Wh- Questions

There are two main types of questions in English:

• Yes/No Questions: Do you like pizza? → Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
• Wh- Questions: What kind of pizza do you like? → I like pepperoni.

Wh- Question Words

Wh- Word	Use	Example Question	Example Answer
Who	person	Who is the man in the blue shirt?	He's our new teacher.
What	thing	What is that?	It's a new game.
Where	place	Where is your school?	My school is on Smith Street.
When	time	When is your birthday?	It's April 25.
Why	reason	Why are they late?	They are late because they slept in.
How	method/way	How do you get to school?	I take the bus.
Which	choice	Which is better, cake or pie?	The cake is better.
Whose	possession	Whose jacket is this?	It's Mike's jacket.

Note: Most Wh- words begin with “wh,” but how is also a Wh- word!

Questions with Be

When the verb is be, the pattern is:

Wh- word + be + subject

• Where is your school?
• Who are they?
• How are you?

For be questions, do not use do or does.

• ✓ Where is your school?
• ✗ Where does your school is?

Questions with Other Verbs

When the verb is not be, the pattern is:

Wh- word + do/does + subject + verb

• Where do you live?
• What does she drive?
• When do they study?

Use does with he, she, it. Use do with I, you, we, they.

After does, use the base verb.

• ✓ What does she eat?
• ✗ What does she eats?

What + Noun

Use what + noun when you ask about a type or category.

Question	Meaning
What color is your bag?	Ask about the color.
What time is it?	Ask about clock time.
What kind of music do you like?	Ask about the type of music.
What day is it today?	Ask about the day of the week.

How Questions

How is often used with other words:

Question	Answer
How are you?	I'm fine, thanks.
How old is your daughter?	She is three years old.
How much is this dress?	It's $85.
How many dogs do you have?	I have three dogs.
How often do you study?	I study every night.

What Time

Use what time to ask about clock time:

• What time is it? → It's 1:15 pm.
• What time does the class start? → It starts at 9:00.

Who’s vs. Whose

Word	Meaning	Example
Who's	Who is / Who has	Who's coming to the party? (= Who is coming?)
Whose	belonging to whom	Whose car is that?

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better	Why
Where you live?	Where do you live?	Use do/does with most verbs.
What does she likes?	What does she like?	Use the base verb after does.
Where does he is?	Where is he?	Use be directly; do not add does.
Who's bag is this?	Whose bag is this?	Whose asks about possession.

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Practice

Exercise 1 — Match the Wh- Word

1 / 21

___ is the man in the blue shirt? (person)

AWhereBWhatCWho

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Summary

• Wh- questions ask for information, not just yes or no.
• Use who for people, what for things, where for places, when for time, why for reasons, how for method or condition, which for choices, and whose for possession.
• With be, use: Wh- word + be + subject.
• With most other verbs, use: Wh- word + do/does + subject + base verb.
• After does, use the base verb: What does she eat?
• Who's means who is or who has. Whose asks who something belongs to.

Keep practicing by turning simple answers into Wh- questions.