When you write a code review comment, an issue report, or a quick chat message, clear question word order helps your teammates understand what you need. In everyday English, you form accurate yes-no questions and information questions by placing the correct helping verb before the subject. When your question includes an action verb, use the base verb form after the subject.
Start yes-no questions with the helping verb
Use a yes-no question when you only need a yes or no confirmation from a teammate. Put the helping verb at the start of the sentence, right before the subject. For example:
Are you ready for the team meeting?
You can use this same pattern in daily chat messages when you check someone's status before a call or a release.
Did the build pass on the staging server?
This question asks for a simple yes or no confirmation about the build. The helping verb did comes before the subject the build, and the main verb pass stays in its base form.
Keep the main verb in its base form in code reviews
When you ask about what a function does or how a pull request behaves, place the helping verb before the subject and keep the main action verb in its base form. Do not add an ending to the main verb when the helping verb is already there. This keeps your review questions clear when you check a teammate's change.
Does this function handle empty arrays?
The helping verb does sits before the subject this function. The main verb handle uses its base form instead of handles, asking for a yes or no confirmation about the code.
Add a question word to ask for specific information
When a simple yes or no confirmation is not enough, start with a question word to ask for details. For instance, where asks for a specific place, whereas yes-no questions only require a yes or no confirmation. Put the question word first, followed by the helping verb, the subject, and the base verb form when you write an issue report.
Where does the app store the session token?
Where asks for a specific place in the system rather than a yes or no answer. The helping verb does still comes before the subject the app, followed by the base verb store.
Before you send a question in a chat message or code review, check two things: make sure the helping verb comes before the subject, and check that any main action verb is in its base form.
Practice: English question forms: word order rules.
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