Questions tagged [wh-questions]
The wh-questions tag has no usage guidance.
88
questions
-1
votes
1answer
20 views
what to happen vs. what to say [closed]
Is "I don't know what to happen" natural on a par with the other sentences?
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what I should do.
? I don't know what to happen.
I don't know what ...
1
vote
0answers
50 views
What is on the table vs. What are on the table
I am a native speaker teaching English. I ran into a sentence that sounded odd to me.
What are on the table?
Grammarly says it should change to is however, if I modify the sentence slightly by ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
Questions with would
I'm practicing the use of would and I have a problem with one exercise, I have to put these words in order: would, be, the problem, what and a question mark (?).
And now I don't know how to put them.
...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
How long does the walking take? (Is this structure possible?)
We can make a question sentence like below:
How long does it take to walk?
How long does it take you to walk?
But can we ask as:
How long + does + NOUN FORM OF A VERB AS SUBJECT + take?
(How long ...
2
votes
2answers
86 views
How can we know the aim of question tag(where,who) if we don't use preposition?
I want to create 6 wh-questions(3 of them with where, 3 of them with who), but I have some serious confusions. In Turkish, You can easily create sentences like below, but in English, I couldn't set up ...
0
votes
2answers
187 views
one of which vs. one of whom
a. We had seven employees one of whom could speak French fluently.
b. We had seven employees one of which could speak French fluently.
Which of the above sentences is grammatically correct?
I think (a)...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
Are question words like "what" plural or singular?
Are question words like "what" plural or singular?
What are you going to do in college?
Is the "what" asking about one thing only or multiple things? or both are possible?
Where ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
On the use of do/does/did in WH-questions
Working on the book: Raymond Murphy. "English Grammar in Use - Fifth Edition" (p. 109)
Chapter 49: Questions 1
But do not use do/does/did if who/what etc. is the subject of the sentence. ...
1
vote
0answers
36 views
Subject/Object , Wh clause (noun clause)
S1: The plumber is Ben.
S2: Ben is the plumber.
As here, The above two sentences are equivalent.
So when we create wh- clause (noun clause)
Which one is right
I don’t know [who is Ben].
I don’t know [...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Different sentences similiar to "what ... about"
The context is from Forbes on youtube.
Around at 06:24 How To Ace Your Job Interview Over Zoom | Forbes
A sentence:
You need to know what you want them to understand about you.
what does this ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
What should we talk about America as for?
If I hear someone say "As for the economy, we should talk about America", can I ask "What should we talk about America as for?" ?
I'm curious if we can ask these sorts of questions....
1
vote
0answers
16 views
"what" or "which" when no prior range is given
Which of the following sentences are natural? If the context didn't name a range of hotels, would it be okay to use "which"?
Location is one of the factors I would consider when deciding on ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
Can these questions be answered with these answers?
I am trying to reach the question form by going through its standard sentence form. In my native language, Turkish,
The question form of
I'm talking about the money that is for your education = I'm ...
0
votes
2answers
33 views
What does "On what subject did you conduct studies?" exactly ask about?
I know that a question can directly be related to a verb.
However, can it refer to a noun rather than the verb?
For example;
On what subject did you conduct studies?
I think that this question can ...
0
votes
2answers
40 views
I wonder how you'd feel watching the longest continuous play recorded?
My first question:
Is sentence 2 a more formal expression while senteance 1 is an informal expression because the word about is dropped?
Could we say the sentence 1 has the same meaning as the ...
1
vote
0answers
37 views
What determines what can be pied-piped and what not in wh-movement? [closed]
A wh-expression without wh-movement, where the wh-word is the object of the preposition “about”:
You are talking about what?
A sentence that has undergone wh-movement:
What are you talking about?
⸺...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
George became a writer of detective stories. (What / Which) did George become a writer of?
In the declarative sentence：
George became a writer of detective stories.
We changed it to interrogative sentence：
(What / Which) did George become a writer of?
Should I use What or Which?
1
vote
1answer
54 views
"He is" or "It is"
I'd like to know how to begin the answer to the following question.
Who is the actor that played an action hero in Speed, a cyber-criminal in The Matrix, a killing machine in John Wick, and who’s now ...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
Wh-question about the future
So I have a question in my book:
When will the meeting take place?
Can I say the following instead?
When is the meeting?
We are talking about timetable kind of thing, aren't we?
-1
votes
1answer
27 views
"What' and 'which' difference
Which one of the following sentence is grammatical?
1- What footballer has scored the most number of goals?
2- Which footballer has scored the most number of goals?
3
votes
2answers
44 views
who makes a lot of noise
A says: Our neighbors make a lot of noise.
B asks: Who make a lot of noise? Your neighbors above you or the ones below?
Is B's sentence correct in this context or should it be 'who makes'?
============...
2
votes
2answers
92 views
Is it correct to say, "Where did you throw the ball?"?
Is it correct to say, "Where did you throw the ball?"?
I thought it was a very simple question to ask, but as I ran several Google searches (including ngram searches), just for precaution, I ...
1
vote
2answers
49 views
What are ways to ask a question about a direct object in English?
In the sentence: "They help poor families", how do we make a question which the answer is "poor families"?
Back in school they taught us that we should use "do" while ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
When can I use infinitive "be" after WH question words?
I watched 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' yesterday, and I've heard some phrases which include 'be' after question words in the bare infinitive form. For example: "Where ...
1
vote
0answers
19 views
be careful that-clause and be careful wh-clause
I'll be more careful what I say in the future.
We were very careful that he didn't find out.
The that-clause in sentence 2 is a complement of the adjective careful. The wh-clause in sentence 1 seems ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Is it more appropriate to use WHAT or WHICH in this question? [duplicate]
I am wanting to know who rules Canada. Should I ask:
"By WHAT monarch is Canada ruled?"
or "By WHICH monarch is Canada ruled?"
(The answer would be: "Canada is ruled by the ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
which scientist vs. what scientist
a. What scientist invented the steam engine?
b. What man invented the steam engine?
c. Which scientist invented the steam engine?
d. Which man invented the steam engine?
Which are grammatically ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Wh-question as part of a complex conjunctionless sentence
Is this sentence a wh question?
Why haven't you got a suntan, you've been to the seaside?
0
votes
2answers
27 views
"What do I start looking at?", "Where do I start looking at?" or "Where do I start looking?" When I am trying to find articles in the library
When I am trying to find articles in the library.
What should I ask in an appropriate way?
A) "What do I start looking at?"
B) "Where do I start looking at?
C) "Where do I start ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Is this sentence a question or a statement?
What political journalist, what party whip, would not want to know the makeup of the WhatsApp groups in which Theresa May's enemies are currently plotting?
If this sentence is a question, then I don'...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
passive voice sentence begins with wh- word
I am confused about a wh-- question.
who would you have me be loyal to?
I want to know what kind of sentence is this? A passive voice or a passive wh-- question?
what is the purpose of 'have' and '...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Which of these are correct ways to ask what something is?
If I want to know what something is called, for example a book, would I ask it in which of these ways:
What book is it?
What is this book?
What book is this called?
What is this book called?
Are ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Forming indirect questions
How would you explain why there is no definite article before the noun "language"?
Examples to compare the pattern with:
Do you know what the capital of Peru is?
Do you know what the ...
0
votes
2answers
65 views
Why is it "How you love to hate me?" instead of "How do you love to hate me?"
How you love to hate me?
This is not a subject question, but why is it correct and we don't say
How do you love to hate me?
I have same problem with this question:
Why she said that?
0
votes
1answer
39 views
How to ask time using present perfect continuous
Today, while teaching one of my students about present perfect continuous one of them asked how to ask time while using present perfect continuous.
I want to ask what was the time when he started say ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Correct place for a comma in the question: 'How can you determine where the first one is and where the second is?'
A student asked me if it is correct to put a comma here in this question:
How can you determine, where the first one is and where the second is?
My instinct is that this is grammatically incorrect, ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
What is the correct syntax for 'when' + 'would' + 'be' questions?
Let's say my boss asked me to do something. So I want to ask him when I should hand it in. What would be grammatically correct?
When would be the deadline?
When would the deadline be?
Thank you.
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Shouldn't I use verb in base form when I use did?
I took an online class at English Live and the teacher told that the correct phrase is "What subject did you taught as a teacher?".
Isn't it "What subject did you teach as teacher?"...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
passive with wh- [closed]
when passive is used, it is mandatory to use be verb.
Thank you for letting me know.
0
votes
1answer
49 views
"I guess he thought that was pretty awful" and its various forms
I am learning to make sentences.
I find the form of Q&A quite useful.
So I think of an answer as to "I guess he thought that was pretty awful".
then I come up with different questions below.
...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
What's the difference between what I was hoping would happen? vs. What I was hoping that would happen?
The sentence "What I was hoping that would happen?" is possible? If possible, what is the function of that? Is it one of relative pronouns or what?
My understanding for "What I was hoping would ...
1
vote
4answers
1k views
Meaning of "Who should I say is calling?" + Grammar structure
I have problems with this sentence. First of all:
What does "Who should I say is calling" mean?
Does that mean:
To whom should I say is calling? Or it means: Should I say who is calling?
And ...
-1
votes
1answer
512 views
What's the full answer for "When did you last read a book?"
I checked the thread with the similar question, but answers were simple such as two months ago, last week etc. I get the context, just find the structure of a full answer tricky. Is it possible to ...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
Complex WH-questions: grammaticality and long-distance movement
The more I'm reading about syntax, the more I'm starting to doubt my ability to judge the grammaticality of English sentences correctly... so I need some help with that. I'm a non-native speaker of ...
1
vote
1answer
4k views
Does the question "until what time do you work" sound natural?
Tell me please which one of the following questions sound the most natural?
Until what time do you work?
What time do you work until?
What time do you work to?
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Uptalk with question words such as "What", "Where", and "How"
In casual spoken English, is it okay to speak English like sentences in bold below?
01
A: Where you are going?
B: To the movies.
02
A: What you talked about with your friends ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Which one are you after? What are you after?
I have been wondering does this phrase ‘which one you are after’ make sense? If in a restaurant scenario, I want to ask customer which one would you like? Can I say which one you are after instead?
...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Wh +object or Wh + helping verb
I came across following sentence.
Why on earth, has he not com.
I think it should be
Why has he not come on earth
But book says first is also correct.
Can anyone tell me logic/rules
1
vote
0answers
103 views
Why is "do" or "does" not used in questions with "which" and "whose"?
I am struggling with subject questions. I understand the lack of do/does and did. I also know that this type of questions is formed only in third person singular, and we need to ask ourselves who or ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
How do you use a WH-word when is not a question?
I'm trying to find some examples or documentation about this topic. From time to time, I struggle when I have a How, What, When, Where or Why in a normal sentence, since when you write a question ...
