One of the most common questions learners need to know how to form are "wh" questions. These are questions that use a question word (that in English typically starts with "wh") to get more specific information. Luckily, forming these questions follows a few rules that can help you put words in the right order!
The first thing you'll need to know is which "wh" word you'll need. (Look out: There’s one English "wh" word that doesn't actually start with "wh"!)
| English "wh" question word | Use this "wh" word to ask about a: |
|---|---|
| who | person or animal you know (like a pet) |
| what | thing, object, idea, or animal you don't really know |
| where | place, destination (going to), origin (coming from) |
| when | time, day, month, year |
| why | reason, excuse, cause |
| how | method, style, manner |
"Wh" questions can also start with phrases with how many (like how many books) or which (like which house).
Here's a complete guide to forming all kinds of "wh" questions!
In this post:
"Wh" questions: getting started
"Wh" questions with a question word for the subject
"Wh" questions with a question word for the object
Examples of "wh" questions in English
"Wh" questions: getting started
To form "wh" questions in English, you'll need to know if the missing information—and the "wh" word that represents that information—is the subject or object. There is one sentence formula for when the missing information is the subject, and different formulas when the missing information is an object.
One way to find out is to imagine the complete answer to the question and see where the missing information is. If it comes before the verb, it's the subject:
- [Sara] came to the party after I left
- Possible answer: Sara
- "Wh" word to replace possible answer: who
- Location of possible answer: before the verb came --> subject
- We are going [to Japan] for our vacation
- Possible answer: to Japan
- "Wh" word to replace possible answer: where
- Location of possible answer: after the verbs are going --> object
When the missing information is an object, you'll also need to know what kind of verb is in the sentence—different verbs follow different formulas! Luckily, there are just 2 categories—and they're the same ones you'll look out for in yes/no questions, too!
- Category 1: forms of to be (like am and were), modals (like should and can), and auxiliaries (like has in has gone)
- Category 2: all other verbs!
"Wh" questions with a question word for the subject
If the missing information (and therefore the "wh" word) is the subject of the sentence, all you need to do is move the "wh" word to the beginning of the sentence. And you're done!
| "Wh" word (subject) | First verb | Rest of sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Who | came | to the party after I left |
| What | is | on the table |
| What | is | burning in the oven |
| Who | saw | Erica at the movies |
"Wh" questions with a question word for the object
If the missing information is an object, things are more complicated. You'll also need to know something about the verb—whether it is a form of to be, a modal, or an auxiliary, or if it's any other verb.
Category 1: "wh" questions with to be, modals, and auxiliaries
If the missing object is in a sentence with to be, a modal, or an auxiliary:
- Move the "wh" question word to the beginning of the question
- Move the first verb to right after the "wh" word
Here, you can also start by figuring out the answer to the question and then work through each step:
| We are going _[where?]_ for our next vacation | You can't come to my party _[why?]_ | The doctor's appointment is _[when?]_ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Move the "wh" word to the beginning | Where we |
Why you |
When the doctor's appointment |
| 2. Move the first verb to right after the question word | Where are we __ going __ for our next vacation | Why can't you __ come to my party __ | When is the doctor's appointment __ __ |
| "Wh" question | Where are we going for our next vacation? | Why can't you come to my party? | When is the doctor's appointment? |
You can also imagine the final version of "wh" questions with this formula: "wh" word + first verb + subject + rest of sentence.
| "Wh" word (object) | First verb (to be, modal, auxiliary) | Subject | Rest of sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | is | their sister | interviewing |
| When | should | the flight to Arizona | begin boarding |
| How many desserts | will | you | order |
| What | had | the children | been wishing for |
Category 2: "wh" questions with all other verbs
If the missing object is in a sentence with any other verb, make these 3 changes:
- Move the "wh" word to the beginning of the question
- Add a form of do (do or does for the present tense, did for the past tense)
- Change the main verb to the bare form
There are 3 forms of do that you need to know: do and does for the present tense, and did for the past tense. In questions, this do is different from the verb to do , and it instead means "Watch out, this is a question!"
For Category 2 questions, you'll also need to know the bare form of the main verb. You can find the bare form of English verbs by dropping to from the infinitive. So for the infinitive to walk, the bare form is walk.
Here's how to apply those changes to a sentence, step by step:
| You want to buy _[what?]_ at the store tomorrow | He wrote 3 books about _[what?]_ | She saw _[who?]_ at the movies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Move the "wh" word to the beginning | What you |
What he |
Who she |
| 2. Add a form of do | What do you |
What did he |
Who did she |
| 3. Change the main verb to the bare form | What do you want to buy __ at the store tomorrow | What did he write 3 books about __ | Who did she see __ at the movies |
| "Wh" question | What do you want to buy at the store tomorrow? | What did he write 3 books about? | Who did she see at the movies? |
And here is the word order formula:
| "Wh" word (object) | Form of do | Subject | Bare form of main verb | Rest of sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | did | those cookies | come | from |
| How | does | your cat | know | where the food is |
| When | do | the owls | visit | our home |
| Why | did | the rain | have | to start today |
Get all the information you need with "wh" questions!
"Wh" questions help learners of all level get the information they need, whether you're on vacation in a new city or taking college classes in another country. Remembering the different word order formulas for English "wh" questions will get easier with practice!
Examples of "wh" questions in English
Question word for the subject
- Who can help me make dinner?
- What is making all that noise?
- Who has never been skydiving?
- What happened to these trees?
- Who runs faster than you?
Question word for the object
With to be, modals, and auxiliaries
- Why is the cat hungry again?
- When should you receive the answer?
- How can you eat so many fries?!
- Where have you been playing chess with Sarah?
- Who are you looking for?
With all other verbs
- Who did you give the flowers to?
- What does this graph tell us about the data?
- Where do the employees go for lunch?
- When did our parents become cool?
- Why does your roommate wake up so early?