WH Questions Practice Tests with A1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Wh Questions in English – A1 Grammer

You already know how to make questions in the present simple. These are questions that start with Do or Does. For example:

• Do you speak English?
• Does he travel abroad?

The answers to these questions are only Yes or No. That is good, but sometimes you want more information. You want to know a place, a time, a thing, or a name. In this case, you need a different kind of question.

These are called Wh questions. They start with a question word – and most of these words begin with the letters WH.

For example:

• When is your birthday? → On 28 March.
• Where is the bank? → Over there, on the corner.
• What do you do at weekends? → I go to the countryside.

You can see that the answers give real information – not just yes or no. This is why Wh questions are so useful.

The Wh Question Words

Here are the most important question words at A1 level. Each one asks for a different kind of information.

Rule Breakdown – How to Build a Wh Question

Building a Wh question is simple. You follow two steps:

Step 1: Put the question word at the beginning of the sentence.
Step 2: Make the rest of the question in the normal way – exactly like a Yes/No question.

Look at the difference:

Yes/No question:
Do you live in Madrid? → Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

Wh question:
Where do you live? → In Madrid.

You can see that the Wh question uses the same structure as the Yes/No question. The only difference is that you add the question word at the very beginning.

The Structure for Wh Questions in the Present Simple

Question Word + Do / Does + Subject + Verb + ?

Remember: Use Do with I, you, we, they. Use Does with he, she, it.

Wh Questions with the Verb "To Be"

Sometimes you do not need Do or Does. When the verb in the sentence is is, am, or are, you use that verb directly after the question word.

Question Word + Is / Are + Subject + ?

What and Which – Are They the Same?

In many everyday situations, What and Which have a very similar meaning. Both ask about a thing. For example:

• What is your favourite colour? ✅
• Which is your favourite colour? ✅

Both questions are correct and both mean the same thing here. At A1 level, do not worry too much about the difference. The important thing is to use them at the beginning of the question.

Two Types of Questions – A Simple Comparison

Let us compare the two types of questions you now know.

More Examples with Mini Stories

Story 1 – Maria

Maria is a student. She lives in Barcelona. She gets up at 7 o'clock. Her favourite colour is blue. Her birthday is on 15 June.

• Where does Maria live? → In Barcelona.
• When does she get up? → At 7 o'clock.
• Which is her favourite colour? → Blue.
• When is her birthday? → On 15 June.

Story 2 – Tom and his sister

Tom has a sister. Her name is Ann. Tom works in a café. He starts work at 9 o'clock. The café is on Green Street.

• What is the name of Tom's sister? → Her name is Ann.
• Where does Tom work? → In a café.
• When does he start work? → At 9 o'clock.
• Where is the café? → On Green Street.

Important Things to Remember

1. The question word always comes first

The question word (What, Where, When, Which, Who) always goes at the very beginning of the sentence.

❌ Do you live where?
✅ Where do you live?

2. After the question word, make a normal question

Do not forget to use the question structure after the question word. Do not say a statement.

❌ Where you live?
✅ Where do you live?

3. Do not forget Do or Does with action verbs

If the main verb is not is, am, or are, you need do or does in the question.

❌ When you usually get up?
✅ When do you usually get up?

4. Use Does with he, she, it

When you ask about another person (he, she), use does – not do.

❌ Where do she work?
✅ Where does she work?

Common Mistakes

❌ Where is the bank is?
✅ Where is the bank? – Do not repeat the verb at the end.

❌ What your name is?
✅ What is your name? – Put is before the subject, not after.

❌ When do he get up?
✅ When does he get up? – Use does with he, she, it.

❌ Where you are from?
✅ Where are you from? – The verb are comes before the subject you.

❌ What she does at weekends?
✅ What does she do at weekends? – Does comes before the subject.

Wh Questions – Quick Summary

Here is what you have learned in this lesson:

• There are two types of questions in the present simple.
• Yes/No questions start with Do, Does, Is, Are – the answer is only yes or no.
• Wh questions start with a question word: What, Where, When, Which, Who.
• Wh questions give you extra information in the answer – not just yes or no.
• The question word always comes first.
• After the question word, you build the question in the normal way – with Do / Does / Is / Are.
• Use Does (not Do) when you ask about he, she, or it.
• What and Which are often used with the same meaning at A1 level.
• Where asks about a place. When asks about a time. What asks about a thing or action.

Now practise Wh questions in the exercises below.