QUESTION WORDS EXERCISE 1: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE
A2–B1 · IntermediateQuestion words indicate the kind of information a speaker wants: a person, a time, a place, or a thing. This exercise uses the answer to help you choose between who, when, where, and what.
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Choose the correct response to complete each of the following questions based on the answer that is given.
EXAMPLE: When is Amy going to Australia? → She's going in a month.
1. ________ do you live? → I live in Tokyo.
Correct answer: Where — where asks about location — the answer is Tokyo (a place).
2. ________ are you going to the concert? → I'm going to the concert next week.
Correct answer: When — when asks about time — the answer is next week.
3. ________ is Nancy reading? → She is reading a newspaper.
Correct answer: What — what asks about a thing — the answer is a newspaper.
4. ________ are they speaking with? → They are speaking with their friends.
Correct answer: Who — who asks about a person — the answer is their friends.
5. ________ are you talking about? → We're talking about the weather.
Correct answer: What — what asks about a topic — the answer is the weather.
6. ________ will you be home? → I'll be home in two hours.
Correct answer: When — when asks about time — the answer is in two hours.
7. ________ did Mary see at the beach? → Mary saw Thomas at the beach.
Correct answer: Who — who asks about a person — the answer is Thomas.
8. ________ did you go last night? → We went to a cafe.
Correct answer: Where — where asks about location — the answer is a cafe.
9. ________ did you tell her? → I told her yesterday.
Correct answer: When — when asks about time — the answer is yesterday.
10. ________ did you tell her? → I told her the truth.
Correct answer: What — what asks about a thing — the answer is the truth.
Next exercise: Question Words – Exercise 2 →
Grammar review
Where, when, who, and what
This exercise focuses on the four question words that come up most in everyday conversation: asking about place, time, people, and things.
Where asks about a location: Where did you grow up? → In a small town.
When asks about a point in time: When does the movie start? → At eight o'clock.
What asks about a thing, action, or idea: What did you buy? → A new jacket.
Who asks about a person, whether that person is the subject (Who called you?) or the object (Who did you call?) in everyday English.
Tip: when a question word could be either time or place (like Where did you meet him? vs. When did you meet him?), the answer given is your best clue: a place in the answer means the question needs where, and a time in the answer means it needs when.
This exercise focuses on the four question words that come up most in everyday conversation: asking about place, time, people, and things.
Where asks about a location: Where did you grow up? → In a small town.
When asks about a point in time: When does the movie start? → At eight o'clock.
What asks about a thing, action, or idea: What did you buy? → A new jacket.
Who asks about a person, whether that person is the subject (Who called you?) or the object (Who did you call?) in everyday English.
Tip: when a question word could be either time or place (like Where did you meet him? vs. When did you meet him?), the answer given is your best clue: a place in the answer means the question needs where, and a time in the answer means it needs when.
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