Six words that start questions
Many asking sentences begin with one of these words:
- who asks about a person
- what asks about a thing
- where asks about a place
- when asks about a time
- why asks about a reason
- how asks about a way
Pick the one that matches what you want to know.
| What you want to know | Question |
|---|---|
| the person | Who took my pencil? |
| the place | Where is the library? |
| the time | When does the bus come? |
| the reason | Why is the door open? |
Choosing the right one
Using the wrong question word gets you the wrong answer.
If you want to know what time to leave, asking “Where do we leave?” gets you a place instead. You needed “When do we leave?”
Before you write a question, decide what you are actually missing. Then pick the word that asks for it.
A question word does not always mean a question
Here is a tricky one.
“I know where my boots are.”
The word “where” is right there in the middle. But nothing is being asked. The sentence is telling you something, so it ends with a period.
The question word has to start the sentence and the sentence has to want an answer. One without the other is not enough.
Your turn
Pick the question word that fits.
- You want to know the person who called. “____ called?”
- You want to know the reason the cat hid. “____ did the cat hide?”
- You want to know the time the show starts. “____ does the show start?”
Check your answers
- “Who called?”
- “Why did the cat hide?”
- “When does the show start?”
Remember
- Who and what and where and when and why and how start many questions.
- Pick the word that asks for the thing you are missing.
- A question word sitting in the middle does not make a sentence a question.