Basic Rules of WH- Questions

WH questions are used to ask for specific information.

Start with a WH- word:

These are the words that begin with "wh-" (except for how):

• Who: Asks about a person or people.
• What: Asks about a thing, idea, action, or situation.
• When: Asks about time.
• Where: Asks about a place.
• Why: Asks for a reason or explanation.
• How: Asks about a manner, way, condition, or amount.

Seek specific information: Unlike yes/no questions, WH- questions require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. They prompt a more detailed response related to the WH- word used.

Basic Structure (generally):

WH- word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + ...?

Important Note:

Sometimes, the WH- word itself is the subject of the sentence. In these cases, the structure is slightly different:

In these cases, no auxiliary verb is needed before the subject because the WH- word is the subject.