" because a short answer (yes or no) is expected. This kind of question is formed by putting an auxiliary verb before the subject (=inversion).

General questions most often start with: Do? Did? Have? Has? Is? Are? Was? Were? Can? Could? etc.

Examples:

Are you from Brazil? Answer: Yes, I am / No, I am not
Did you meet Andy? Answer: Yes, I did / No, I didn't
Was she at home yesterday? Answer: Yes, she was / No, she wasn't

2. Special Questions

Special questions are those questions that ask for details. Special questions are also called Wh-questions as most of them start with "wh".

For example: What? Which? When? Where? Why? Whose?

Other special questions include: How? How many? How much?

Special questions require inversion, like general questions.

Where are you from? Answer: I am from India
What are you wearing on your head? Answer: I'm wearing a hat or It's a hat!
How much money do you have? Answer: I have only $10.
How old are you? Answer: I'm 16.

Attention: If the subject of a special question is the question word itself, then this kind of question is called subject question.

Subject questions have the word order of an affirmative sentence.

Who will buy milk?
Who's in charge here?
What makes you think so?
Who wants some coffee?
Will who buy milk?
Is who in charge here?
What does make you think so?

3. Disjunctive questions

Disjunctive questions are also called question tags. They are mini-questions that appear at the end of sentence:

You can read more on this topic here.

4. Embedded questions

Embedded questions are also called indirect questions.

Such questions have affirmative word order, and are used in two situations:

a) polite questions ("question within questions")

Could you tell me where the bus station is?
Could you tell me where is the bus station?

b) reported speech

He asked me if I could help him.
He asked me could I help him.