Practice
Question words in English: ask for people, places, reasons, and details
Sign in to saveA single question word tells the listener what information you need. Compare What is on the table? with Who is at the table?
Choose common question words and use them to ask clear questions about people, things, places, time, reasons, and methods.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Where do you keep the spare keys? /weə duː juː kiːp ðə speə kiːz/
The short answer
Use who for a person, what for a thing or action, where for a place, when for time, why for a reason, and how for a method or condition. Then use question word order: Where do you live? or Why is the shop closed?
Where do you keep the spare keys?
Why it works: Where asks for a location, and do comes before the subject you in this present-simple question.
4 more examples
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What do you usually eat for breakfast?
What asks for information about a thing, choice, or activity.
Not this:
Whichcereal do you usually eat for breakfast? What changes: Which points to a limited choice, such as the cereals on a shelf. -
Who is waiting outside the classroom?
Who asks for the identity of a person.
Not this:
Whosebag is outside the classroom? What changes: Whose asks who owns something, rather than who is present. -
When does the library close today?
When asks about time, a date, or a sequence of events.
Not this:
Whydoes the library close early today? What changes: Why asks for the reason behind the early closing time. -
Why are you carrying an umbrella?
Why asks for a reason or explanation.
Not this:
Howare you carrying the umbrella and the bags? What changes: How asks about the method or manner of doing something.
Read the full guide
Begin by deciding what answer you expect. If you expect a name, use who. If you expect a place, use where. If you expect an explanation, use why. Then check the grammar after the question word. With most present-simple verbs, use do or does. With be, put the form of be before the subject.
Choose the information you need
Before you speak, imagine the answer. A name needs who. A place needs where. A time needs when. A reason needs why. This quick choice prevents many question-word mistakes.
Who teaches your English class?
The expected answer is a person's name, so who is the right question word.
Where is your English class?
The expected answer is a room or building, so where is the right question word.
You need the date of a meeting. Which question word should you use?
Use when: When is the meeting?
Ask about people, things, and places
Use who for people and what for things, ideas, actions, or general information. Use where for places. A question word does not always tell you the whole grammar pattern, so listen for the verb that follows it.
What is your new neighbour's name?
What asks for the name as information; it does not ask the neighbour to appear.
Who is your new neighbour?
Who asks about the person's identity.
Complete the question: ____ is the nearest bus stop?
Where. The answer should name a location.
Use when, why, and how for time, reasons, and method
When asks about time. Why asks for a reason. How often asks about frequency, and how can also ask about method, condition, age, distance, or amount when another word follows it.
When are you leaving for the station?
The answer may be a time, such as at six o'clock or after lunch.
How often do you practise new words?
How often asks about frequency, so the answer may be every day or twice a week.
Which question asks for a reason: Why did the train stop? or When did the train stop?
Why did the train stop? asks for the reason. When did the train stop? asks for the time.
Build present-simple questions with do and does
With ordinary present-simple verbs, place do or does after the question word and before the subject. Use does with he, she, and it. The main verb then stays in the base form.
Where do your parents work?
Do comes before the subject your parents, and work remains in the base form.
What does Mina study at college?
Does comes before Mina, so the main verb is study, not studies.
Choose the correct question: Where does he lives? or Where does he live?
Use Where does he live? Does already carries the present-simple ending.
Change the order with be and recognise subject questions
When be is the main verb, put be before the subject: Where are the tickets? Why is the door open? A different pattern appears when who or what is the subject. Say Who called you? without do, because who performs the action.
Why is the door open?
Is comes before the subject the door because this question uses be.
Who sent this message?
Who is the subject of sent, so the question does not need did.
Which question is correct: Who did call you? or Who called you?
Use Who called you? in a normal question. Who is the subject of the verb.
Before you go
Remember this
Match the question word to the answer you need. Use who for people, what for things or actions, where for places, when for time, why for reasons, and how for method or condition. Then use the usual question order for the verb in your sentence.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Question words in English: ask for people, places, reasons, and details"
What is the difference between what and which?
Use what for an open question about a thing, action, or information. Use which when the speaker has a limited set in mind. What do you usually eat for breakfast? is open, while Which cereal do you usually eat for breakfast? points to a choice among cereals.
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
When should I use who and whose?
Use who to ask about a person: Who is waiting outside the classroom? Use whose to ask who owns something: Whose bag is outside the classroom? The answer to whose normally includes a person's name or possessive form.
Which cereal do you usually eat for breakfast?
How do I choose between where and when?
Use where when you need a place and when when you need a time. Where do you keep the spare keys? asks for a location. When do you use the spare keys? asks about an occasion or time.
Who is waiting outside the classroom?
Why do some questions use do or does?
In many present-simple questions with ordinary verbs, do or does comes after the question word and before the subject. When does the library close today? uses does because library is singular. The main verb stays in the base form: close, not closes.
Whose bag is outside the classroom?
Why does a question sometimes not use do or does?
Do not use do or does when be is the main verb, as in Why are you carrying an umbrella? Also omit them when who or what is the subject, as in Who sent this message? In that sentence, who performs the action.
Where do you keep the spare keys?