Wh- Questions allow a speaker to find out more information about topics. They are as follows:
| When?Where? Who? Why? How? What? | TimePlace Person Reason Manner Object/Idea/Action |
Other words can also be used to inquire about specific information:
| Which (one)?Whose? Whom? How much? How many? How long? How often? How far? What kind (of)? | Choice of alternativesPossession Person (objective formal) Price, amount (non-count) Quantity (count) Duration Frequency Distance Description |
The “grammar” used with wh- questions depends on whether the topic being asked about is the “subject” or “predicate” of a sentence. For the subject pattern, simply replace the person or thing being asked about with the appropriate wh-word.
| (Someone has my baseball.)(Something is bothering you.) | Who has my baseball?What is bothering you? |
For the predicate pattern, wh- question formation depends on whether there is an “auxiliary” verb in the original sentence. Auxiliary or “helping” verbs are verbs that precede main verbs. Auxiliary verbs are italicized in the following sentences.
I can do it.
They are leaving.
I have eaten my lunch.
I should have finished my homework.
| (You will leave some time.) | … will you leave When will you leave? |
| (He is doing something.) | … is he doing What is he doing? |
| (They have been somewhere.) | … have they been Where have they been? |
| (He is someone.) | … is he Who is he? |
| (The meeting was some time) | … was the meeting When was the meeting? |
| (You want something.) | … do you want What do you want? |
| (You went somewhere.) | … did you go (past tense) Where did you go? |
| She likes something.) | … does she like (third person –s) What does she like? |