Wh-Questions (What, Where, When, Who, Why, How) — Grammar and Exercises — English 1st Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

Introduction

Wh-questions are questions that begin with words like “What”, “Where”, “When”, “Who”, “Why” and “How”. They are used to ask for specific information. In this lesson, we will learn how to form and use Wh-questions in English.

Lesson Objectives

• Identify Wh-question words and their meanings
• Form Wh-questions correctly
• Use Wh-questions in everyday conversations
• Distinguish between Yes/No questions and Wh-questions

I. Wh-Question Words

Question Word	Meaning (Arabic)	Use	Example
What	ماذا / ما	Asking about things, ideas, actions	What is your name?
Where	أين	Asking about places or locations	Where do you live?
When	متى	Asking about time	When is your birthday?
Who	من	Asking about people	Who is your teacher?
Why	لماذا	Asking about reasons	Why are you late?
How	كيف	Asking about manner, condition	How are you?

II. Structure of Wh-Questions

The structure of a Wh-question is:

Examples with the verb “to be”

Question	Answer
What is your name?	My name is Ahmed.
Where is your school?	My school is in Algiers.
Who is your best friend?	My best friend is Karim.
How old are you?	I am 12 years old.

Examples with other verbs (Simple Present)

Question	Answer
What do you eat for breakfast?	I eat bread and milk.
Where do you live?	I live in Oran.
When do you go to school?	I go to school at 8 o’clock.
Why do you like English?	Because it is interesting.
How do you go to school?	I go by bus.

III. Common Errors to Avoid

IV. Wh-Questions with “How”

“How” can combine with other words to form different questions:

Expression	Use	Example
How many + noun	Quantity (countable)	How many books do you have?
How much + noun	Quantity (uncountable) / Price	How much water? / How much is it?
How often	Frequency	How often do you play football?
How long	Duration / Length	How long is the lesson?
How far	Distance	How far is your school?

V. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct Wh-word

1. ________ is your favourite subject? (a) Who (b) What (c) Where
2. ________ do you live? (a) Where (b) When (c) Why
3. ________ is your birthday? (a) What (b) Who (c) When
4. ________ is your English teacher? (a) Who (b) Where (c) How

Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-a

Exercise 2: Complete the questions

1. A: ________ do you get up? B: I get up at 6 am.
2. A: ________ do you live with? B: I live with my family.
3. A: ________ do you like football? B: Because it is fun.
4. A: ________ books do you have? B: I have ten books.

Answers: When, Who, Why, How many

Exercise 3: Correct the mistakes

1. What your favourite food? → ________________
2. Where you go after school? → ________________
3. Why you like cats? → ________________

Answers: What is your favourite food? / Where do you go after school? / Why do you like cats?

Summary

• Wh-words are: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
• Structure: Wh-word + Auxiliary + Subject + Main Verb
• Use “What” for things, “Where” for places, “When” for time, “Who” for people, “Why” for reasons, “How” for manner
• Always use an auxiliary verb (do, does, is, am, are) in Wh-questions

Similar Lessons

• Daily Routine (Simple Present for Habits)
• Prepositions of Place (in, on, under, next to, behind)