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Wh Questions in English: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
Wh questions ask for specific information and always go at the start of the question.
Written by Bryan López, Profesor de inglés · Updated
Wh questions are used to ask for specific information: what, where, when, who, why, and how. They always go at the start of the question, followed by an auxiliary.
The Wh questions and what they ask
The correct sentence order
The structure is: Wh word + auxiliary (do/does/is/are/can) + subject + verb: "Where do you live?" You can't say "Where you live?", the auxiliary is always required when the main verb isn't to be.
Common mistakes with Wh questions
Forgetting the do/does auxiliary in questions with regular verbs: saying "Where you live?" instead of "Where do you live?" In many languages, questions don't need an auxiliary like that, which leads to dropping it in English too.
When you do NOT need the do/does auxiliary
When the Wh word is asking about the SUBJECT of the sentence (who performed the action), you do not use do/does: "Who called you?", not "Who did call you?" Compare that with "Who did you call?", where "did" is needed because "you" is the subject there and "who" is asking about the object. This is one of the trickiest parts of Wh questions, so it is worth memorizing the pattern: if the Wh word IS the subject, no auxiliary; if it is asking about something else, use one.
How combined with adjectives and adverbs
Wh questions with to be, no do/does
When the main verb is already to be (is, are, was, were), you do not add do/does on top of it: "What is your name?" (not "What does is your name?"), "Where were you yesterday?" The do/does auxiliary only shows up when the main verb is a regular verb: "What do you do for work?"
Practice Wh questions with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.
Wh questions in a real conversation
A: "Who's that guy over there?" B: "That's my cousin. Why do you ask?" A: "He looks familiar. Where does he work?" B: "He works at the hospital downtown."
More examples of Wh questions
- How much does this cost?
- How long have you lived here?
- Which restaurant do you prefer?
- Whose idea was this?
Indirect questions: when the Wh question sits inside another sentence
Incorrect
Do you know what time is it?
Correct
Do you know what time it is?
Who as subject and who as object
When "who" is the subject, you do not use do or does: "Who called you?" (someone called you). When "who" is the object, you do use the auxiliary: "Who did you call?" (you called someone). This difference explains why some Wh questions have do/does and others do not. A quick test: if the answer can replace who and be the one doing the action, there is no auxiliary.
Prepositions at the end of a question
In spoken English, the preposition usually goes at the end of the question: "Who are you talking to?" "What are you looking at?" "Where is she from?" The formal version, "To whom are you talking?", exists but sounds old-fashioned in conversation. Keeping the preposition at the end is perfectly correct and is what most native speakers do.
Useful Wh questions for conversations
- Why are you learning English?
- Which one do you prefer?
- Whose bag is this?
- When does the class start?
- How long have you lived here?
Frequently asked questions
What are the Wh questions in English?
What, where, when, who, why, and how, plus which and whose. They're used to ask for specific information.
How do you form a question with a Wh word?
Wh word + auxiliary + subject + verb: "What do you want?" "Where is she going?"
What does each Wh word ask about?
What (things), where (place), when (time), who (people), why (reason), how (manner), which (choice), whose (possession).
What are some examples of Wh questions?
"What time is it?" "Where are you from?" "Why did you leave early?"
Do you need an auxiliary after the Wh word?
Yes, in most cases: do/does with regular verbs, is/are with to be, can/will with modals. "Where do you work?" "What is your name?"
Why do learners forget the auxiliary in Wh questions?
Because in many languages questions don't need an auxiliary like do/does, so it's common to drop it in English out of habit.
Why doesn't "Who called you?" use did?
Because "who" is the SUBJECT of that sentence (the one who made the call). When the Wh word is the subject, you don't use do/does/did: "Who called you?", not "Who did call you?"
How do you ask about quantity in English?
With "how much" for uncountable nouns ("How much water?") and "how many" for countable nouns ("How many books?").
Is it "Do you know what time is it?" or "Do you know what time it is?"?
The correct form is "Do you know what time it is?" In indirect questions, the subject and verb are NOT inverted the way they are in a direct question.
What is the difference between which and what?
Which asks about a limited group of options: "Which color do you prefer, blue or green?" What asks without a fixed set: "What color do you like?"
Can a Wh question have a yes/no answer?
No. A Wh question needs information: a name, a place, a reason, a time. Yes/no answers belong to questions without a question word.
Practice Wh questions with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.
Keep learning
- Present Simple in English: Affirmative, Negative, and Questions (Full Guide)The tense for habits, routines, and general facts, with the rule almost everyone forgets: the -s on he/she/it.
- Verb To Be: Am, Is, Are, Was, Were ExplainedThe 8 forms of English's most important verb, explained with examples and contractions.
- Past Simple in English: Regular Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Negative, and QuestionsUsed for actions that finished in the past: regular verbs add -ed, irregular verbs change form.