QUESTION WORDS

Question Words

This page lists all the question words that you need to know when asking a question for information.

(!) How: method / manner / situation

Q: How do you know her?
A: I know her from school. Her name is Nella.

Q: How did you figure out that problem?
A: I worked it out on the blackboard.

Q: How do I get to Lake Street from here?
A: Go straight and take a left.

Q: How did you make the crust for this pie?
A: I used flour, shortening, salt, and ice water.

Q: How do you like your coffee?
A: I like it with a little bit of cream.

(2) How about: (Do you want to.....?)

John: How about going to a movie later?
(Do you want to go to a movie)
Ying: Okay. What do you want to see?
John: How about an action movie?
Ying: No, I don't want to see that. How about a comedy instead?
John: Okay.

(3)How about: (What is your opinion of ____?)

Q: How about those Twins?
(What do you think about the team?)
A: Yeah, they're doing great this season.

How about this weather?
(What's your opinion on the weather?)


(4) How come: why

Sandra: How come you didn't call me?
Javier: I was busy.

Or

Sandra: Why didn't you call me?
Javier: I was busy.


A: Norbert didn't show up at the party.
B: How come?
A: He had tickets to a basketball game.

(5) How far: distance / extent

Q: How far is it to the nearest town?
A: It's about 20 miles.

Q: How far is it from the earth to the moon?
A: It's about 240,000 miles away.

(6) How high: height

Q: How high is that mountain
A: It's about half a mile high.

(7) How long: length

Q: How long is the ski trail?
A: It's about five miles long.


Q: How long was the movie?
A: It was about 90 minutes long.

Q: How long is her hair?
A: It goes down to her shoulders, but she usually wears it in a pony tail.

(8) How tall: height

Q: How tall are you, Caner?
A: I'm six feet tall.

A: How tall is that building?
B: It's 15 stories high.

(9) How old: age

Q: How old are you?
A: I'm 31 and she's 29.

Q: How old is your baby?
A: She's nine months old.

(10) How many: amount (count nouns)

Q: How many knives are in that knife block?
A: There are ten knives.

(11) How much: amount (non-count nouns)

Q: How much lettuce do we need to get?
A: Not very much. We just need one head.

(12) What: general information

Q: What time is it?
A: It's ten minutes before two.

Q: What's that?
A: It's a marshmallow.

Q: What are those?
A: They're tortilla chips.

(13) What about: consider this

Mother: What are you going to do this afternoon?
Daughter: I'm going to go play basketball.
Mother: What about your homework.
Daughter: I'll do it later.
Mother: No, you should do it now and play basketball later.
Daughter: Okay.


(14) What...for: purpose / reason

Q: What do you use this for?
A: You use it for cutting the grass. It's a lawnmower.

(15) What kind of: type / category

Q: What kind of a musical instrument is that?
A: It's an accordion.

Q: What kind of fruit do you like to eat?
A: I like to eat kiwi.

(16) When: time / date

Student: When were you born?
Teacher: I was born in 1963.

(17) Where: location

Paul: Where did you go yesterday?
Daniya: I went to a coffee shop to meet some friends.

(18) Which: choice of two or more

Q: Which do you prefer, red peppers or green peppers?
A: I like them both, but I prefer red peppers because they're sweeter.

(19) Who: subject for a person


Q: Who is she?
A: Her name is Natalia. She's my classmate.

(20) Whom: object for a person

Q: Whom did you go fishing with last week?
A: I went fishing with Michael.
(Note: Although "whom" is the correct choice, many Americans use "who" instead.)

(21) Whose: possessive form for a person

Q: Whose motorcycle is that?
A: It belongs to Luiz.

(22) Why: reason

Q: Why does she look so sad?
A: Her dog died.

(23) Why not: reason

Q: Why doesn't he hire someone to paint his house?
A: He can't afford it.

(Sumber: Sanghirison_facebook)
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