Wh Questions
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Table
A Wh question is an open question, meaning that it can have any number of answers. It asks about some missing information the speaker needs. This corresponds to the different sentence elements, such as the verb, objects, manner, place, time, purpose, etc. Questions about the subject have a special form (see the next section). A question element needs to precede the subject in order to form this question. The “question element” is formed according to the following rule.
The Wh Question Rule: To form a Wh question in English, add a Wh question word before the corresponding yes/no question.
Pay attention:
- • When an auxiliary verb (including modals) is used, the main verb is not inflected (no s or ed ending), meaning that either the base form or past participle is used.
- • The verb to be uses a different Wh question pattern. Click here for more information.
Review the following table for examples of Wh questions in English.
Tense Question about: Example
Present Simple Place Where does she play?
Past Simple Time When did they play?
Present Progressive Manner How is he playing?
Past Progressive Direct object What was he playing?
Present Perfect Indirect object With who have you played?
Present Perfect
Progressive Choice Which game have you been playing?
Past Perfect Reason Why had they played?
Past Perfect
Progressive Frequency How often had she been playing?
Future Simple Number How much will I play?
Modals Possession Whose role can he play?
Conditional Duration How long would it take?
Conditional perfect Age How old would he have been?
wh subject questions
A Wh Subject question is an open question, meaning that it can have any number of answers. It asks about missing information the speaker needs about the subject of the sentence (performer of the action). A question element needs to precede the subject in order to form this question. The “question element” is formed according to the following rule.
The Subject Wh Question Rule: To form a subject Wh-question in English, replace the subject with a question word, using who (for people) or what (for non-people)? The word order is that of a positive sentence.
Pay attention:
- • There is no auxiliary verb in Wh Subject questions in the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses. The question word simply replaces the subject.
- • In the present tenses, the verb is always in the third person singular, using the appropriate verb form.
Review the following table for examples of Wh Subject questions in English.
Tense Question about: Example
Present Simple People Who plays there every week?
Past Simple Non-people What made all that noise?
Present Progressive People Who is playing today?
Past Progressive Non-people What was making all that noise?
Present Perfect People Who’s written this essay?
Modals People Who can help me?
