Wh family words in English with meaning (Lesson 17)

Basic Grammar

WH Family Questions

The following words are the WH-type question words we use to ask someone to provide us with information about the subject matter, person, place, thing, possession, time, reason, recipient of action, manner, number and quantity. 

Using WH-question words, we don't expect a yes-no answer, but rather we want Information. 

 

1. What 

2. Who 

3. Where 

4. Which

5. Whose 

6. When 

7. Why 

8. Whom 

9. How 

10. How many

11. How much 

1. Use of What 

This question word is used for asking for information about something. 

Examples:

What's the best way to make money online? 

What does your father do? 

What's your future plan? 

What kind of books do you like to read?

2. Use of Who 

It's used to ask for information about a person.

Examples:

Who is your father? 

Who told you?

Who beat him? 

3. Use of Where 

It's used to ask for information about a place.

Examples:

Where are you going?

Where do you live?

Where is your office? 

4. Use of Which

It's used to ask for choice-based information. 

Examples:

Which is your car? 

Which subject do you like most? 

Which of the following is correct? 

What is your favourite book?

5. Use of Whose

It's used to ask for information about possession and owner. 

Examples:

Whose book is this? 

Whose pen did you take yesterday? 

Whose baby is it? 

6. Use of When 

It's used to ask for time of some action happened. 

Examples:

When do you go to school? 

When will you attend your class? 

When will the plane take off? 

7. Use of Why 

It's used to ask for information about the reason of some action. 

Examples:

Why are you late today? 

Why are you going to the market? 

Why will you go there? 

Why are you reading this book?

8. Use of Whom 

It's used to ask for information about the person who becomes an object of a verb.

Examples:

Whom did you beat? 

Whom did you tell? 

Whom will you mention it to? 

9. Use of How 

It's used to ask for information about manner or health. 

Examples:

How did you do that? 

How did you clear the entrance? 

How do you make money online? 

10. Use of How many

It's used to ask for information about the number of something( For countable nouns) . 

Examples:

How many cars are there at the park? 

How many people are coming to your house? 

How many students are there in your class? 

How many books do you have?

11. Use of How much

It's used to ask for information about the quantity of something (For uncountable nouns).

Examples:

How much milk is there in the bottle? 

How much water do you drink a day? 

How much oil does this machine consume?

WH-question Words with Prepositions 

1. For 

(a) What+for 

Example: What are you doing it for? 

(b) Who+for /For+whom 

Example: Who are you taking this gift for? Or for whom are you taking this gift? 

(c) Which+for 

Example: Which book are you looking for? 

2. About 

(a) What+about

Example: What are you talking about? 

(b) Who+about/About+whom

Example: Who are you talking about? Or about whom are you talking? 

(c) Which+about

Example: Which subject are you talking about? 

Example: Which book are you taking about? 

3. At 

(a) What+at 

Example: What are you looking at?

 

(b) Who+at/At+whom 

Example: Who are you looking at? Or At whom are you looking? 

(c) Which+at 

Example: Which thing are you looking at? 

Example: Whose book are you looking at? 

(d) Whose+at 

Example: Whose party are you at right now? 

4. From

(a) What+from 

Example: What is bread made from? 

(b) Who+from/From+whom

Example: Who did you take it from? Or From whom did you take it? 

(c) where+from 

Example: Where are you from? 

5. By 

(a) What+by 

Example: What will you travel by? 

(b) Who+by/by+whom 

Example: Who was this done by? Or By whom was this done? 

Example: Who was this book written by? 

(c) Which+by 

Example: Which car are you going to travel by? 

6. With

(a) What+with

Example: What was this cake made with? 

(b) Who+with/With+whom 

Example: Who are you going with? Or With whom are you going? 

(c) Which+with 

Example: Which book do you spend most of your time with? 

7. To 

(a) What+to 

Example: What are you driving to? 

(b) Who+to/To+whom

Example: Who are you going to? Or To whom are you going? 

 

(c) Which+to 

Example: Which station are you going to? 

8. In 

(a) What+in

Example: What are you interested in? 

(b) Who+in 

Example: Who are you interested in? 

(c) Which+in 

Example: Which subject are you interested in? 

Example: In which book have you read about it? 

(d) Where+in 

Example: Where do you live in? 

9. Of 

(a) What+of 

Example: What is table made of? 

(b) Who+of 

Example: Who are you thinking of? 

(c) Which+of

Example: Which subject are you thinking of? 

10. On 

(a) What+on 

 Example: What is your statement based on? 

(b) Who+on/On+whom

Example: Who are you dependent on? Or On whom are you dependent? 

(c) Which+on

Example: On which day is Mother's Day celebrated?

Example: On which online platform do you publish articles to make money online?

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks using the appropriate WH-question words.

1) .........is your name? 

2) .........is coming here? 

3) .........do you live? 

4) .........will you go?

5) .........is your book? 

Answer keys:- 

1. What 

2. Who 

3. Where 

4. When/where 

5. Which 

Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks using the appropriate WH-question word and prepositions with it. 

1) .........are you interested.....? 

2) .........are you going.....?

3) .........are you looking.....? 

4) ..........are you dependent......? 

5) ........was this done.....? 

Answer keys:- 

1. What/who in 

2. Who to 

3. What/who at 

4. What/who on 

5. Who by/by whom