Lingard
English books
Cover of Basic question words
A1 · 245 words · English

Basic question words

Lingard

This topic covers essential question words in English, like "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how." It explains their meanings and usage to form different types of questions, with relevant examples.

Get started

Not sure about your level? English level test

Basic question words are essential in English as they help us seek specific information in various contexts. Here are the most common basic question words:

  1. Who: Used to inquire about a person or people.
    Example: Who is that girl? She is my friend.
  2. What: Used to ask about things, actions, or situations.
    Example: What is your favorite color?
  3. Where: Used to inquire about a place or location.
    Example: Where are you going?
  4. When: Used to ask about a specific time or an event.
    Example: When is the meeting?
  5. Why: Used to seek a reason or explanation.
    Example: Why did you miss the class?
  6. How: Used to inquire about the manner or method of doing something.
    Example: How do you make pancakes?

    Exceptions with "Who" and "What":

    • "What" is used when asking about someone's job or what they do.
    Example: What do you do? (What is your job?)
    • "Who" is usually used to ask about a person, but not for their job.
    Example: Who is your friend?
    Example: Who is she?

Remember that these question words are often used at the beginning of interrogative sentences to gather information. Practice using these basic question words in various contexts to enhance your communication skills in English.

Words you’ll meet

The words readers of this text looked up most, each with its meaning and the line it comes from.

inquire / ɪnˈkwaɪər /verb

ask about something

The police inquired about the robbery.

askquestion

used / juːzd /verb

To have taken place in the past; previously

I used to live in France.

seek / siːk /verb

Attempt to find (something)

They seek to find gold.

searchlook forhunt

various / ˈveriəs /adjective

Differing from one another

They discussed various options.

differentdiverseassorted

basic / ˈbeɪsɪk /adjective

Fundamental; constituting a foundation or basis

These are the basic principles of accounting.

essentialfundamentalelementary

contexts / ˈkɑːntekst /noun

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea

in various contexts

situationenvironmentbackground

enhance / ɪnˈhæns /verb

To improve the quality, value, or extent of something

Regular exercise can enhance your overall health.

improveboostaugment

gather / ˈɡæðər /verb

to collect or obtain (something, especially information) from various sources

The purpose of the survey is to gather information about consumer preferences.

collectassembleaccumulate

interrogative / ˌɪntərˈɒɡətɪv /adjective

A word used to ask a question

Which interrogative do you prefer?

question wordwh-word

essential / ɪˈsenʃəl /adjective

absolutely necessary or required; vitally important

Water is essential for survival.

crucialvitalnecessary

method / ˈmeθəd /noun

A way of doing something

The most effective method for solving this problem.

approachmannerprocesstechnique

people / ˈpiːpl̩ /noun

more than one person

the people who attended the meeting

personindividualgroup

Similar titles

All English books
Cover of Modal verbs: can, could, should, must Modal verbs: can, could, should, must Lingard Cover of Past Simple Past Simple Lingard Cover of Imperatives Imperatives Lingard Cover of Basic adverbs of frequency Basic adverbs of frequency Lingard Cover of Adjectives and their position in sentences Adjectives and their position in sentences Lingard Cover of Plural nouns Plural nouns Lingard Cover of Expressing likes and dislikes with "like" and "dislike" Expressing likes and dislikes with "like" and "dislike" Lingard Cover of Questions with Was and Were Questions with Was and Were Lingard Cover of Present Continuous Present Continuous Lingard Cover of Present Simple Present Simple Lingard Cover of Countable and uncountable nouns Countable and uncountable nouns Lingard Cover of Can Can Lingard