Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
Wh- questions ask for information, not yes or no. The order is wh-word + auxiliary (do/does/did, is/are, can) + subject + main verb: 'Where do you live?', 'What is she doing?'. Each word asks about something different.
Level: A1. Yes/no questions get a yes or no. Wh- questions ask for real information — a place, a time, a person, a reason — and they all start with a question word. Learn the six main words and one word-order pattern and you can ask almost anything.
The rule
A question word (also called a wh- word, because most begin with wh) tells your listener what kind of answer you want. The six core words are what, where, when, who, why and how.
Most wh- questions follow one pattern: wh-word + auxiliary + subject + main verb. An auxiliary (helping verb) is a word like do, does, did, is, are, can, will. It carries the tense and the question “signal”, so the main verb can stay in its simple base form:
- Where do you live? → (I live in Rome.)
- What did she say? → (She said yes.)
- When is the train leaving? → (At six.)
There is one special case. When the question word is itself the subject — the person or thing doing the action — you do not add do/does/did. The word order stays like a statement: wh-word + verb:
- Who lives here? (not Who does live here?)
- What happened? (not What did happen?)
The question words
| Word | Asks about | Example |
|---|---|---|
| what | a thing or action | What do you want? |
| where | a place | Where is the station? |
| when | a time | When does it start? |
| who | a person | Who is that? |
| why | a reason | Why are you late? |
| how | manner or method | How do you spell it? |
| which | a choice from a set | Which bag is yours? |
| whose | possession | Whose keys are these? |
| how + word | amount, degree | How much? How many? How old? How often? |
What, which and whose can also go straight before a noun: What time is it?, Which colour do you like?, Whose bag is this?
How to say it
- what and where both start with a quiet /w/ — the h is silent: say “wot” and “wair”.
- who and whose are the odd pair: the w is silent and they begin with an /h/ — “hoo” and “hooz”.
- why rhymes with “my”; when rhymes with “ten”.
- how has no wh — it rhymes with “now”.
In speech the voice usually falls at the end of a wh- question, unlike the rising tone of a yes/no question.
Example sentences
- What is your name?Asking about a thing — with is.
- What do you do?Asking about a job — auxiliary do + base verb.
- Where do you live?Asking about a place.
- Where are my keys?Place question with are.
- When does the film start?Time question — does + base verb start.
- When did they arrive?Past time — did + base verb arrive.
- Who is that woman?Asking about a person with is.
- Who lives next door?Who is the subject — no auxiliary, verb keeps -s.
- Why are you sad?Asking for a reason.
- Why did she leave early?Reason in the past — did + base verb.
- How do you spell your name?Asking about method.
- How are you today?A common greeting with how + are.
- What did you say?Base verb say after did, not 'said'.
- Where were you yesterday?Past place question with were.
- Which train goes to the city?which + noun as subject — no auxiliary.
- Whose phone is ringing?whose asks about possession.
- What happened at the party?what is the subject — no 'did'.
- How often do you travel?how + often asks about frequency.
- What time do you get up?what + noun 'time' before the auxiliary.
- Who are you waiting for?who as object — auxiliary are, preposition at the end.
- Why don't we take a taxi?A suggestion made with why don't.
- How did you learn English?Method in the past with did.
Common mistakes
- ❌ Where you live? → ✅ Where do you live? You must keep the auxiliary do.
- ❌ What she wants? → ✅ What does she want? Third person needs does + the base verb want.
- ❌ When did you went? → ✅ When did you go? After did, the main verb stays in its base form.
- ❌ Who does live here? → ✅ Who lives here? When who is the subject, drop the auxiliary.
- ❌ Why you are late? → ✅ Why are you late? With be, swap the subject and verb: are you, not you are.
- ❌ How much apples? → ✅ How many apples? Use how many with countable plurals (see the next lesson).
A short conversation
A: Where are you going? B: To the station. Why do you ask? A: When does your train leave? B: At half past nine. Who is picking you up at the other end?
Usage notes
- Subject vs object questions. Who and what can ask about the subject (Who called? — no auxiliary) or the object (Who did you call? — with auxiliary). Listen for whether a do/does/did fits.
- Prepositions move to the end. In everyday English we say Where are you from? and Who are you talking to?, with the preposition at the end — not From where are you?.
- Short answers. You rarely repeat the whole sentence: “When do you finish?” → “At five.” That is natural and correct.
- why don’t / why not make friendly suggestions: Why don’t we eat out?, Why not try again?
Compared with…
- Indirect questions are polite or reported versions where the word order goes back to statement order — Can you tell me where the station is? (not …where is the station?). The auxiliary and inversion disappear inside the second part. This is a B1 step; when you are ready, see Indirect Questions. For the auxiliaries used here, revisit Present Simple: Negatives and Questions.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Question words practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: a time word
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When — A time question uses when.
3 Put the words in order to make a correct question.
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Where do you work ? — Pattern: wh-word + auxiliary + subject + base verb.
4 Match each question word to what it asks about.
- Where
- When
- Who
- Why
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- Where → a place
- When → a time
- Who → a person
- Why → a reason
Each wh-word points to one kind of answer.
Hint: base form after did
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say — After did, the main verb stays in its base form: say.
Quiz
Question words quiz
13 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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Where — Where asks about a place.
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Why — Why asks about a reason.
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How — How asks about method or manner.
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Where do you live? — Keep the auxiliary: wh-word + do + subject + verb.
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does — Third person singular uses does + the base verb.
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When did you go? — After did, the main verb stays in its base form: go.
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Who — Who is the subject, so no auxiliary: Who lives...?
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Why are you late? — With be, invert subject and verb: Why are you...?
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Which — Which asks for a choice from a known set.
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Whose — Whose asks about possession.
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How — How are you? is a standard greeting.
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Where are you from? — In everyday English the preposition moves to the end: Where are you from?
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happened — What is the subject here, so no auxiliary: What happened?
Recap cheat-sheet
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| wh + auxiliary + subject + verb | Where do you live? |
| wh + be + subject | Why are you late? |
| subject question (no auxiliary) | Who lives here? |
| how + word | How much? How old? How often? |
Next
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All English grammar topics
Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.
Grammar path
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How You are here
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)