Table of Contents
Asking questions is an integral part of both learning and communication. Questions are important for many reasons. They help us clarify doubts, gain knowledge and engage with people in a meaningful way. In the English language, specific words are used for asking questions. These are called question words. Whether you are a student or someone trying to improve your English-speaking skills, mastering these words is quite essential. In this blog, we will explore the topic of question words in English grammar. Here we will learn how they are used in different scenarios.
Question Words in English Grammar: Introduction
Are you writing an essay, having a conversation or doing a research project? To obtain accurate information about any subject, you need to ask the right questions. This is why learning question words in the English language is super important. They are essential for information gathering. The sentences in English asking a question are known as interrogative sentences. And the knowledge of question words is essential if you want to master the use of interrogative sentences. So, let us learn various question words in English grammar and how they are used in this blog.
What Are Question Words in English Grammar?
1: Which of the sentences below is grammatically correct?
We talked about interrogative sentences in our previous paragraph. They are written using question words or interrogative words and are vastly different from yes/no questions. These are questions that help you gather specific kinds of information. Their use comes when you need an elaborate response and not just a yes or no.
Question words are often called “wh-words” because most of them start with ‘wh’. But there are variations from this pattern. Each word in this list is important because each one of them helps a person to seek different types of information. You will understand this better when you read the next section, too.
Spoken English Course for Guaranteed Confidence and Career Growth
Spoken English Course by Entri App: Enhance your communication skills, gain certification, and boost your career with confidence.
Join Now!List of Common Question Words in English Grammar
Some question words, their meanings and examples of them being used in a sentence are given below.
| Question Word | Used to Ask About | Examples |
| Who | A person (subject) | Who called you last night? |
| Whom | A person (object) | Whom did you meet at the mall? |
| Whose | Possession | Whose bag is this on the floor? |
| What | A thing, idea, or information | What are you doing? |
| Which | A choice or selection | Which colour do you prefer? |
| Where | A place | Where are you going? |
| When | Time or date | When does the train leave? |
| Why | Reason or cause | Why are you upset? |
| How | Manner or process | How do you solve this equation? |
These are the common question words in English grammar. You can see that everyone except ‘how’ starts with ‘wh’. So you might now understand why they are often referred to as ‘wh’ words. Some more words can be put under the category of question words. Some of them are listed below.
| Question Word | Used to Ask About | Examples |
| How many | Quantity (countable nouns) | How many apples do you want? |
| How much | Quantity (uncountable nouns) | How much sugar do you need? |
| How long | Duration of time | How long will the meeting last? |
| How far | Distance | How far is your school from home? |
| How often | Frequency | How often do you read books? |
| How old | Age | How old is your sister? |
| How come (informal) | Reason (like “why”) | How come you didn’t come to school? |
All of these can be seen as different scenarios in which the question word ‘how’ is used.
Why Are Question Words Important for Students?
Are you still wondering why it is important to learn question words as a student, even after reading their purpose in the above paragraphs? Then this section will help you clear all those doubts and show why learning them is essential for success in daily life as well as academic communication.
| Reason | Short Explanation |
| Promotes Curiosity and Learning | · Asking questions helps students learn deeply.
· It improves memory retention. |
| Improves Critical Thinking | · Making questions involves analysing and evaluating.
· It builds higher-order thinking. |
| Enhances Communication | · Helps in speaking clearly and confidently.
· Useful in interviews and presentations. |
| Boosts Reading and Listening Skills | · Spotting question words aids comprehension.
· Supports better test performance. |
| Essential for Exams and Assignments | · Tests often use question words.
· Knowing them helps give correct answers. |
Learn how to use question words effectively! Join the Entri spoken English course now!
Tips to Use Question Words in English Grammar
Some tips for using the question words in English and avoiding common mistakes while using them are discussed below.
| Tip | Short Explanation |
| Understand WH-Question Structure | · Use: QW + Aux Verb + Subject + Main Verb.
· Example: Where do you live? · For “to be” verbs: QW + Verb + Subject. · Example: Where is she? |
| Choose the Right Question Word | · Where → for places
· Why → for reasons · What → for things · How → for methods |
| Practice Sentence Transformation | · Change statements to questions.
· Example: You live in NY. → Where do you live? |
| Use with Modals and Tenses | · Adjust for verb tense or modals.
· Example: What can you do? · Example: When did you arrive? |
| Avoid Common Errors | · What you are doing? (wrong)→ What are you doing? (correct)
· How many milk? (wrong) → How much milk? (correct) |
Get the best study materials and mentors to master spoken English! Click here to join Entri!
Spoken English Course for Guaranteed Confidence and Career Growth
Spoken English Course by Entri App: Enhance your communication skills, gain certification, and boost your career with confidence.
Join Now!Question Words in English Grammar: Conclusion
Question words are essential in the English language. They are needed for:
- Learning
- Expressing ideas
- Interacting with others
- Gathering facts
- Solving problems
- Clearing a doubt
Overall, we can say that using these words correctly is critical for effectively handling the English language. And hence learning them is essential for mastering English grammar.
Spoken English Course for Guaranteed Confidence and Career Growth
Spoken English Course by Entri App: Enhance your communication skills, gain certification, and boost your career with confidence.
Join Now!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use question words in indirect questions?
Yes! Some examples are given below.
- Direct: Where does she live?
- Indirect: Can you tell me where she lives?
Are “who” and “whom” the same?
Not exactly. Who and whom serve entirely different purposes in a sentence. Look at the example given below.
- Who is used as the subject: Who is coming?
- Whom is used as the object: Whom did you see?
Though in modern speech, “whom” is often replaced with “who.”
Is “how come” grammatically correct?
Yes, but it is informal. It means “why.” Look at the example given below.
How come you didn’t call me?
What is the difference between "what" and "which"?
“What” and “which” have entirely different meanings. Look at the example given below.
- Use “what” when the options are unlimited.
- What is your favourite subject?
- Use “which” when choosing from a limited set.
- Which of these books do you like best?
Can a question word come in the middle or at the end of a sentence?
Not usually. In English, question words typically come at the beginning of the question. However, in reported speech or indirect questions, it may appear mid-sentence. Look at the example given below.
I wonder where she went.
