what, who, where, when, why, how

Each question word asks about one kind of information.

• what – a thing: What's your name?
• who – a person: Who is that?
• where – a place: Where are you from?
• when – a time: When is your birthday?
• why – a reason. The answer often starts with because.
• how – the way something happens, or how someone is: How are you?
• which – one from a small group: Which bus goes to the centre?
• whose – who something belongs to: Whose bag is this?

Word order

After the question word, the verb comes before the subject. With be and can, move them before the subject.

With other verbs, put do or does after the question word.

How with another word

How joins other words to ask about amounts and size: how much, how many, how old, how long, how often, how far.

What and which can go before a noun: what time, what colour, which one.

Who or what as the subject

When who or what is the subject – the person or thing that does the action – there's no do.

Common mistakes

• × Where you live? → Where do you live?
• × Where you are from? → Where are you from?
• × What does she wants? → What does she want?
• × Why you are late? → Why are you late?
• × How many old are you? → How old are you?