1: When do you finish college?

2: Next year.

 

1: Who is your favourite actor?

2: George Clooney for sure!

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Forming wh-questions

With an auxiliary verb

We usually form wh-questions with wh- + an auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main verb or with wh- + a modal verb + subject + main verb:

 

Be: When are you leaving?

 

Who’s been paying the bills?

 

Do: Where do they live?

 

Why didn’t you call me?

 

Have: What has she done now?

 

What have they decided?

 

Modal: Who would she stay with?

 

Where should I park?

Without an auxiliary verb

Warning:

When what, who, which or whose is the subject or part of the subject, we do not use the auxiliary. We use the word order subject + verb:

 

What fell off the wall? Which horse won?

 

Who bought this? Whose phone rang?

Compare

 

Who owns this bag?

Who is the subject of the sentence and this bag is the object. We use no auxiliary verb.

 

Who do you love most?

Who is the object of the sentence and you is the subject. We use the auxiliary verb do.

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