In this lesson we’ll take a look at some more question words: What…?, Which…?, and How…?
What…?
We have already seen
What + (no noun)…?
• What is Jack doing?
• What did the mayor say?
Now: What + (noun)…?
• What time is it?
• What color are your eyes?
• What program did you watch?
• What size shoe does Bobby wear?
• What kind of dessert do you like?
Which + (noun)….?
• Which bus should I take?
• Which coat is yours?
• Which teacher was your favorite?
• Which class did you like least?
Which without a noun is used for things:
• Which is more famous – Disneyland or Universal Studios?
• Which is hotter – Florida or Hawaii?
• Which is taller – the Empire State Building or Willis Tower?
For people, use Who without a noun (not Which):
• Who is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein? (not: Which is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein?)
• Who is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain? (not: Which is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain?)
How do we know whether to use What or Which?
What color do you like?
or
Which color do you like?
Which: Use when there are only a few possibilities.
• Which color do you like? Yellow, blue, or green?
• Which way should I go? Left or right?
• Which dessert do you want?
What: Use for more general situations.
• What color do you want to paint the room?
• What movies are playing at the downtown theater?
• What desserts do they serve at that restaurant?
How…?
• How was the movie? —It was boring.
• How should I wash this sweater? —By hand.
How + (adjective / adverb)…?
• How tall is Willis Tower?
• How big is the sailboat?
• How many cars are in the parking lot?
• How often do you mow the lawn?
• How late do you stay up?
• How far is it to St. Louis?
• How hard do you work to keep such a beautiful garden?
• Etc.
Exercise. Using the word in parentheses, write questions with What…?
Example:
Jack went to bed late last night. (time) ==> What time did he go to bed?
1. I went to the library this afternoon. (books)
2. Tom bought a new car. (color)
3. Let’s have some ice cream. (type)
4. We’re thinking of getting new cell phones. (kind)
5. Mary is flying to Atlanta next week. (airline)
Exercise. Use What, Which, or Who to complete the following questions.
Example:
There are a lot of newborns in the nursery. ____________ baby is yours? ==> Which baby is yours?
1. ____________ month is it?—It’s June.
2. Don’t forget your umbrella. ____________ one is yours?
3. ____________ day does your birthday fall on this year?
4. ____________ is smarter, Jack or Jill?
5. ____________ room is your next class in, Room 328 or Room 329?
6. ____________ did the laundry? Sally or Mack?
7. ____________ lake did you vacation at? Lake Michigan, or Lake Huron?
8. ____________ hobby does Steve enjoy?
9. ____________ ate the last piece of cake, Dad or Bill?
10. ____________ classes do you have this semester?
Exercise. Write questions for the following answers, using How + (adjective / adverb)…?
Example:
____________ is it to the bus station? —About three blocks. ==> How far is it to the bus station?
1. ____________ money do you have? —Over $20.
2. ____________ is that building? —It’s 200 feet tall.
3. ____________ is an elephant? —About 2000 pounds.
4. ____________ is a blue whale? —It’s nearly 100 feet long.
5. ____________ is Mount McKinley? —Over 20,000 feet.
6. ____________ is Earth from the sun? —About 93 million miles.
7. ____________ miles is it from New York to Los Angeles? —Almost 3000 miles.
8. ____________ gas does the tank of your car hold? —About 12 gallons.
9. ____________ do you catch a cold? —Only once or twice a year.
10. ____________ is your grandmother?—She’s 96.