Question

Word
what

what...for

Function

Example

asking for information about

something

What is your name?

/wa:t/ /iz/ /j(r)/ /nem/

asking for repetition or

confirmation

What? I can't hear you.

/wa:t/ /i/ /ka:nt/ h(r)
You did what?
/ju/ /did/ /wa:t/

asking for a reason, asking

why

What did you do that

/wa:t/ /did/ /iu/ /du:/ /wa:t/
for?

f(r)
when

asking about time

When did he leave?

/wen/ /did/ /hi/ /li:v/

where

asking in or at what place or

position

Where do they live?

which

asking about choice

Which colour do you

who

asking what or which person

or people (subject)

Who opened the door?

/hu://pn/ /e//d(r)/

whom

asking what or which person

or people (object)

Whom did you see?

/hu:m/ /did/ /ju//s:i/

whose

asking about ownership

Whose are these keys?

/hu:z//(r)// iz //ki:/
Whose turn is it?
/hu:z// tn //iz//it/

why

asking for reason, asking

what...for

Why do you say that?

/wai//du://ju//sei//wa:t/

why don't

making a suggestion

Why don't I help you?

/wai// dnt //ai//help/

how

asking about manner

How does this work?

asking about condition or

quality

How was your exam?

/ha//wz//j(r)//zm/

/we(r)/ /du:/ /e/ /lv/

/wt// kl(r) //du://ju/

want?
/wnt/

/ha//dz//s//wk/

how + adj/adv

asking about extent or degree

see examples below

/si://zmpl//bl/

Distance

How far is Pattaya from Bangkok?

length (time or space)

How long will it take?

how many

quantity (countable)

How many cars are there?

/ha//meni//ka:(r)/ /(r)//e(r)/

how much

quantity (uncountable)

How much money do you have?

Age

How old are you?

/ha//ld//(r)//ju/

asking for reason, asking why

How come I can't see her?

how far

how long

how old

how come
(informal)

who what where when

/ha//fa:(r)//frm/

/ha//l//wil//it//teik/

/ha//mt//mni//du://ju//hv/

/ha//km//ai//ka:nt//si://h(r)/

how why

1. What is your name? My name is Adam.

/wa:t//iz//j(r)/ /nem/ ?/mai//nem//iz/
2. Where are you from? I am from Kenya.
/we(r)/ /(r)//ju//frm/?/ai//e em//frm/

3. Who is your teacher? Jessica is my teacher.

/hu://iz//j(r)/ tit(r)/?/iz//mai//tit(r)/

4. When does your English class start? My class starts at 9:00.

/wen//dz//j(r)/ /l///ka:s//sta:t/?/mai//ka:s//sta:t//t/

5. How do you come to school? I ride my bicycle.

/ha//du://ju//km//tu:/ skul/ ?/ai//raid//mai//baskl /

6.Why do you come to school? I want to learn English for my job.

/wai//du://ju//km//tu:// skul/ ?/ai//wnt//tu:/ /l/// f(r)//mai/ /db/

My Story - part 1
/mai/ /stri/pa:t/
Hello. My name is John Miller.
/hl//mai//nem//iz/

I am 30 years old. I am from the United States.

/ai/ /eiem/ /j(r)/ /ld/. /ai//eiem///frm//e// junatd// stet/
I live in Denver, Colorado. Denver is a city in Colorado.

/ai//liv//in/. /iz/ ////sti //in/

Colorado is a state in the U.S.A. I live with my wife.
/iz/ / //stet//in/ /e//ju es e/./ai//liv//w//mai//waif/
My wife is Yoshmi Miller. She is 32 years old.
/mai//waif//iz/./i/ /j(r)/ /ld/.
She is from Japan.
/i//iz//frm/

We live in an apartment. Our apartment is on the 3rd floor of the apartment building.
/wi//liv//in//n// ptmnt/. / a(r)//ptmnt//iz//n/ /e// fl(r)//v//e//
ptmnt//bld/.

We are happy in our apartment. We are happy in Denver, Colorado.

/wi//(r)//hpi//in//a(r)/./wi//(r)//hpi//in/
We are happy with our life in the U.S.A. This is my story.
/wi//(r)//hpi//w//a(r)//in//ju es e/./s//iz//mai/
Write the Answer:
1. Where is Julie from?
__/we(r)//iz//frm/__________________________________________________.
2. Where is Denver?
__/we(r)//iz//_____________________________________________________.
3. Who is John Smith?
/hu://iz/____________________________________________________.
Write the question:
1. where are you from___________________________________? He is from Japan.
/we(r)/ /(r)//ju//frm/
/hi//iz//frm/
3. Where are you live ______________________? On the 3rd floor.
/we(r)/ /(r)//ju//liv/. n//e// fl(r)/

who
where
why
when
how
what
which

Person

Who's that? That's Nancy.

/huz//t//
Place

Where do you live? In Boston

Reason

Why do you sleep early? Because I've got to get up early

/wai//du://slip//li// bkz//aiv//t// p//li/

Time

When do you go to work? At 7:00

/wen//du://ju////tu:/ wk/

Manner

How do you go? By car

/ha//du://ju///?/ba//ka:r/

object, idea or action

What do you do? I am an engineer

/wa:t//du://ju//du:/?/ai///eiem//n//endn(r)/

Choice

Which one do you prefer? The red one.

/we(r)//du://ju//liv/./in/

? /t/

/wt//wn//du://ju/ /prf(r)// //red//wn ?

whose
whom

Possession

Whose is this book? It's Alan's.

object of the verb

Whom did you meet? I met the manager.

/hu:z//iz//is/?/its/

/hu:m//did//ju//mit// //mnd(r)/

what
kind

Description

What kind of music do you like? I like quiet songs

/wa:t//kaind//v//mjuzk//du://ju//laik/ ?/ai//laik

what
time

Time

What time did you come home?

/wa:t//taim//did//ju//km//hm/?

how
many

quantity (countable)

How many students are there? There are twenty.

how
much

amount, price
(uncountable)

How much time have we got? Ten minutes

duration, length

How long did you stay in that hotel? For two weeks.

Frequency

How often do you go to the gym? Twice a week.

/ha//ftn//du://ju////tu:/ /e//dm/

how long
how
often
how far
how old
how
come

/ha//meni//stjudnt///(r)/ /e(r)//twenti/
/ha//mt//taim//wi//t/?/ten//mnt/
/ha//l//did//ju//stei//in//aet//htel/? /f(r)//tu:/ /wi:k/

Distance

How far is your school? It's one mile far.

Age

How old are you? I'm 16.

?/twas////wi:k/

/ha//fa:(r)//iz//j(r)/ /skul/?/its//wn//mail//fa:r/
/ha//ld//(r)//ju/?/aim/

Reason

// kwat//s/

How come I didn't see you at the party?

/ha//km//ai//ddnt//si://ju//t//e//pti/

What
The word what is used to find out information about something.

/e//wd//wa:t//iz//just//t//fand //at//nfmen//bat//sm/
What is he doing here?
/wa:t//iz//hi//du:i//h(r)/
Its also used when you want somebody to repeat what they said or when you want confirmation about something.
/its//ls//just//wen//ju//wnt//smbdi//tu://r

pit//wa:t//e//sed//(r)//wen//ju//wnt//wnt//bat//sm/
What? Say that again!
/wa:t/?/sei/t//en/

What did he do?

/wa:t//did//hi//du:/
Its also used in conjunction with the word for and is substituted for the word why.
/its//ls//just//in//kndkn//wi//e//wd//f(r)/
What did he do that for?
/wa:t//did//hi//du:/

When

/t/ f(r)

nd//iz//e//wd//wai/

We use the word when for asking about the time something happened or will happen.
/wi//juz//e//wd//wen//f(r)//ski///bat//e//taim//sm//hpn//

(r)//wil//

hpn/

When did he leave this morning?

/wen//did//hi//li:v//is//mn/
When is she going to work today?
/wen//iz//i////tu://wk//tde/

Where

/we(r)/
The word where is used for asking about a location of something.

/e//wd//we(r)//iz//just//f(r)//ski//bat/////lken//v//sm/

Where does he live?

/we(r)//dz//hi//liv/
Which
Which is used to ask about a choice of something.

/wt//iz//just//tu://sk//bat////ts//v//sm/
What one do you want?
/wa:t//wn//du://ju//wnt/

Who
/hu:/
The word who is used to ask about a person or people. Who is used as the subject of a sentence.

/e//wd//hu://iz//just//tu://sk//bat////psn//(r)//pipl/./hu:/
sbdkt//v//// sentns/
Who wants to eat now?
/hu:/

/wnt//tu:// it//na/

/iz//just//z//e//

Whom

/hu:m/
Whom is the same a who, but its used as the object of a sentence.

/hu:m//iz//e// sem////hu:/,/bt//its//ju:st//z//e//bdkt//v//// sentns/

You went with whom?
/ju//went///wi//hu:m/

Whose

/hu:z/
Whose is used to ask about ownership of something.

/hu:z//iz//ju:st//tu:/ /sk//bat/// np//v//sm/

Whose car is this?

/hu:z//k(r)//iz//is/

Why
/wai/
The word why is used to ask for a reason about something.

/e//wd//hu://iz//just//tu://sk//f(r)////rizn//bat//sm/
Why did you go to the market?
/wai//did//ju/

//tu:/ /e//mkt/

Sometimes people say why dont and here it is used to make a suggestion.

/smtamz//pipl//se//wai//dnt//nd//h(r)//it//iz//ju:st//tu://mek//// sdestn/
Why dont you go with your friend?
/wai///dnt//ju/

///is//j(r)//frend/

How

/ha/
How is used to ask about manner, condition or quality.

/ha//iz//ju:st//tu://sk//bat//mn(r)//kndn/ (r)/ kwlti/

How does this thing work?

/ha//dz//is/////wd/
How was your holiday?

/ha//wz//j(r)//hlde/
We can also use it with far to discuss distance.
/wi//kn//ls//ju:z//it//wi//f(r)//tu://dsks//dstns/
How far is London from here?

/ha//fa:(r)//iz//frm/ /h(r)/

Long to discuss length in time.

/l//tu:/ /dsks//le//in//taim/
How long until we arrive?

/ha//l//ntl//wi//rav/
Many to discuss quantity with a countable noun.

/meni//tu:/ /dsks// kwntti//wi////kantbl//nan/

How many pens do you have?

/ha//meni//pen//du://ju/hv/
Much to discuss quantity with an uncountable noun.

/mt//tu:/ /dsks// kwntti//wi//n//nkantbl//nan/

How much sugar is there?

/ha//mt//(r)//iz//e(r)/
Old to discuss age.

/ld//tu:/ /dsks/ed/
How old is he?

/ha//ld//iz//hi/

And, finally how come to replace the word why.

/nd//fanli///ha//km//tu://rples//e//wd//wai/
How come you are late?

/ha//km//ju//(r)//let/

Pronunciation Practice - Repeat each question and answer out loud!

1.

Do you have a pet? Yes, we do. / No, we don't.

/du://ju//hv////pet/?/jes//wi//du://n//wi/ /dnt /
2. Does she like to study? Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't.

/dz//i//laik//tu://stdi/?/jes/.,/i//dz/. /n//i//dznt /
3. Did you see it? Yes, we did. / No, we didn't.
/did///ju//si://it/?/jes/,/wi//did/,/n//wi//didnt/.
4. Can you speak English well? Yes, we can. / No, we can't.
/kn//ju//spik//l//wel/,/wi/ kn/,/n//wi//ka:nt/
5. Is she from here? Yes, she is. / No, she isn't.
/iz//i//frm//h(r)/?/jes//i//iz/./n//i//znt/
6. Are you from a big city? Yes, we are. / No, we aren't.
/(r)//ju//frm////big//sti/?/jes/,/wi//(r)/, /n//wi//nt /
7. Are they going to come? Yes, they are. / No, they aren't.
/(r)/ /e////tu:/ /km/?/jes/,/e//(r)/. /n//e//nt /
8. Will you go with us? Yes, we will. / No, we won't.
/wil//ju/////wi//s/?/jes/,/wi//wil/./n//wi//dnt /
9. Were you at home last night? Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
/w(r)//ju//t//hm//lst//nat /?/jes/,/ai//wz/,/n//ai//wznt/