Wh-Questions In English: Definition, Question Words, Structure, And Examples (2024)

Introduction

Wh-questions are questions that start with a wh-word such as what, where, when, how, and why. The answer to these questions cannot be yes or no. In this article, we will define wh-questions and explore their structure and use. Illustrative examples will be provided.

Let’s get started with the types of questions in English!

Types Of Questions In English

Questions can be broadly categorized into three types:

What are Wh questions?

Wh-Questions In English: Definition, Question Words, Structure, And Examples (1)

Wh-questions in English are interrogative sentences that begin with words like “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” or “how.”

These questions seek specific information and are used to ask about various aspects, including people, things, places, times, reasons, and methods. Wh-questions invite detailed responses. An answer with yes or no is not acceptable for these questions.

Example:

Who:
- Example: Who won the singing competition?
- Answer: Emma won the singing competition.
What:
- Example: What is your favorite hobby?
- Answer: My favorite hobby is painting.
Where:
- Example: Where did you meet your best friend?
- Answer: I met my best friend at college.
When:
- Example: When is the next train to London?
- Answer: The next train to London is at 2:30 PM.
Why:
- Example: Why did you choose to study engineering?
- Answer: I chose to study engineering because of my interest in technology.
How:
- Example: How did you learn to play the guitar?
- Answer: I learned to play the guitar by taking lessons from a music teacher.

Question words

Question words, commonly referred to as “wh-questions,” derive their name from the inclusion of the letters “W” and “H.”

Question Word	Meaning	Examples
Who	Person	– Who’s that? – That’s Nancy.
Where	Place	– Where do you live? – In Boston.
Why	Reason	– Why do you sleep early? – Because I have to get up early.
When	Time	– When do you go to work? – At 7:00.
How	Manner	– How do you go? – By car.
What	Object, Idea, Action	– What do you do for a living? – I am an engineer.
Which	Choice	– Which one do you prefer? – The red one.
Whose	Possession	– Whose is this book? – It’s Alan’s.
Whom	Object of the Verb	– Whom did you meet? – I met the manager.
What Kind	Description	– What kind of music do you like? – I like quiet songs.
What Time	Time	– What time did you come home? – At 7 pm.
How Many	Quantity (Countable)	– How many students are there? – There are twenty.
How Much	Amount, Price (Uncountable)	– How much time have we got? – Not much time; we have to hurry up.
How Long	Duration, Length	– How long did you stay in that hotel? – For two weeks.
How Often	Frequency	– How often do you go to the gym? – Twice a week.
How Far	Distance	– How far is your school? – It’s one mile away.
How Old	Age	– How old are you? – I’m 16.
How Come	Reason	– How come I didn’t see you at the party? – I don’t know! Maybe I left before you showed up.

Wh-Question Structures

Asking wh-questions may sometimes require changes in sentence structure.

Asking About The Subject

If you ask about the subject of the sentence, simply add the question word at the beginning:

Example: James writes good poems. — Who writes good poems?

As you can see, apart from replacing “James” with “who“, there isn’t much change!

Asking About The Predicate

If you ask about the predicate of the sentence (the part containing the verb and providing information about the subject), there are three options:

If a helping (auxiliary) verb precedes the main verb (e.g., can, is, are, was, were, will, would…), add the question word and invert the subject and the helping (auxiliary) verb.
- Examples:
  - He can speak Chinese. — What can he speak?
  - They are leaving tonight. — When are they leaving?
If you ask about the predicate, and there is no helping (auxiliary) verb, and the verb is “to be,” simply add the question word and invert the subject and the verb.
- Example:
  - The play was interesting. — How was the play?
If there is no helping (auxiliary) verb in the predicate, and the main verb is not “to be,” add the auxiliary “do” in the appropriate form.
- Examples:
  - They go to the movies every Saturday. — Where do they go every Saturday?
  - He wakes up early. — When does he wake up?
  - They sent a letter. — What did they send?

How to Form Negative Wh-Questions?

When forming negative wh-questions, we use the auxiliary verb “do” when there is no other auxiliary or modal verb:

Affirmative Wh-Questions	Negative Wh-Questions
Where did you go?	Where didn’t you go?
Who can bring a laptop?	Who can’t bring a laptop?
Who is happy?	Who is not happy?
Who wants an ice cream?	Who doesn’t want an ice cream?
Which door opened?	Which door didn’t open?
Which worked for you?	Which didn’t work for you?
Where did you go?	Where didn’t you go?

Conclusion

In summary, wh-questions, characterized by the use of wh-words, serve as powerful tools for extracting detailed information. Unlike yes or no questions, they require comprehensive responses. It’s crucial to note that when these questions extend beyond the subject of the sentence, the inclusion of auxiliaries becomes essential. To master the art of forming and using wh-questions effectively, consistent practice is key. This may enable a deeper understanding of their structure and use.

Related Materials:

Wh-questions
Exercise on question words 1
Exercise on question words 2