OET Grammar Practice: Form Questions That Make the Time Clear

“Did you receive the letter?” and “Have you received the letter?” are both possible questions, but they frame the event differently. Clear questioning begins with the information you want, followed by a verb form that suits the time and context.

Jobin Thomas’s Focused Grammar for OET Dentistry Writing includes question formation as well as sentence and note-expansion exercises. Its question chapter distinguishes routines, current situations, past events and experience up to now. This guide uses original administrative examples to practise those distinctions.

Decide what you need to find out

A question about a usual routine is different from a question about one particular day. “Do you usually work on Fridays?” asks about a pattern. “Did you work last Friday?” asks about a finished occasion. Choose the meaning before deciding which auxiliary to use.

You can also ask a more open question: “Which days do you usually work?” This invites information rather than a yes or no. The most useful form depends on what you already know and what remains unclear.

Use do, does and did with the base verb

For many present simple questions, use do or does + subject + base verb. Compare “The clinic opens at nine” with “Does the clinic open at nine?” The third-person ending belongs to “does” in the question, so the main verb becomes “open.”

For a past simple question, use did + subject + base verb: “Did the clinic send the letter?” Avoid “Did the clinic sent the letter?” The auxiliary already marks the question as past.

Recognise questions that use a different auxiliary

With “be,” place the verb before the subject: “Is the appointment confirmed?” A continuous form also uses “be”: “Are you waiting for a reply?” A present perfect question uses “have” or “has”: “Have you received a reply yet?”

Do not add “do” to these patterns. “Do you are waiting?” combines two question structures. Compare complete examples and notice which verb carries the question: “Do you wait here every week?” versus “Are you waiting here now?”

Keep duration separate from a starting point

“When did you start attending this class?” asks for a starting time. “How long have you attended this class?” asks about duration up to now. A learner could answer the first with “In January” and the second with “For several months.”

Both questions can be useful, but they are not interchangeable in every situation. Check that your wording invites the information you need. A grammatically correct question can still be unhelpful if it asks about the wrong period.

Build a small question-and-answer practice set

Choose an ordinary topic such as appointments, work or study. Write one question about a routine, one about a finished occasion and one about experience up to now. Answer each aloud, then ask whether the response matches the question’s time frame.

Explore OET Grammar — Course 15 for the course linked to this dentistry-focused grammar material. For personal feedback, request online one-to-one OET tuition at your preferred dates and times, fitted around busy shifts and confirmed with your tutor.

Source: OET Dentistry gra 002.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.