This document provides an overview of wh- questions in English. It begins by explaining that wh- questions ask for information and cannot be answered with just "yes" or "no". It then provides examples of wh- questions using who, what, where, why. It discusses using singular and plural forms of verbs depending on whether the subject is singular or plural. The document also provides guidance on giving short or long answers to wh- questions. It concludes with a practice activity asking readers to ask and answer sample wh- questions.

1. 2
Wh- Questions
A Friendly Visit
Focus on Grammar 2
Part II, Unit 7
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. A Friendly Visit 1
A Friendly Visit 1
Dad, I think
Oh,
I don’t know. Why Who kind,they’re
Be are son.
we have heads so
are their
Their brains
they? human
visitors.
beings.
small?
aren’t very big.

3. A Friendly Visit 2
A Friendly Visit 2
Greetingsspaceship broke
Our from
Welcome to What is
our
Earth. down. Where are
planet.
your language?
we?
Would you like
some iced tea?
Why are you
Our language far
You are very is
here?
₪. But I
from home.
want to practice
my English.

4. Function
Function
Wh- questions ask for information. They cannot be
answered with a yes or no.
Where are you
from?
We are from
Yes.
Earth.

5. Singular and Plural
Singular and Plural
Use is for singular subjects and are for
plural subjects.
singular
Where is your spaceship?
plural
What are your plans?

6. Who
Who
Who asks about people.
person
Who are you?
person
Who is your leader?

7. What
What
What asks about things.
thing
What is your language?
things
What are your names?
 


8. Where
Where
Where asks about places.
Where is your spaceship?
Where are we?

9. Why
Why
Why asks for a reason.
Why are you here?
Why are their heads so small?

10. Practice 1
Example:
With a partner, read the
answers and ask
wh-questions.
Why areare they?
What isis hehobby?
Where they from?
Who his happy?
The United States.soccer.
His aliens.
BecauseThey’rehobbyon the moon.
they landed is

11. Contractions
Contractions
We often use contractions for wh- questions with is
in speaking and informal writing.
Where is
Where’s the mustard?
What’s
What is on TV?

12. Answers
Answers
We usually give short answers to whquestions. We can give long answers too.
Why is your
skin green?
short
long
answer
answer
My skin is Igreen
Because eat a
because I eat a
lot of broccoli.
lot of broccoli.

13. Use the clues to ask and
answer wh- questions with a
partner.
Practice 2
Example:
Who is he?
1. spaceship
He is a doctor.
2. firefighter
Where is she?
She is in a spaceship.
Who is he?
He is a fire fighter.
3. alien
What is he?
He is an alien.
4. he sees a spaceship
doctor
Why is he scared?
He sees a spaceship.

14. References
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and
its licensors. All rights reserved.