Wh- Questions: Question Words: A1 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. "___ do you live?" — "In Warsaw." → Where

The answer names a place, so the question word is where.

2. "___ is your birthday?" — "In March." → When

The answer gives a time, so the question word is when.

3. "___ is that woman?" — "She's my manager." → Who

The answer identifies a person, so the question word is who.

4. "___ are you studying English?" — "Because I want to work abroad." → Why

The answer gives a reason, and because always answers why.

5. "___ do you get to work?" — "By tram." → How

The answer gives a method, which is what how asks for.

6. "___ do you do?" — "I'm an architect." → What

What do you do is the fixed English question about somebody's job.

7. "___ bag is this?" — "It's Sara's." → Whose

Whose asks about ownership. Who's means who is.

8. "___ old is your daughter?" — "She's seven." → How

How combines with an adjective to ask about degree: how old, how tall, how far.

9. Which question is correctly formed? → Where do you live?

Question word, auxiliary, subject, base verb — and you takes do rather than does.

10. "___ much is the ticket?" — "Twelve euros." → How

How much is the standard way to ask a price.

11. "___ colour is your car?" — "Dark green." → What

What combines with a noun to ask for a specific detail: what colour, what time, what size.

12. Which question is correct? → Where does she work?

After does the main verb goes back to its base form, and the subject follows the auxiliary.

13. "___ of these two jackets do you prefer?" — "The blue one." → Which

Which is used when the choice is from a limited, known set.

14. "___ time does the shop open?" — "At half past eight." → What

What time is the everyday way of asking for a clock time.

15. "___ lives in the flat upstairs?" — "An elderly couple." → Who

When the question word is the subject, no auxiliary is needed at all: who lives, not who does live.

16. "___ far is the station from here?" — "About ten minutes on foot." → How

How far asks about distance, following the how plus adjective pattern.

17. "___ did you buy that coat?" — "In a small shop near the market." → Where

The answer names a place, so the question word is where.

18. Which question is correct? → Why are you late?

Be moves in front of the subject by itself, so no do is added.

19. "___ are you meeting for lunch?" — "My cousin Tomasz." → Who

The answer is a person, so the question word is who.

20. "___ often do you go to the gym?" — "Twice a week." → How

How often asks about frequency, and the answer gives a rate.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. "___ is your English teacher?" — "Mr Delgado." → Who

The answer names a person, so the question word is who.

2. "___ do the shops close on Saturday?" — "At six." → When

The answer gives a time, so when or what time is correct.

3. "___ is the nearest pharmacy?" — "Next to the post office." → Where

The answer names a place, so the question word is where.

4. "___ are you smiling?" — "Because I passed my exam." → Why

Because always answers a why question.

5. "___ do you spell your surname?" — "K-O-W-A-L-S-K-I." → How

How asks for the method, including how something is written.

6. "___ coat is this on the chair?" — "I think it's Anna's." → Whose

Whose asks about ownership; who's would mean who is.

7. "___ old is this building?" — "About two hundred years." → How

How plus an adjective asks about degree — old, tall, far, long.

8. "___ do you usually have for breakfast?" — "Toast and coffee." → What

The answer names things rather than people, so the question word is what.

9. "___ many students are in your class?" — "Eighteen." → How

How many asks for a number of countable things.

10. "___ one would you like, the red or the blue?" — "The red, please." → Which

Which is used when the choice is from a small, known set.

11. "___ wrote this note?" — "I did." → Who

The question word is the subject here, so no auxiliary is needed.

12. "___ time does your train leave?" — "At twenty past nine." → What

What time is the everyday way to ask for a clock time.

13. "___ long have you lived here?" — "Since 2019." → How

How long asks about a period of time.

14. "___ did you go on holiday last year?" — "To Croatia." → Where

The answer names a destination, so the question word is where.

15. "___ are those keys for?" — "The back door." → What

What ... for asks about purpose, with the preposition left at the end.

16. "___ often do you see your grandparents?" — "Every other weekend." → How

How often asks about frequency.

17. "___ is the meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday?" — "On Tuesday." → When

The answer gives a day, which is what when asks for.

18. "___ books are these on the desk?" — "They belong to the students." → Whose

Whose asks who something belongs to, and comes before the noun.

19. "___ do you get on with your new colleagues?" — "Very well, thanks." → How

How asks in what manner something is going.

20. "___ happened at the end of the film?" — "Nobody knows — it just stops." → What

When what is the subject of the question, no auxiliary is used.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Ask somebody about their place of employment. → Where do you work?

Ask somebody about their place of employment.

2. Ask about the beginning of a screening. → What time does the film start?

Ask about the beginning of a screening.

3. Ask about a person somebody likes. → Who is your favourite singer?

Ask about a person somebody likes.

4. Ask for the reason behind somebody's condition. → Why are you so tired today?

Ask for the reason behind somebody's condition.

5. Ask about somebody's method of commuting. → How do you travel to work?

Ask about somebody's method of commuting.

6. Ask about a departure time at a bus stop. → When does the next bus leave?

Ask about a departure time at a bus stop.

7. Ask who owns a vehicle in the street. → Whose car is parked outside?

Ask who owns a vehicle in the street.

8. Ask about the age of somebody's relative. → How old is your brother?

Ask about the age of somebody's relative.

9. Ask about somebody's free-time activities. → What do you do at the weekend?

Ask about somebody's free-time activities.

10. Ask somebody to choose from a known set. → Which language do you speak at home?

Ask somebody to choose from a known set.

11. Ask the price of one journey. → How much does a single ticket cost?

Ask the price of one journey.

12. Ask about your neighbours — the question word is the subject. → Who lives in the flat downstairs?

Ask about your neighbours — the question word is the subject.

13. Ask about the shop somebody used. → Where did you buy that jacket?

Ask about the shop somebody used.

14. Ask about the frequency of an activity. → How often do you go swimming?

Ask about the frequency of an activity.

15. Ask somebody for their contact details. → What is your phone number?

Ask somebody for their contact details.

16. Ask for the reason behind a past action. → Why did she leave so early?

Ask for the reason behind a past action.

17. Ask about distance to a place. → How far is the beach from here?

Ask about distance to a place.

18. Ask about the timing of somebody's relocation. → When did you move to this city?

Ask about the timing of somebody's relocation.

19. Ask about damage — the question word is the subject. → What happened to your phone?

Ask about damage — the question word is the subject.

20. Ask about the duration of a trip. → How long does the journey take?

Ask about the duration of a trip.