How to Answer Questions About Yourself in English: Answer, Add One More Thing, Ask Back

Imagine a neighbour in an elevator. She has a small white dog, and she smiles. “Are you new here? Where are you from?”

You understand both questions. You even know the answer. And you say, “Yes.”

That is what happened to Emily in her first year of English. She understood the words, but her mouth was empty, and the doors opened before she could say a real answer. A one-word answer is not wrong, but it stops the conversation. This page gives you a small pattern for the easy questions people ask every day, so you can fill that empty moment with a real answer.

Three moves for every easy question

Think of a question as a ping-pong ball. If you hold it in your hand, the game stops. If you hit it back, the game goes on. Your answer needs three moves:

Move	What you do	Example
Answer	Say what the question asked	”I’m from a small town by the sea.”
One more thing	Add a place, a time, a name or a feeling	”It’s my first time here.”
Ask back	Send the ball to the other person	”How about you?”

The second move is the one beginners forget, and it can be small. You do not need a long story. You need one detail that the other person can use to ask the next question. The third move is only three words, and it says, “I want to hear your answer too.” Then the talk is a game for two, not an interview.

Eight answers to borrow

Each row below follows the pattern. Change the words in brackets and keep the shape. These examples were written for this page, except where marked.

The question	Answer	One more thing	Ask back
What’s your name?	My name is [Anna].	My friends call me [Ann].	And you?
Where are you from?	I’m from [a small town].	It’s [near the sea].	How about you?
Where do you live now?	I live in [the city] now.	My apartment is near [a big park].	Where do you live?
What do you do?	I’m a [nurse].	I work [at night].	What do you do?
Do you have any brothers or sisters?	Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.	I have [one sister]. / I’m the only child.	How about you?
What time do you wake up?	I wake up at [seven].	I’m not a morning person.	And you?
What’s your favorite food?	My favorite food is [noodle soup].	I eat it on cold days.	What about you?
What do you do in your free time?	I [read books].	I take long walks in the park.	How about you?

Two of these come straight from the episode. Emily’s “My friends call me Em” is a perfect second move for a name, and her “I’m the only child” is a good second move after “No, I don’t”. Then she adds that she has three cousins who live next door, and the one more thing becomes a small story.

Short answers for yes and no questions

When a question has a yes or no answer, look at its first word and use the same word in your answer:

Question starts with	Say	Example
Do you…	Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.	Do you like rice? Yes, I do.
Does he / she…	Yes, he does. / No, she doesn’t.	Does your brother live near you? No, he doesn’t.
Are you…	Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.	Are you hungry? Yes, I am.
Can you…	Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.	Can you play an instrument? Yes, I can.

With you, we and they, use do. With he and she, use does. Then add the second move: “Yes, I do. I have one brother and one sister.”

Soft answers when yes and no are too strong

Real questions are not always easy. Four short answers help when “Yes” or “No” feels wrong:

• Not really. A soft no. Paul uses it for spicy food: “Not really. A little spicy is okay.”
• Yes, a little. An honest, small yes. If someone asks “Can you cook?” and you can make eggs and soup, say “Well, yes, a little.” You do not promise too much.
• I’d rather not say. A polite way not to answer, for a question like “How old are you?” You can also smile and say the number.
• About twenty. When you are not sure of a number, begin with about.

The small words that make a question sound right

Learners often know the idea, but the question comes out broken. These are four repairs the hosts make in the episode:

Often said	Better
When do you wake?	What time do you wake up?
How many coworkers have you?	How many people do you work with?
What happens weekends?	What do you do on weekends?
I love family.	I love my family.

If someone asks “What do you do?”, they ask about your job, not this minute. Answer with “I’m a teacher. I teach children.” The question for this minute is “What are you doing?”.

The voice at the end of a question

Listen to the end. With where, what and who, the voice usually goes down: “Where are you from?” With a yes or no question, the voice usually goes up: “Are you a student?” Try it with “Where do you live?” (down) and “Do you live here?” (up). This small change helps the other person know what kind of answer you want.

When your mind goes blank anyway

It will happen. A question comes too fast, and the words are gone. Use one of three lines, and do not say “Yes” just to fill the silence:

1. Can you speak slowly, please?
2. Sorry, can you say that again?
3. How do you spell that?

Then take a breath. Nervous learners often answer the first question well, and then every answer gets shorter, until it is only “Yes. Okay. Yes.” So before you answer the next question, breathe, and add one small thing, only one. A time or a place is enough.

Five answers in a notebook: your two-minute practice

Emily wrote five answers about herself in a small notebook, and each one had one more thing. You can do the same in two minutes, and you can say them to a mirror.

1. Write your name and one more thing.
2. Write where you live and one more thing.
3. Write your job or study and one more thing.
4. Write one sentence about your family.
5. Write one thing you do in your free time.

Now say all five out loud. After each one, ask, “How about you?” It feels silly at first, but three days later, at the mailboxes, you are ready.

Make these answers longer

These answers stop the game. Add one more thing and ask back. The sample answers follow.

1. “Where are you from?” “Vietnam.”
2. “What do you do?” “Student.”
3. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” “No.”
4. “What time do you wake up?” “Early.”

Sample answers

1. I’m from Vietnam. I live in Da Nang now. How about you?
2. I’m a student. I study English and math. And you?
3. No, I don’t. I’m the only child, but I have three cousins. How about you?
4. I wake up at six o’clock. My cat wakes me up. And you?

Your answers can be different. If they are true and the listener understands them, they work.

Four lines to save on your phone

Keep these where you can see them:

1. Answer the question you heard. “Yes” is not a place.
2. Add one more thing: a place, a time, a name or a feeling.
3. Ask back: “How about you?”
4. Lost? “Sorry, can you say that again?”

Hear it in a real conversation

Want to hear Paul and Emily play this game, with pauses for you to answer? Listen to the episode and read its Show Note: Slow English for Beginners: Easy Questions About You, an Elevator Story and the Ping-Pong Rule. It has the full elevator story, a nine-question role-play and a transcript.