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What are the 8 question words in English?

Who, What, Where, When, Whose, Which,

Why, How

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We use the 4 question forms because the word order varies according to the
number and type of verbs used in their construction.

1. Are you ill today? (using ‘be’ as a complement verb; asking about the
subject)
2. Have you been drinking coffee? (using one or more auxiliary verbs inc.
modals)
3. Do you exercise? (single-word verb phrases of all main verbs except ‘be’)
4. What’s happening? (questions to get information about the subject)

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Complement verb + subject + object?
Are you ill today? Yes, I am.
Was anyone at home? Luckily no so no one was harmed.
Use am/is/are/was/were as your complement verb.

Auxiliary verb 1 + subject (+ aux. verb 2) + verb + object?

Have you been drinking coffee? Yes, I have.
Can you swim? No, I can’t.

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Do/Did + subject + main verb (+ object)?
Did you swim?
Do you take sugar?

For types 1, 2 and 3, we can add question words (why, how where, when) to the
beginning of the questions without making any changes.
1. Why are you ill today?
2. When should I phone you?
3. Where did you swim?
Questions with who and what may require word order additions/changes.
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Question word + verb (+ object)?
What’s happening? We are watching a film.
Who took the milk? My friend did.

Here, the question word is the subject of the question to ask about the subject
in the answer.

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English Online | www.britishcouncil.org
We use all four question forms to ask about the subject and the object.

The type used depends on:

1: complement/auxiliary verbs used
2: whether the subject/verb are reversed

Grammar tip:
Subject and verb are reversed when the questions ask about the object.

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Now try this! Fill in the gaps with the correct missing word(s).

1. ___
whose is responsible for recruiting new staff?

2. ___
why do we have to leave for the airport?
3. ___
when should we begin to conduct our research now?

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