WH Question Words and Their Examples

In English, we have a special group of words that we often use to ask questions. We call them the “Wh” words because most of them start with the letters “Wh”. These “Wh” words are: “Who”, “What”, “Where”, “When”, “Why”, “Which”, “Whose”, and “How”.

Each of these words is used in a different way to ask about different things. For example, we use “Who” to ask about people, “What” to ask about things or activities, “Where” to ask about places, “When” to ask about time, “Why” to ask about reasons, “Which” to ask about choices, “Whose” to ask about ownership, and “How” to ask about methods or conditions.

1. Who: Used to ask about people.
   • Who is the President of the United States?
   • Who is your favorite author?
   • Who won the football match yesterday?
   • Who is the principal of your school?
   • Who are you going to the party with?
2. What: Used to ask about things or activities.
   • What is your favorite book?
   • What are you doing this weekend?
   • What kind of music do you like?
   • What is the capital of Australia?
   • What time is it?
3. Where: Used to ask about places.
   • Where do you live?
   • Where is the nearest supermarket?
   • Where did you go on your last vacation?
   • Where did you put my keys?
   • Where are we meeting for dinner?
4. When: Used to ask about time.
   • When is your birthday?
   • When does the movie start?
   • When did you last see James?
   • When will the next train arrive?
   • When are we going to start the project?
5. Why: Used to ask for reasons.
   • Why are you late?
   • Why did you not finish your homework?
   • Why is the sky blue?
   • Why did they cancel the event?
   • Why do you want to study medicine?
6. Which: Used to ask about a choice among a number of things.
   • Which color do you prefer, red or blue?
   • Which route should we take to the city center?
   • Which is your favorite, cats or dogs?
   • Which part of the movie did you like the most?
   • Which one of these dresses should I wear to the party?
7. Whose: Used to ask about possession.
   • Whose bag is this?
   • Whose car is parked in front of the house?
   • Whose books are these?
   • Whose dog is barking so loudly?
   • Whose idea was it to start a book club?
8. How: Used to ask about the manner or condition of something.
   • How do you make a chocolate cake?
   • How did you solve this math problem?
   • How can I get to the library from here?
   • How was your day?
   • How often do you go to the gym?

Wh Questions English – WH Family in English