If you want more specific information about the subject matter you ask “wh-questions” or “information questions”. These questions begin with question words. Study the chart and make your own questions.
WHO | (h) Who can answer that question? Who came to visit you? | I can. Jane and Eric. | Who is used as the subjeet of а question. It refers to people. |
(i) Who is coming to dinner tonight? Who wants to come with me? | Ann, Bob, and Al. We do. | Who is usually followed by а singular verb even if the speaker is asking about more than one person. | |
WHOM | (j) Who(m) did you see? Who(m) are you visiting? (k) Who(m) should I talk to? To who(m) should I talk? (formal) | I saw George. My relatives. The secretary. | Whom is used as the object of а verb or preposition. In everyday spoken English, whom is rarely used; who is used instead. Whom is used only in formal questions. Note: Whom, not who, is used if preceded by a preposition. |
WHOSE | (l) Whose book did you borrow? Whose key is this? (Whose isthis?) | David's. It's mine. | Whose asks questions about possession. |
WHAT | (m) What made you angry? What went wrong? | His rudeness. Everything. | Whatis used as the subjeet of а question. It refers to things. |
(n) What do you need? What did Alice buy? (o) What didhe talk about? About what did he talk? (formal) | I need a pencil. A book. His vacation. | What is also used as an objeet. | |
(p) What kind of soup is that? What kind of shoes did he buy? | It's bean soup. Sandais. | What kind of asks about the particular variety or type of something. | |
(q) What did you do last night? What is Mary doing? | I studied. Reading a book. | What + a form of do is used to ask questions about activities. | |
(r) What countries did you visit? What time did she come? What color is his hair? | Italy and Spain. Seven o'clock. Dark brown. | What may accompany a noun. | |
(s) What is Ed like? (t) What is the weather like? | He's kind and friendly. Hot and humid. | What + be like asks for a general description of qualities. | |
(u)What does Ed look like? (v) What does her house look like? | He's tall and has dark hair. It's a two-story,* red brick house. | What + look like asks for а physical description. | |
WHICH | (w) I have two pens. Which реп do you want? Which one do you want? Which do you want? (x) Which book should I buy? | The blue one. That one. | Which is used instead of what when a question concerns choosing from a definite, known quantity or group. |
(v) Which countries did he visit? What countries did he visit? (z) Which class are you in? What class are you in? | Peru and Chile. This class. | In some cases, there is little difference in meaning between which and what when they accompany a noun, as in (y) and (z). |
*American English: a two-story house.
British English: a two-storey house.
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(English Grammar B.S. Azar Unit B: Questions B-2 A9-A10)
EXERCISE 1. FCE Use of English Virginia Evans PP. 185-186