english4theworld
learners' centre
grammar reference
question
words
Who? When? Why? What? What...for? What...like?
Where? Which? Whose? How? What...for?
HOW DO WE USE Who? When? Why? What? What...for? What...like?
We use who to ask questions about people (e.g. their name, their identity). Who can be the subject or the object of the verb. If who is the subject, the verb is singular.
Examples:
- Who wants a cup of coffee? (subject)
- Who loves you? (subject)
- Who do you love? (object)
- Who did they dance with? (object)
We use when to ask questions about times - periods of time, days and dates, and times of the day.
Examples:
- When are you moving to England?
- When do you start work in the morning?
- When were you born?
We can also use what time if we are asking about the time of day.
Examples:
We use why to ask about the reason or purpose of an action.
Examples:
We use what … for to discover the purpose or function of an object. The word for always comes at the end of the question.
Examples:
- What's this key for?
- What do you use this brush for?
- A Don't throw that away!
I need it.
B What for?
We use what without a noun to ask about things and actions and events. What can be the subject or the object of the verb.
Examples:
- What happened? (subject)
- What made you think that? (subject)
- What are you looking at? (object)
- What shall we talk about? (object)
We use what with a noun (e.g. colour, size, make, kind/type/sort of) to get more information - mainly about things.
Examples:
We can use what … like to ask for a description of someone or something. The word like always comes at the end of the question.
Example:
- A What
was the party like?
B Fantastic! I had a great time!
- A What's
the water like?
B Lovely! Come in and have a swim!
- A What
are French people like?
B Very friendly.
HOW DO WE USE Where? Which? Whose? How? What...for?
WHERE
We use where to ask questions about place and direction.
Examples:
We use which with or without a noun to ask questions about one person or thing when there is a limited choice. Which can be the subject or the object of the verb.
Examples:
- Which is your house? (subject)
- Which house is yours? (subject)
- Which colour do you prefer - red or blue? (object)
- Which do you prefer - red or blue? (object)
With other limited choices, we can use other question words.
Examples:
- Who do like - Clint Eastwood or John Wayne?
- What time of year do you like best?
- Where do you prefer - London or Paris?
- Whose music do you like best - Madonna or Jennifer Lopez?
We can also use which one(s) or which of for people or things when there is a limited choice.
Examples:
- Which one do you prefer - the red one or the blue one?
- Which ones do you prefer - the red ones or the blue ones?
- Which of your teachers do you like best?
We use how (= in what way) to ask questions about the way something happens or is done.
Examples:
- How is the weather?
- How did you get to the party?
We can also use how to ask about the way a person or thing looks, or feels or is, and it is used in greetings and questions about people's health.
Examples:
- How does this tie look with this shirt?
- How are you?
- How do you do?
- How's your father? Is he feeling better?
After how we can also use the following:
- an adjective (big, expensive)
- an adverb (well, quickly)
- much or many (to ask about quantity or number)
- long or often (to ask about frequency or duration)
Examples:
- How old is your car?
- How well do you know him?
- How much money do you want to change?
- How many pesetas do you get for £1?
- How long have you known him?
- How often do you see him?
We use whose with or without a noun to ask about possession - which person something belongs to or is related to.
Examples:
We use what … for (as well as why) to ask about the reason or purpose of an action. For always comes at the end of the question.
Examples:
- What are you learning English for?
- What are you looking at me for?