WH - Questions

Getting Information

Bridget Green Grammar MFWI 2006; based on Douglas Griffith

First,

Explain how to make Yes/No questions in English to another person.

Inversion of subject and auxiliary!

BE, HAVE, MODALS, or DO

Asking QuestionsThere are two kinds of questions in English:

•Yes/No questions•Information questions

Like this…Yes/No questions

Are you happy? Yes, I am.

Information questions

Why are you happy?I’m happy because I love studying grammar.

Yes/No questions have a ‘rising’ intonation.

Information questions have a ‘falling’ intonation.

Worksheet…

Talk with a partnerIt’s important to work together!

Make noise!Ask each other questions!

Next,

1. ___________________ Yes. (I have a sister.)2. ___________________ No. (I can’t write kanji.)3. ___________________ Yes. (I have been to Osaka!)4. ___________________ Yes. (I am married.)5. ___________________ No. (I wasn’t born yesterday.)6. ___________________ Yes. (I like Japanese food.)7. ___________________ Yes. (Peggy’s husband is handsome.)

Practice making Yes/No questions.

Check your answers…

Inversion of subject and auxiliary.

1. Do you have a sister? Yes. (I have a sister.)2. Can you write kanji? No. (I can’t write kanji.)3. Have you been to Osaka? Yes. (I have been to Osaka!)4. Are you married? Yes. (I am married.)5. Were you born yesterday? No. (I wasn’t born yesterday.)6. Do you like Japanese food Yes. (I like Japanese food.)7. Does James also teach English? Yes. (James also teaches English.)

Question Words• who

• what

• when

• where• why

• whose• which

• how – how + adj (how tall, how old, etc)– how + adv (how quickly, how soon, etc)– how often– how far– how long– how many– how much

Which question words?

Johnny Depp who

actor what

in Spokane where

this week

because I’m tired

when

why

very beautifully how

since she was very young how long

Which question words?

mine whose

300 miles how far/how many miles

three how many

two hours

to go sightseeing

how long

why

Yuko’s whose

a lot how much/how many

What’s the Yes/No question?

Jin is cute.

Is Jin cute?Yes, he is.

What’s the Yes/No question?

What’s the Yes/No question?

Jin is going.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Is Jin going?Yes, he is.

What’s the Yes/No question?

Q: ______________

A: To Hawaii.

What’s the information question?

Where is he going?

Q: ______________

A: Next week.

What’s the information question?

When is he going?

Q: ______________

A: To get married.

What’s the information question?

Why is he going?

Q: ___________________

For

What’s the information question?

How long is he going for?

two weeks.A:

Q: __________________

A: With

What’s the information question?

Who is he going with?

his fiancée.

With whom is he going?

Check your answers…

Is he going? Yes, he is.

1. Where is he going? To Hawaii.

2. Why is he going? To get married.3. When is he going? Next week.4. How long is he going for? For two weeks.5. Who is he going with? With his fiancée.

Is he going? Yes, he is.

1. Where is he going? To Hawaii.

2. Why is he going? To get married.3. When is he going? Next week.4. How long is he going for? For two weeks.5. Who is he going with? With his fiancée.

To make an information question…

So…

Wh-Is Jin going?

Add… …to the yes/no question

is Jin going?

aux + S + main

Subject? Object?

There are a few little things to remember…

Remember this one. . . Q: ______________________

A: His fiancee.What’s the question?

WHO?

Object

Q: Who is he visiting?

Short answer: His fiancée.

Long answer: He is visiting his

fiancée.

WHO? WHAT?

Object

Q: Who is he visiting?Long answer: He is visiting his fiancée.

When you ask a who or what question about the object, it is the same.+ [aux v + S + main

v]Who/What/Which

BUT…

SUBJECT

Q: _____________________?Long answer: He is visiting his fiancée.

IF the question is about the subject,

then you use who or what as a pronoun.Who is visiting his fiancée?

SO…

SUBJECT

He is going with his fiancée.

IF the question is about the subject, then you replace the subject with who or what.

Who is going with his fiancée?

A: ______Jin is.

PRACTICE

SUBJECT

IF the question is about the subject, then you use who or what as a pronoun.

1. Sushi tastes good.

2. My sister and my mother are good cooks.

3. Tourists from Japan will be arriving soon.

1. What tastes good?

2. Who are good cooks?

3. Who will be arriving soon?

Ask questions…

Vanessa Paradis

Johnny Depp

BE CAREFUL…

Subject or

Object?

1. Johnny loves Vanessa.

2. Johnny loves Vanessa.

Subject

Object

What’s the question?

Subject or Object?

1. Johnny loves Vanessa.

2. Johnny loves Vanessa.

Who loves Vanessa?

Who does Johnny love?

SUBJECTWho acts like a

pronoun…Object

Wh- + [aux v + S + main v]

What’s the short answer?

Subject or Object?

Who loves Vanessa?Who does Johnny love?

Johnny does.

Vanessa.

Johnny loves.

Vanessa does.

Vanessa loves.

Practice again…

1. Mel kicked Al.

2. Mel kicked Al.

Who did Mel kick? Who kicked Al?

Subject

Object

Subject or Object?What’s the question?

Practice again…

Al.

Mel did.

What’s the short answer?

Who did Mel kick? Who kicked Al?

Make questions…1. I saw something. 2. I saw someone.3. He saw me.4. Johnny Depp came.5. This hat is mine.6. They can run very fast.7. They can run very fast.8. I love him.9. Homestay is great!10. Asking questions is good

for your English.

1. What did you see? 2. Who did you see?3. Who saw you?4. Who came?5. Which hat is yours?6. Who can run very

fast?7. How fast can they

run?8. Who do you love?9. What is great?10. What is good for your

English?

Some problems…

To ask someone’s opinion, we say…

How do you feel about something ?

What do you think about something ?

How do you think about something ?

What do you feel about something ?

Some problems…

Ever is only used in questions and negatives…

Have you ever been to Osaka?I have ever been to Osaka.I haven’t ever been to Osaka. (=never)

I have never been to Osaka.I have been to Osaka once.

Some problems…

Embedded questions…

He is going home.

Where ___________?

I don’t know ______________.

is he goingaux

subject

Question order

where he is going

auxsubject

This is not a question.Not question order.

Practice Embedded Questions

1. Where is he going?2. What was she doing?3. How could you do it?4. Who is he going to

marry?

1. I don’t know where he is going.

2. I’m not sure _____________.3. I have no idea _____________.4. I wonder _____________.

Practice Embedded Questions

1. Where is he going?2. What was she doing?3. How could they do it?4. Who is he going to marry?

1. I don’t know where he is going.2. I’m not sure what she was doing.3. I have no idea how they could do

it.4. I wonder who he is going to

marry.

That’s it…Homework:2 (or more?) Grammar cards Key words: Wh- questions

subject questionsobject questionsembedded questions

Homework Handout…Check this week’s homework in the library.