Asking for Information

Here are some sample phrases and sentences for asking information in English:
1. What is this? This is a table.
2. What is that? That is a chair.
3. What's this? It's a pen.
4. What's that? It's an apple.
5. What are these? These are pencils.
6. What are those? Those are books.
7. Where is Mr. King? He is over there.
8. Where is Ms. Knight? She's (right) here.
9. Where's Johnny? He's in the house.
10. When's the movie? It's at 9:00 a.m.
11. When's lunch? Lunch is at noon.
12. How is the food? It's delicious.

Speaking Situations: Asking for Information
Conversation Practice
Practice asking simple information questions in English.
Use appropriate Wh- words.
Examples :
-How are you (doing) today?
~I'm fine. Thanks.

-Where is Keith?
~He's at the store.

-What's in the box?
~Two dimes and a nickel.

-Who is this?
~She's my teacher, Ms. Jones.

Wh words
Wh word (Usage) (Example)
Who (to inquire about person or people) Who is that?
What (to inquire about things) What is this?
When (to inquire about times) When will you go?
Where (to inquire about locations) Where will you be?
Why (to inquire about reasons) Why are you crying?
How (to inquire about manner) How did you do that?
Which (to inquire about a specific member of a group) Which one was it?
Whom (formal objective case for persons) Whom do you seek?
Whose (to inquire about ownership) Whose are these?
How much (to inquire about amount) How much does it cost?
How many (to inquire about number) How many are there?
How long (to inquire about duration of time) How long have you been here?
How far (to inquire about distance) How far is it to the station?
How often (to inquire about frequency) How often do you come here?
How do you (to inquire about method) How do you say it in English?
What . . . do (to inquire about occupation) What do you do?
(to inquire about activities) What did you do last night?
What...for (to inquire about reason) What did you do that for?
How come (informal: to ask for a reason) How come (I can't go)?

Wh- Questions allow a speaker to find out more information about topics. They are as follows:
When? Time
Where? Place
Who? Person
Why? Reason
How? Manner
What? Object/Idea/Action

Other words can also be used to inquire about specific information:
Which (one)? Choice of alternatives
Whose? Possession
Whom? Person (objective formal)
How much? Price, amount (non-count)
How many? Quantity (count)
How long? Duration
How often? Frequency
How far? Distance
What kind (of)? Description

The "grammar" used with wh- questions depends on whether the topic being asked about is the "subject" or "predicate" of a sentence. For the subject pattern, simply replace the person or thing being asked about with the appropriate wh-word.
(Someone has my baseball.) Who has my baseball?
(Something is bothering you.) What is bothering you?

For the predicate pattern, wh- question formation depends on whether there is an "auxiliary" verb in the original sentence. Auxiliary or "helping" verbs are verbs that precede main verbs. Auxiliary verbs are italicized in the following sentences.
I can do it.
They are leaving.
I have eaten my lunch.
I should have finished my homework.


To make a question using the predicate pattern, first form a yes/no question by inverting the subject and (first) auxiliary verb. Then, add the appropriate wh- word to the beginning of the sentence.
(You will leave some time.) ? will you leave
When will you leave?
(He is doing something.) ? is he doing
What is he doing?
(They have been somewhere.)? have they been
Where have they been?

If there is no auxiliary and the verb is "be," invert the subject and verb, then add the appropriate wh- word to the beginning of the sentence.
(He is someone.) ? is he
Who is he?
(The meeting was some time.)? was the meeting
When was the meeting?
If there is no auxiliary and the verb is not "be," add do to the beginning of the sentence. Then add the appropriate wh-question word. Be sure to "transfer" the tense and number from the main verb to the word do.
(You want something.) ? do you want
What do you want?
(You went somewhere.) ? did you go (past tense)
Where did you go?
(She likes something.) ? does she like (third person -s)
What does she like?