Wh questions revised

 

PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

 

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

 

TEACHING NOTES

 

 

 

‘WH’ QUESTIONS

 

Prepared by

C.Govindaswamy

HOD/ English

 

 

 

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?