HINDUSTHAN
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,
COIMBATORE32
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
TECHNICAL ENGLISH1 (HS6151)
TEACHING NOTES
‘WH’ QUESTIONS
Prepared
by
C.Govindaswamy
Assistant
professor
1.
MOTIVATION
I keep six honest serving_ men
(They taught me all I know);
Their names are what and why and when
And how and where and who.
-Rudyard
Kipling
!. What is your name?
2 Why are you late to the class?
3. When did you join our institute?
4. Where are you from?
5. Who are your best friends?
6. How old are you?
2.
INTRODUCTION
A question is a request for information or
action. There are two types of questions_ open and closed.
Closed questions
demand a yes/no, true/false, or right/ wrong answer.
Open
questions leave room for a description or opinion, and are more useful in
eliciting information. Open questions are often called’ WH’_ questions.
There are eight WH questions. They
are:
1. What 2. When
3. Where 4. Who 5. Which
6. When 7. Whose 8. Why
“How” is also included in the list
of ‘wh’ question.
what thing when time
where place which thing
who person whom person
whose person why reason
how manner
‘Wh’_
questions: structure
Wh questions in simple
present tense use ‘ do’ or ‘be’
Examples (do)
1. Where
do you work?
2. Where
does she live?
3. When
do you wake up?
4. Why
did he come late?
Examples ( be)
1. Where
are you from?
2. Who
is that man?
Wh questions: Points to remember
1. When
which, what, who, or whose refers to the subject, the question word comes
before the verb without the use of the auxiliary ‘ do”
Example:
1. Who
phones? ( Who is the subject)
2. What
happened? ( what is the subject)
2. When
the question word is the object of the sentence, we have to use the auxiliary’
do’.
Example:
1. Who
did you phone? ( who is the object)
2. What
did he say? ( what is the object)
3. In
a question, an auxiliary verb normally comes before the subject.
Example
1. When
is Oliver leaving?
2. Why
are you laughing?
3. .How
much does the object cost?
4. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use do,
does, or did to form a question.
Example:
1. What
does she do every day? (She
plays every day.)
2. Where
did he go? (
He went to the market)
3. How
do you go (
I go by train)
Answer the following
questions:
1. What
would you do if you saw a tiger in your bed room?(I would sleep in the next
room)
2. How
will you put a giraffe in a refrigerator?
Open
the door/ put the giraffe in/ close the door.
3. How
will you put an elephant in a refrigerator?
Open
the door/ put the giraffe out/ put the elephant in / close the door.
4. What
word begins with ‘e’ and ends with ‘e’ and with one letter? (envelope)
5. What
is it that begins with‘t’ and ends with’t’ and full of tea? (teapot)
6. Which
month has twenty-eight days?( all months)
7. Why
can’t a man living in Paris be buried in South France?(because he is still
living)
8. Which
part of France is in London? ( n)
9. What
is the largest word in English? (
smiles)
10. Why
are Saturday and Sunday strong days?( because other days are weak days)
11. What
is black and white and read all over the world? ( news paper)
12. I
have 12 legs. 12 arms and 8 heads. What am I? ( a liar)
13. Which
bus crossed the ocean? ( Columbus)
14. There
are five birds on a tree. A hunter shoots two of them dead. How many birds are
left?
(none)
‘WH’_
questions: Assignment 1
Change
the following statements into questions using the question word given at the
end of the sentence.
Question
words: who, where, which, when, whom, whose, why, how
1. The
train arrived at 10 o’ clock. (What
time)
2. They
do their home work at night. (When)
3. Mr.
Sharma came to the part alone. (Who)
4. The
car is across the street from the house. (Where)
5. I
like the red shirt, not the blue one. (Which )
6. She
felt better after she took a nap. (how)
7. That
is an English book. (what)
8. She
talked to him for an hour. (how
long)
9. He
studies piano at the university. (what)
10. The
party lasted all night. (
how long)
11. She
was eating a sandwich. (what)
Answers:
1. What
time did the train arrive? ( or) When did the train arrive?
2. When
do they do their home work?
3. Who
came to the party alone?
4. Where
is the car?
5. Which
shirt do you like?
6. How
did she feel after she had taken a nap?
7. What
is that book?
8. How
long did she talk to him?
9. What
does he study at the university?
10. How
long did the party last?
11. What
was she eating?
Wh
questions: Assignment:2
Make
questions to get the underlined part as answers.
1. He
came here last week
2. I
reached home at 9 o clock.
3. The principal
gave away the prizes.
4. My
father goes to the office at 8.30.
a.m.
5. He
bought the book yesterday.
6. The
function is on Wednesday.
7. The principal
will preside over the function.
8. I
am going to my native place next week.
9. He
sells good cakes.
10. The
book costs Rs. 5o.
Answers:
1. When
did he come here?
2. When
did I reach home?
3. Who
gave away the prizes?
4. When
does my father go to the office?
5. When
did he buy the book?
6. When
is the function?
7. Who
will preside over the function?
8. Where
am I going next week?/ when am I going to my native place?
9. What
does he sell?
10. How
much does the book cost?
‘Wh’
Questions: Assignment 3
Make
questions to get the underlined part as answers:
1. Kalki
wrote ‘Sivagamiyin sabatham.
2. Kalki
wrote ‘Sivagamiyin sabatham.
3. The
match is on Monday.
4. She
sells wooden baskets.
5. ALD
dictionary costs 480 rupees.
6. She
met me last night.
7. Anitha
practices Veena every day.
8. He
drives a car.
9. The
present is for my wife.
10. I
am looking at the picture.
11. I
went with my friend.
12. She
bought it from the bookshop.
13. I
am interested in patriotic films.
Answers:
1. Who
wrote Sivagamiyin sabatham?
2. What
did he write?
3. When
is the match?
4. What
does she sell?
5. How
much does ALD dictionary cost?
6. When
did sheet you?
7. What
does Anitha practice every day?
8. What
does he drive?
9. Who
is the present for?
10. What
are you looking at?
11. Who
did you go with?
12. Where
did she buy it from?
13. Which
kind of films are you interested in?
‘Wh’ Questions: Assignment 4
Make questions to get the underlined part
as answers:
1. This
car has two doors.
2. A fox
lives in our garden.
3. Wool
comes from sheep.
4.
Raccoons come out at night.
5. Mr.
Raju is reading in the library.
6. He
came to Chennai yesterday.
7. Mr. Raju
is reading in the library.
8. Shakespeare
wrote ‘King Lear.’
9. John
Milton wrote ‘ Paradise Lost.’
10. I
kept my pocket in my purse.
11. She
passed the IAS examination
last year.
12. He
bought a laptop yesterday.
13. I
live in Coimbatore.
14. I
wake up at 7.30. a.m.
15. My
father works at the post office.
Answers:
1. How
many doors does this car have?
2. What
animal lives in our garden?
3. Where
does wool come from?
4. When
do raccoons come out?
5. Where
is Mr. Raju reading?
6. When
did he come to Chennai
7. Who
is reading in the library?
8. Who
wrote King Lear?
9. What
did John Milton write?
10. Where
do I keep my purse?
11. What
exam did she pass last year?
12. What
did he buy yesterday?
13. Where
do I live?
14. When
do I wake up?
15. Where
does my father work?
