QUESTION WORDS

WHEN

(a) When did they arrive?

When will you come?

Yesterday
Next Monday

When is used to ask

questions about time.

WHERE

(b) Where is she?

Where can I find a pen?

At home
In that drawer

Where is used to ask

questions about place.

WHY

(c) Why did he leave early?

Why arent you coming with us?

Because he is ill.
Im tired

Why is used to ask

questions about reason.

HOW

(d) How did you come to school?

How does he drive?

By bus
Carefully

How generally
about manner.

(e) How much money does it cost?

How many people came?

Ten dollars
Fifteen

How is used with much

and many.

(f) How old are you?

How cold is it?
How soon can you get here?
How fast were you driving?
(g) How long has he been here?

Twelve
Ten below zero
In ten minutes
50 miles an hour
Two years

How is also used with

adjectives and adverbs.

How often do you write home?

WHO

WHOM

Every week

How far is it to Miami from here?

(h) Who can answer that question?
Who came to visit you?

500 miles
I can
Jane and Eric

(i) Who is coming to dinner tonight?

Who wants to come with me?

Ann, Bob, and Al

We do

(j) Who(m) did you see?

Who(m) are you visiting?
(k) Who(m) should I talk to?
To who(m) should I talk? (formal)

I saw George
My relatives
The secretary

Profesora: Eva M Ortiz Egea

1

asks

How long asks about

length of time
How often asks about
frequency
How far asks about
distance.
Who is used as the
subject of a question. It
refers to people.
Who
is
usually
followed by a singular
verb even if the speaker
is asking about more
than one person.
Whom is used as the
object of a verb or
preposition. In spoken
English, whom is rarely
used; who is used
instead. Whom is used
only
in
formal
questions.
Note:
Whom, not who, is
used if preceded by a
preposition.

QUESTION WORDS

WHOSE

WHAT

(l) Whose book did you borrow?

Whose key is this?
(Whose is this?)

Davids
Its mine

Whose asks questions

about possession.

(m) What made you angry?

What went wrong?

His rudeness
Everything

What is used as the

subject of a question.
It refers to things.

(n) What do you need?

What did Alice buy?
(o) What did he talk about?
About what did he talk? (formal)

I need a pencil
A book
His vacation

What is also used as

an object.

(p) What kind of soup is that?

What kind of shoes did he buy?

Its been soup

Sandals

What kind of asks

about the particular
variety or type of
something.

(q) What did you do last night?

What is Mary doing?

I studied
What + a form of do
Reading a book is used to ask
questions about
activities.

(r) What countries did you visit?

What time did she come?
What colour is his hair?
(s) What is Ed like?

Italy and Spain

Seven oclock
Dark brown
Hes kind and
friendly
Hot and humid

What may
accompany a noun.

Hes tall and

has dark hair
Its two-story,
red brick house
The blue one

What + look like asks

for a physical
description.

(t) What is the weather like?

(u) What does Ed look like?
(v) What does her house look like?
WHICH

(w) I have two pens

Which pen do you want?
Which one do you want?
Which do you want?
(x) Which book should I buy?
(y) Which countries did he visit?
What countries did he visit?
(z) Which class are you in?
What class are you in?

That one
Peru and Chile
This class

What + be like asks

for a general
description of qualities

Which is used instead

of what when a
question concerns
choosing from a
definite, known
quantity or group.
In some cases, there is
little difference in
meaning between
which and what when
they accompany a
noun, as in (y) and (z).

1. In this exercise you have to ask questions about Ed and Liz.

Examples: (Ed and Liz / be / married?) Are Ed and Liz married? Yes, they are.
(They / have / any children?) Have they got any children? Yes, three.
(where / Ed and Liz live?) . In
Nottingham.
(how long / they / be / married?)
15 years.
(they / go out very often?) .
. No, not very often.
Profesora: Eva M Ortiz Egea
2

QUESTION WORDS

(what / Ed do for a living?) ..

. Hes a policeman.
(he / enjoy his job?) . Yes,
very much.
(he / arrest anyone yesterday?) ..
No.
(they / have / a car?) . Yes.
(when / they / buy it?) . A
year ago.
(how much / it cost?) $
3,000.
(they / go / on holiday next summer?) ..
Yes.
(where / they / go?) To
Scotland.
2. This time you have to make questions with who or what.
Examples: Somebody hit me. Who hit you?
I hit somebody. Who did you hit?

Something happened. What ..?

Someone lives in that house. Who ?
Somebody gave me this key. Who ?
Henry gave me something. What ..?
Tom meets someone every day. Who ?
I fell over something. What ?
Something fell on the floor. What ..?
This word means something. What ?

3. Now you have to make negative questions. Each time you are surprised.
Example: We wont see Ann this evening. Oh! (she / not / come / to the party
tonight?) Isnt she coming to the party tonight?
I hope we dont meet Brian tonight. Why? (you / not / like him?)..

Ill have to borrow some money. Why? (you / not / have / any?) .
..
Dont go and see that film. Why? (it / not / be / good?) ..

Profesora: Eva M Ortiz Egea

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