Who, What, Where, When, Why and How: The English Question Words
To ask a question in English, you usually start with a question word. There are seven main ones: who, what, which, where, when, why and how. Each one asks for one kind of answer. Learn them as a set, because you choose between them every time you ask.
The seven words
asks about a . Who is that? Who told you? The answer is always a person: my father, a friend, Anna.
asks about a . What is that? What do you want? The answer is a thing, an idea or an action: a house, money, nothing.
also asks about a thing, but from a . Use it when there is a short list to choose from: Which way do we go - this way or that way? If any answer is possible, use what. If there is a list, use which.
asks about a . Where do you live? Where is my money? The answer is a place: at home, over there, in the house.
asks about a . When do you get home? When did it happen? The answer is a time: at night, last year, now.
asks about a . Why are you late? Why did she go? The answer very often starts with because: because I had no money.
asks about the something happens or is. How are you? How did you do that? How do I get there? The answer says the way: fine, by hand, like this.
How many and how much
How has one more job: it makes questions about . Put it with many or much, and look at the noun to choose between them. If you can count the noun, use with the plural: how many friends, how many days, how many people. If you cannot count it, use : how much money, how much time. You cannot say one money or two times (of money), so money takes how much - even when the amount is very big.
Word order
After the question word, the verb comes before the person: Where live? not Where you live? With be, the verb moves in the same way: Who that? Where they? There is one case with no change: when who or what is the subject of the verb, the words stay in normal order: Who told you? What happened?
Hear the answer first
Here is the fast way to choose: think of the answer you want. A person? Who. A thing? What. A place? Where. A time? When. A reason? Why. A way or an amount? How. The drills below work in that direction - from the answer back to the question - because that is how the choice works in real talk.