subject + verb (+ complement) + question word + ?Use this after a statement with no auxiliary. Keep the original order and replace only the missing part.
Echo Questions
B2Echo questions repeat part of what someone just said to show surprise or check information: You met who? She did what?
What you'll learn
- Repeat the unclear part with question intonation.
- Keep the same word order as the original sentence.
- Use the right question word for the missing information.
- Keep be, do, and modal verbs from the original sentence.
- Choose echo questions for surprise or clarification after a statement.
Structure
subject + auxiliary + main verb (+ complement) + question word + ?If the original sentence already has be, an auxiliary, or a modal, keep it in the echo question.
Build a sentence
Original frame
Missing part
Youmetwho?
You met who?
Keep the same order. Replace the person with who.
When to use
Surprise
React to unexpected news. Anna won the race. — Anna won what?
Clarification
Check one detail you did not catch. Tom is flying to Lima. — He is flying where?
Person check
Use who when the missing part is a person. Maria invited who?
Markers
whowhatwherewhenwhyhow
In contrast
vs negative-questions
Echo questions repeat part of what another person just said. Negative questions ask normally and often show expectation: Didn’t she call?
Common mistakes
Wrong
Did she buy what?
Correct
She bought what?
Echo questions keep the original order. Do not turn them into normal question order.
Wrong
You met where?
Correct
You met who?
Use who for a person, not where.
Wrong
Did she can swim?
Correct
She can what?
Keep the original modal. Do not add another auxiliary.
Wrong
Who did you meet?
Correct
You met who?
An echo question repeats the speaker's structure and highlights the unclear part.
Common misconceptions
❝ Echo questions are always rude. ❞
They can sound surprised, but they are also a normal way to check one detail you did not hear or understand.
❝ Every English question must start with an auxiliary or question word. ❞
Echo questions are different. They often keep the original statement order and place the question word at the end.
Skills in this rule (5)
REPEAT_KEY_WORD_WITH_RISING_TONEw5Repeat the key word or phrase to check what you heard
Use an echo question when you want clarification. Repeat the surprising or unclear part and say it with question intonation.
KEEP_THE_SAME_WORD_ORDERw5Keep the original word order in an echo question
Echo questions do not flip the order like normal questions. Keep the words in the same order as the original sentence and focus on the part you are checking.
REPLACE_THE_UNKNOWN_PART_WITH_QUESTION_WORDw5Replace the missing part with who, what, where, when, why, or how
Use a question word only for the part you want repeated. Keep the rest of the sentence from the original message.
ECHO_AUXILIARIES_AND_BEw4Echo be, do, or modal verbs without changing them
If the original sentence has be, an auxiliary, or a modal, keep it in the echo question. Do not add a new auxiliary or remove the one that is already there.
USE_FOR_SURPRISE_OR_CLARIFICATIONw3Use echo questions to show surprise or ask for clarification
Echo questions react to something another person just said. Use them when a detail is unexpected, unclear, or hard to hear.