A1 · Grammar
Question words
After this page you can ask questions with what, where, when, who, why, how, which and whose and with how much, how many, how old, how often and how long, use the right word order with is/are or do/does, and answer why with because.
Rules
1.
The question words
- What is your phone number?
- Where is the bus stop?
- When is your birthday?
- Who is your new boss?
A question word asks for information. Each word asks about a different thing: a thing, a place, a time, a person or a reason.
What do you want to know?
- a thing → what: What is that?
- a place → where: Where is the toilet?
- a time or a day → when: When is the meeting?
- a person → who: Who is that woman?
- a reason → why: Why are you late?
- the way, or how something is → how: How are you? How do you get to work?
thing → what · place → where · time → when · person → who
reason → why · way → how · choice → which · owner → whose
2.
Question word + am, is, are
- Where is your office?
- How are your parents?
- Why are you tired?
- What is the date today?
With the verb to be, the order is: question word + am, is or are + subject. The verb comes before the subject.
Word order
- Your office is in Leeds. → Where is your office?
- You are tired. → Why are you tired?
In speaking, is is often short: What's = What is · Where's = Where is · Who's = Who is. With are there is no short form in writing.
question word + is/are + subject: Where is the bank?
Not: Where the bank is?
3.
Question word + do, does + subject + verb
- Where do you work?
- What time does the shop open?
- When do your children finish school?
- What does Sofia do at the weekend?
With other verbs, use the helper do or does. The order is: question word + do/does + subject + verb. The verb has no -s.
Word order
- Where + do + you + live?
- What + does + Anna + eat for breakfast?
Use does with he, she and it, and do with I, you, we and they. You know this from the lesson on present simple questions.
question word + do/does + subject + verb
Where does he work? (not: Where he works?)
4.
how much, how many, how old, how often, how long
- How much is this jacket?
- How many brothers have you got?
- How old is your daughter?
- How often do you go to the gym?
how + another word makes a new question. These two words stay together at the start of the question.
how + …
- how much → the price, or a thing you cannot count: How much is a coffee? How much milk do you want?
- how many → a number of things or people: How many people work here?
- how old → the age: How old are you? – I'm 34.
- how often → once a week, every day …: How often does the bus come?
- how long → the time from start to end: How long is the film? – Two hours.
After how many, the noun is plural: How many rooms …?
price → how much · number → how many + plural
age → how old · how often → every day · how long → two hours
5.
Why …? – Because …
- Why are you at home? – Because I'm ill.
- Why does Tom take the train? – Because he hasn't got a car.
- Why do you like Bristol? – Because the people are friendly.
A why question asks for a reason. The answer often starts with because. After because comes a subject and a verb.
The answer
- short: Why are you late? – Because the bus is late.
- long: I'm late because the bus is late.
You learn more about because in the lesson on and, but, or and because.
Why …? – Because + subject + verb.
Because I'm tired. (not: Because tired.)
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