WH questions – English Grammar Profiler

‘WH-‘ questions expect a reply that supplies information.

The wh-word can be a pronoun:

What made you think that?

(listen to this question)

adverb:

Where did it go?

(listen)

or a determiner:

Which part?

(listen)

A search for the most common questions in the iWeb corpus with:

_ddq _v _p _v ?

1 WHAT DO YOU THINK? (‘what’ is the direct object, ‘do’ is the dummy operator, ‘you’ is the subject.)

39531

So what do you think?

TED

2 WHAT SHOULD I DO ? 16405 3 WHAT DO YOU DO ? 12573 4 WHAT DO I DO ? 11159

5 WHAT CAN I DO ? 9796

6 WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 6912

7 WHAT DO YOU MEAN? 6202 8 WHAT CAN YOU DO ? 6159 9 WHAT WOULD IT BE ? 5931 10 WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 5013 11 WHAT WOULD YOU DO ? 4978 12 WHAT CAN I SAY ? 4856 13 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ? 3426 14 WHAT DO WE DO ? 3282 15 WHAT DO YOU WANT? 3165

16 WHAT DOES IT DO ? 3036

17 WHAT AM I MISSING? 2739

18 WHAT CAN WE DO ? 2723 19 WHAT DO YOU SEE ? 2506 20 WHAT DID YOU DO ? 2488 21 WHAT DO YOU SAY ? 2213

22 WHAT DO THEY DO ? 2201

What do people do at the floating market?

23 WHAT DO I KNOW ? 1825 24 WHAT DID YOU ORDER ? 1579 25 WHAT SHOULD WE DO ? 1553 26 WHAT DID YOU THINK ? 1531 27 WHAT DID I DO ? 1482 28 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ? 1351 29 WHAT DO YOU GET ? 1346 30 WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND ? 1313 31 WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ? 1240 32 WHAT WILL YOU DO ? 1229 33 WHAT DO YOU NEED ? 1182 34 WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND ? 1175 35 WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ? 1159 36 WHAT DID YOU SAY ? 1112 37 WHAT COULD IT BE ? 1081

38 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ? 1024

39 WHAT AM I DOING ? 962

40 WHAT HAVE I DONE ? 936
41 WHAT DO YOU KNOW ? 918

42 WHAT WERE THEY THINKING ? 886
43 WHAT ARE THEY DOING ? 881

44 WHAT SHALL I DO ? 873 45 WHAT DO THEY MEAN ? 860 46 WHAT DID HE SAY ? 854 47 WHAT DID HE DO ? 853 48 WHAT WOULD THEY BE ? 849 49 WHAT DOES IT COST ? 840 50 WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ? 835 51 WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST ? 813

52 WHAT DID THEY DO ? 807

53 WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ? 782

54 WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE ? 732
55 WHAT DOES HE DO ? 730

56 WHAT ARE WE DOING ? 726

57 WHAT DO I MEAN ? 685

58 WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ? 684

59 WHAT DOES IT MATTER ? 674 60 WHAT DO I NEED ? 671 61 WHAT DO YOU HAVE ? 640 62 WHAT WILL I LEARN ? 625 63 WHAT DID YOU LEARN ? 613 64 WHAT SHALL WE DO ? 592 65 WHICH DO YOU PREFER ? 580

66 WHAT COULD I DO ? 564

67 WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ? 561

68 WHAT DO THEY WANT ? 557 69 WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT ? 551 70 WHAT CAN WE SAY ? 543 71 WHAT WOULD I DO ? 538 72 WHAT SHOULD I WEAR ? 522 73 WHAT DID I MISS ? 505 74 WHAT DOES IT SAY ? 498 75 WHAT DO WE KNOW ? 451 76 WHAT DO I GET ? 447 77 WHAT DO YOU USE ? 444 78 WHAT DO WE WANT ? 443 79 WHAT DID WE DO ? 441 80 WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ? 416 81 WHAT CAN YOU SAY ? 391 82 WHAT CAN I EXPECT ? 389

83 WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE ? 380

84 WHAT AM I SAYING ? 374

85 WHAT CAN THEY DO ? 371 86 WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ? 358 87 WHAT DID YOU SEE ? 354 88 WHAT CAN WE EXPECT ? 344 89 WHAT DID WE LEARN ? 341 90 WHAT DO WE HAVE ? 341 91 WHAT WOULD YOU BE ? 337

92 WHAT HAVE WE DONE ? 335

93 WHAT IS HE DOING ? 333

94 WHAT HAVE YOU GOT ? 332 95 WHAT SHOULD THEY DO ? 331 96 WHICH WOULD IT BE ? 330 97 WHAT WILL IT COST ? 326 98 WHAT DO I WANT ? 325 99 WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE ? 323

100 WHAT WILL YOU LEARN ? 322

_rrq

1 HOW DOES IT WORK ? 17883 2 WHERE DO YOU START ? 2801 3 HOW DO YOU KNOW ? 2532

4 WHERE DO I START ? 2456

5 WHERE ARE YOU GOING ? 2135

6 HOW DO THEY WORK ? 1939
7 WHY DOES IT MATTER ? 1884

8 HOW ARE YOU DOING ? 1879

9 HOW DO I APPLY ? 1878 10 HOW DO I KNOW ? 1554 11 WHERE DO YOU LIVE ? 1469 12 WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ? 1252 13 HOW DO YOU FEEL ? 1188 14 HOW CAN WE HELP ? 1171

15 WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ? 1125

16 WHERE ARE WE GOING ? 1088

17 HOW CAN I HELP ? 1065 18 HOW DID IT GO ? 1044 19 WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED ? 1037 20 HOW DO WE KNOW ? 943 21 WHERE DO I BEGIN ? 914 22 WHY SHOULD I CARE ? 889 23 HOW CAN YOU HELP ? 865 24 HOW ARE YOU FEELING ? 818 25 WHY DO YOU ASK ? 728 26 HOW DID IT HAPPEN ? 707 27 WHERE DO YOU BEGIN ? 701 28 HOW DOES IT FEEL ? 698 29 HOW CAN YOU TELL ? 665 30 WHERE DO WE START ? 665 31 HOW DO YOU DO ? 638 32 HOW DID YOU KNOW ? 630 33 HOW IS IT DONE ? 625 34 WHERE DID IT GO ? 578 35 WHERE WOULD YOU GO ? 551 36 HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ? 521 37 HOW IS IT USED ? 512 38 HOW DID YOU DO ? 492 39 HOW DO I REGISTER ? 491 40 WHERE DOES IT GO ? 477 41 WHERE DO YOU GO ? 476 42 WHERE DID YOU GO ? 467 43 WHERE DOES IT END ? 455 44 HOW WOULD YOU KNOW ? 450 45 WHERE DID THEY GO ? 450 46 WHERE DO THEY GO ? 445 47 HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ? 440 48 HOW IS IT TREATED ? 406

49 WHERE SHOULD I START ? 404

50 HOW ARE WE DOING ? 393

51 WHY SHOULD WE CARE ? 393 52 HOW DOES IT SOUND ? 388 53 WHERE IS IT LOCATED ? 387 54 WHY DOES IT WORK ? 377 55 HOW DO I START ? 374 56 WHERE DO I GO ? 365 57 WHY DOES IT HAPPEN ? 361 58 HOW DID YOU FEEL ? 356 59 WHERE DO THEY LIVE ? 353 60 HOW DO YOU RESPOND ? 351 61 HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ? 342 62 HOW DO I JOIN ? 338 63 WHY DO YOU CARE ? 336 64 WHY DID IT HAPPEN ? 331

65 WHERE SHOULD YOU START ? 330

66 WHERE AM I GOING ? 329

67 WHERE WERE YOU BORN ? 327

68 WHY ARE YOU CRYING ? 326

69 WHERE DO YOU STAND ? 312 70 HOW DOES IT LOOK ? 289 71 WHERE WOULD IT BE ? 289 72 HOW DOES IT HAPPEN ? 288 73 WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED ? 286 74 HOW DO THEY COMPARE ? 284

75 HOW DO I LOOK ? 284

76 WHERE ARE THEY GOING ? 282

77 WHY DO WE CARE ? 282 78 WHERE DID HE GO ? 276 79 WHERE DO YOU WORK ? 271 80 HOW WOULD I KNOW ? 269 81 WHERE DO WE BEGIN ? 268

82 HOW DO I PAY ? 263

83 HOW IS IT GOING ? 262

84 HOW DO THEY DIFFER ? 257 85 HOW DOES IT TASTE ? 255 86 HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED ? 255 87 WHEN WILL IT END ? 246 88 HOW DO YOU MEAN ? 245 89 HOW COULD IT BE ? 241 90 HOW WILL IT WORK ? 239 91 WHERE ARE YOU BASED ? 236 92 HOW DID IT WORK ? 235 93 WHERE DOES IT STOP ? 233 94 WHERE WILL IT END ? 232 95 HOW DO YOU START ? 229 96 WHY DO I CARE ? 228

97 WHERE DO WE GO ? 227

98 WHERE IS IT GOING ? 226

99 HOW DID IT START? 215
100 HOW IS IT CALCULATED? 210

The following search does not always contain full questions, but this is the limitation of iWeb online.

* * * _I ?

1 ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 16570 B2 in the EVP

What are you waiting for?

Listen

2 ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? 6136 3 ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? 2458 4 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? 2406 5 COULD YOU ASK FOR? 2377 6 IN THE REGION OF ? 1888 7 YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? 1844 8 YOU ‘RE LOOKING FOR ? 1822 9 ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ? 1544 10 WHO IS IT FOR ? 1377 11 TO THE VALUE OF ? 1265 12 AT A COST OF ? 1207 13 DOES IT LOOK LIKE ? 1202 14 ARE WE LOOKING FOR ? 1136 15 DID IT COME FROM ? 1051 16 CAN YOU ASK FOR ? 1021 17 ARE YOU REFERRING TO ? 998 18 DOES IT COME FROM ? 936 19 SHOULD BE AWARE OF ? 841 20 YOU MOST PROUD OF ? 781 21 DID THAT COME FROM ? 764 22 THE STORY COME FROM ? 752 23 AM I TALKING ABOUT ? 737 24 ARE YOU LOOKING AT ? 714 25 DID THEY COME FROM ? 714 26 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ? 645 27 YOU WERE LOOKING FOR ? 637 28 DO THEY COME FROM ? 635 29 I ‘M TALKING ABOUT ? 608 30 YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ? 581 31 GOING TO COME FROM ? 578 32 DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ? 574 33 A VICTIM SURCHARGE OF ? 566 34 TO THE TUNE OF ? 555 35 WHAT WAS IT LIKE ? 553 36 TO BE AWARE OF ? 513 37 WOULD IT LOOK LIKE ? 510 38 TO PAY COMPENSATION OF ? 507 39 WHAT IS IT FOR ? 490 40 TO LOOK OUT FOR ? 489 41 YOU ‘RE TALKING ABOUT ? 485 42 IS IT GOOD FOR ? 477 43 ARE YOU AFRAID OF ? 468 44 DO N’T KNOW ABOUT ? 467 45 WHAT ‘S IT LIKE ? 448 46 TO PAY COSTS OF ? 437 47 ARE THEY LOOKING FOR ? 435 48 ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT ? 432 49 WHAT TO LOOK FOR ? 428 50 YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT ? 428 51 IS IT USED FOR ? 427 52 ARE YOU UP TO ? 419 53 YOU ARE REFERRING TO ? 415 54 SHOULD I LOOK FOR ? 408 55 ARE WE WAITING FOR ? 402 56 I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ? 396 57 DO THEY LOOK LIKE ? 395 58 ALL THE FUSS ABOUT ? 383 59 IS HE TALKING ABOUT ? 381 60 YOU CAN THINK OF ? 372 61 WHAT ‘S THAT ABOUT ? 371 62 TO GET RID OF ? 368 63 ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT ? 359 64 ON THE MARKET FOR ? 350 65 GOING TO BE LIKE ? 347 66 I ‘M LOOKING FOR ? 342 67 DOES IT FEEL LIKE ? 340 68 GOING TO LOOK LIKE ? 336 69 WHAT IS IT LIKE ? 335 70 DO YOU COME FROM ? 334 71 DO YOU THINK OF ? 332 72 THE MONEY COME FROM ? 332 73 WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ? 329 74 THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE ? 322 75 DID THIS COME FROM ? 320 76 WHO ‘S IT FOR ? 316 77 TO LOOK FORWARD TO ? 313 78 TO WATCH OUT FOR ? 312 79 THAT YOU KNOW OF ? 310 80 YOU USE IT FOR ? 306 81 I BE LOOKING FOR ? 303 82 USING THIS ITEM FOR ? 300 83 DID YOU COME FROM ? 296 84 MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ? 296 85 WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE ? 290 86 WHAT ARE THEY FOR ? 285 87 WANT TO TALK ABOUT ? 283 88 YOU COME UP WITH ? 277 89 SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR ? 276 90 IS THIS COURSE FOR ? 271 91 A GUIDE PRICE OF ? 270 92 DOES IT TASTE LIKE ? 270 93 DO YOU LOOK FOR ? 262 94 WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT ? 261 95 FINE OF UP TO ? 258 96 SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR ? 253 97 DO YOU LISTEN TO ? 252 98 YOU BEEN UP TO ? 251 99 A TOTAL OF ? 250

100 ARE YOU GOOD AT ? 250

RESEARCH NOTES:

Here are many entries at A2 in the English Grammar Profile that catch the same question complexity.

Point 2 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as:

AUXILIARY ‘BE’ to form ‘wh-‘questions.  (present continuous / past continuous)

*Notice that ‘past continuous’ is included in the ‘cando.’ However, it also points to B1 level for such a feature.

Point 4 in QUESTIONS:

use ‘wh-‘words + main verb ‘be’ + subject to form ‘wh-‘ questions

The EGP examples:

Point 37 in CLAUSES, interrogatives and AFFIRMATIVE is defined as:

‘wh-‘ interrogative clauses with a ‘wh-‘ word as object.

Point 4 in PREPOSITIONS:

end a ‘wh-‘ question with a preposition, where the preposition is stranded from its complement.

Point 10 in PRESENT:

present simple with ‘yes/no’ and ‘wh-‘ question forms with ‘you’.

There is no entry in the EGP or the EVP for questions starting with ‘how long’.  ‘Long’ can be found in the EVP referring to time at A2 though.  Here is a more specific point from Pearson’s GSE

ask for information about time, measurement, size etc. with ‘how’ + adjective/quantifier.

31 A2(30-35)

‘how’ questions for time, measurement, size etc. (except ‘much/many’)

EXAMPLES
How big is it?
How tall is he?
How long is the film?

However in the EVP there is a similar entry under ‘how’ at A1:

QUANTITY
A1 used to ask or talk about quantity, size, or age

Do you know how many people are coming? How much was that dress?

How big is the house?

How old are they?

We believe any of these with modal verbs instead of the verb BE add complexity.  So here are the search results in the iWeb corpus for adverbs with modal verbs:

how _RR _VM * *

1 HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE 10231 2 HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE 2219 3 HOW LONG WILL IT BE 1243 4 HOW HARD CAN IT BE 1163 5 HOW HARD WOULD IT BE 833 6 HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT 668 7 HOW LONG WILL IT LAST 625 8 HOW HARD COULD IT BE 591 9 HOW COOL WOULD IT BE 586 10 HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE 482 11 HOW LONG WILL I HAVE 399 12 HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO 365 13 HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TAKE 305 14 HOW EASY WOULD IT BE 290 15 HOW LONG WILL I BE 273 16 HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE 228 17 HOW ELSE CAN YOU EXPLAIN 226 18 HOW LONG WILL YOU BE 207 19 HOW LONG CAN I KEEP 201

20 HOW FAR CAN YOU GO 193

And with adjectives:

how _JJ _VM * *

1 HOW LIKELY WOULD YOU BE 911 2 HOW GREAT WOULD IT BE 363 3 HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE 354 4 HOW AWESOME WOULD IT BE 316 5 HOW BAD CAN IT BE 214 6 HOW BAD COULD IT BE 199 7 HOW AMAZING WOULD IT BE 115 8 HOW NICE WOULD IT BE 104 9 HOW WONDERFUL WOULD IT BE 101 10 HOW EASY WOULD IT BE 91 11 HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE 80 12 HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE 73 13 HOW LARGE CAN THEY GROW 72 14 HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE 61

15 HOW CONCERNED SHOULD I BE 56