Wh questions: how to ask them correctly in English conversation
Wh questions are questions that start with a question word (what, where, when, who, whom, which, whose, why and how) and ask for information, not a yes or no. Here is what each word asks about, the one word-order formula that works for almost every question, the mistakes learners make most, how to ask politely, and 30 wh questions to practise out loud.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 9 min read
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The wh question words and what they ask about
| Word | Asks about | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What | a thing, an action, information | What do you do at the weekend? |
| Where | a place | Where did you grow up? |
| When | a time | When does the meeting start? |
| Who | a person | Who do you live with? |
| Whom | a person (object; formal) | To whom should I address the letter? |
| Which | a choice from a limited group | Which one do you prefer, tea or coffee? |
| Whose | who owns something | Whose phone is this? |
| Why | a reason | Why are you learning English? |
| How | the way, or the condition | How did you get here? |
| How much / many / long / often / far / old | amount, number, time, frequency, distance, age | How long have you lived here? How often do you exercise? |
| What time / What kind of | an exact time; a type | What kind of music do you like? |
The word-order formula
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Main verb + rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | do | you | live? |
| What | does | she | do? |
| When | did | they | arrive? |
| Why | are | you | laughing? |
| How long | have | you | been here? |
| What | can | I | bring? |
| Where | will | we | meet? |
The auxiliary carries the tense, so the main verb goes back to its base form: “Where did you go?”, not “Where did you went?”. With the verb be, there is no extra auxiliary: “Where is she?”
Subject questions: who and what without do
When who or what is the subject (the person or thing that does the action), use normal word order and no do, does or did.
| Subject question (no do) | Object question (with do) |
|---|---|
| Who called you? (Someone called you.) | Who did you call? (You called someone.) |
| What happened? | What did you do? |
| Who lives here? | Who do you live with? |
| Which team won? | Which team did you support? |
The most common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Where you live? | Where do you live? | Missing auxiliary |
| What you are doing? | What are you doing? | Auxiliary must come before the subject |
| Where did you went? | Where did you go? | After did, use the base verb |
| What does she wants? | What does she want? | After does, no -s |
| Who did win the game? | Who won the game? | Subject question: no did |
| Can you tell me where is the bank? | Can you tell me where the bank is? | Indirect question: normal order |
| How much people came? | How many people came? | Many for things you can count |
Polite (indirect) wh questions
To sound polite, especially with strangers or at work, start with a phrase and then use normal statement word order:
| Direct | Polite |
|---|---|
| Where is the station? | Could you tell me where the station is? |
| What time does the shop close? | Do you know what time the shop closes? |
| Why was my order cancelled? | I was wondering why my order was cancelled. |
| How much does it cost? | Can I ask how much it costs? |
How to say them: falling intonation
Wh questions normally fall at the end: “Where do you ↘work?” A yes/no question usually rises: “Do you work ↗here?” If you make a wh question rise, it can sound like you did not hear: “You live ↗where?” Stress the question word and the key word: “WHERE do you WORK?” See English intonation for more.
Use wh questions to keep a conversation going
Yes/no questions get short answers. Wh questions, especially why, how and what… like, make people talk:
- “Do you like your job?” → “Yes.” Better: “What do you like most about your job?”
- “Was the trip good?” → “Yes.” Better: “What was the best part of the trip?”
- After any answer, ask a follow-up: “How did you get into that?”, “Why did you choose it?”, “What’s it like?”
More on this in how to keep a conversation going.
30 wh questions to practise out loud
Ask each question out loud with falling intonation, then answer it in two or three sentences.
- What do you do?
- Where are you from?
- Where do you live now?
- Who do you live with?
- What do you usually do at the weekend?
- What did you do last weekend?
- Why are you learning English?
- How long have you been learning English?
- What kind of music do you like?
- Which do you prefer, the city or the countryside?
- Who is your best friend?
- How did you meet your best friend?
- What is your favourite food?
- Where did you go on your last holiday?
- How often do you exercise?
- What time do you usually get up?
- Why did you choose your job or subject?
- What do you like most about your job?
- Whose advice do you trust most?
- What would you change about your city?
- How do you get to work or school?
- How much time do you spend on your phone?
- What are you reading or watching at the moment?
- Where would you like to travel next?
- What made you smile today?
- How many languages do you speak?
- What is the best thing that happened this year?
- Who taught you the most important lesson?
- What do you want to achieve this year?
- How do you relax after a long day?
For more questions to talk about, see English conversation topics.
Frequently asked questions
What are wh questions?
Wh questions are questions that begin with a question word (what, where, when, who, whom, which, whose, why or how) and ask for specific information. They cannot be answered with just yes or no.
How many wh question words are there?
There are nine common wh question words: what, where, when, who, whom, which, whose, why and how. How is included even though it does not start with wh, and it combines with other words: how much, how many, how long, how often.
What is the word order of a wh question?
The word order of a wh question is question word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb, for example “Where do you work?” or “What did she say?”. When who or what is the subject, use no auxiliary: “Who called?”
Do wh questions go up or down at the end?
Wh questions usually go down at the end (falling intonation). Yes/no questions usually go up. A rising wh question can sound surprised or as if you did not hear the answer.
How do you ask a wh question politely?
To ask a wh question politely, start with “Could you tell me”, “Do you know” or “Can I ask”, then use normal word order: “Could you tell me where the station is?”, not “where is the station”.
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- Questions: wh-questions, Cambridge Dictionary, English Grammar Today
- Questions: interrogative clauses (indirect questions), Cambridge Dictionary, English Grammar Today
- What are wh questions?, Duolingo blog