In general, English question patterns are divided into two. The first of these is the yes-no question patterns we call yes-no questions, and the second is the question patterns called WH questions. Although it may sound scary for new learners of English, it is a very fun and simple subject. In short, it is enough to know the meanings of the question sentences and the rules.
The patterns we use to ask questions are very important in English as in any language. In the scope of the subject ‘English question patterns’ we can say that: The Wh question patterns that we hear and use most frequently are eight: What, Where, When, Why, Who, Which, Whose. However, we can create new patterns by adding other words next to these question patterns: How many, How much.
If the person in front of you asks you a question using these patterns, it means that he expect a more detailed answer from you, not a yes/no form. Now let’s examine these patterns in turn and learn more with examples.
How Do You Use ‘What’ in a Question?
Depending on the subject English question patterns let’s give examples of ‘what’:
- What did she buy from that store?: She bought shoes from that store.
- What did Michael do last summer?: He went to London to visit his relatives last summer.
The noun can come after the word ‘what’. Let’s give examples of this question pattern:
- What color is his favorite color?: His favorite color is blue.
- What movie did Bob see yesterday?: Bob saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory yesterday.
Depending on the subject English question patterns let’s give an example of a question sentence by using the word ‘time’ after the word ‘what’:
- What time does your lesson start?: My lesson starts at eleven o’clock.
How Do You Use ‘Who’ in a Question?
Below you can see examples ‘who’ questions:
- Who is the best actor?: Johnny Depp is the best actor.
- Who is going to order the lunch?: Merly is going to order the lunch.
How Do You Use ‘Where’ in a Question?
In the scope of the subject English question patterns you can examine the question sentences starting with ‘where’ below:
- Where will Diana go next summer?: Diana will go San Francisco next summer.
- Where were you during the lesson yesterday?: I was in the hospital yesterday due to a headache.
- Where did Tim go after school?: Tim went home after school.
How Do You Use ‘Why’ in a Question?
Depending on the subject, English question patterns we can say that: You can use ‘Why Questions’ as below:
- Why did you eat my cake?: I ate your cake because it looked so delicious.
- Why did James come to English course late?: James was late for English course because he woke up late.
How Do You Use ‘When’ in a Question?
Here are some examples that start with the ‘when’ question pattern:
- When will Henry finish his English homework?: Henry will finish his English homework in an hour.
- When will she go to the library?: She will go to the library tomorrow.
- When was his day off?: His day off is Saturday.
How Do You Use ‘Which’ in a Question?
In the scope of the subject English question patterns you can examine the following examples for the ‘which’ question sentences:
- Which movie is her favorite on this list?: Harry Potter is her favorite movie on this list.
- Which country would he like to visit?: He likes to visit USA.
- Which bus goes to the hospital from the school?: Yellow buses go from the school to the hospital.
How Do You Use ‘Whose’ in a Question?
Here are some examples for the ‘whose’ question pattern:
- Whose mother is an English teacher?: Camilla’s mother is an English teacher.
- Whose car is red?: Bob’s car is red.
- Whose pencil did you take?: I took Michael’s pencil for math exam.
How Do You Use ‘How’ in a Question?
Depending on the subject, English question patterns we can say that: Example sentences for the ‘how’ question patterns as below:
- How did you find my new shoes?: Your new shoes are remarkable.
- How often does Amy go to the theatre?: Amy goes to the theatre every month.
- How much had Suzy studied before the literature exam?: Suzy had studied before the literature exam for two days.
- How many students are there in your math course?: Seven students are in our math course.
Considerations When Using English Question Patterns
We examined the English question words with examples in this content. So, what should we pay attention to in order to use English question patterns?
While constructing a question sentence with Wh question patterns, the person asking the question expects an explanation on the subject from you. So you should not answer the question as YES or NO. Instead, you can answer the person in front of you in accordance with the English question word used in the question. In addition, to learn English question patterns, do a lot of practice by speaking and writing.
