Question words

Question word

Function

Example

What

1. We learn information about something new;

2. We ask again or clarify what we’ve heard.

1. What is it?

What is her name?

2. Sorry, what did you say?

What … for

We find out the cause of an action or the purpose of the thing

What did you go there for?

What is it for?

When

We learn about time

When does the movie start?

When in the flight?

Where

We learn about a place

Where does he work?

Where do they go for a holiday?

Where … from

We learn about an origin

Where are you from?

Where is this picture from?

Which

We learn about preferences or choice (one out of many)

Which car do you want? (There are several cars to choose)

Who

We learn about a person (a question to the subject)

Who is that?

Who wrote that book?

Whom

A question to an object

Whom did you meet?

Whose

We learn about belonging

Whose is this bike?

Whose are those books?

Why

We learn about a reason

Why did you buy that car?

Why do the watch TV?

Why don’t

We make an offer / suggestion

Why don’t we go to the cinema?

How

1. We learn about way how smth happens

2. We learn about quality and conditions

1. How can I do it?

2. How was your trip?

How + adj/adv:

How far

We learn about distance

How far is your school?

How long

We learn about the length of time or space

How long is the exam?

How long is the way?

How many

Learn about the number of countable nouns

How many brothers do you have?

How much

Learn about the number of uncountable nouns

How much sugar do we have?

How old

Learn about the age

How old are you?

How old is your car?