Asking Questions
Learn to ask questions and get the answers you need!
Introduction
❓ The Power of Questions
Questions are like magic keys that unlock knowledge! They help you learn new things, make friends, understand the world, and get what you need.
Every question starts with a special word. These are called "Question Words" or "Wh-Words" (because most of them start with "Wh"). Let's learn all about them!
💡 Why Questions Matter
- Learning: Questions help you discover new information
- Friendship: Questions show you care about others
- Problem Solving: Questions help you find solutions
- Conversation: Questions keep conversations going
- Understanding: Questions clear up confusion
The 6 Question Words
Click on each question word to see how it works and see examples!
Use "What" to ask about things, names, or actions.
A: My name is Sara.
A: I like pizza.
A: This is a book.
A: I am reading.
Use "Who" to ask about people.
A: This is my friend.
A: My brother plays cricket.
A: Ms. Brown is my teacher.
A: My family lives here.
Use "Where" to ask about places and locations.
A: I live in Delhi.
A: The park is near the school.
A: My bag is on the table.
A: I am going to school.
Use "When" to ask about time.
A: My birthday is in June.
A: I eat lunch at 1 PM.
A: School starts at 8 AM.
A: I will come tomorrow.
Use "Why" to ask for reasons. Answers usually start with "because".
A: Because today is my birthday!
A: Because they are friendly.
A: Because of sunlight.
A: Because I missed the bus.
Use "How" to ask about the way something is done or how someone feels.
A: I am fine, thank you!
A: I go by bus.
A: I am 10 years old.
A: You mix flour, eggs, and sugar.
Build Your Own Questions!
Challenge 1: Ask about a person
Build this question: "Who is your friend?"
👇 Drop the words here in order 👇
Challenge 2: Ask about a place
Build this question: "Where is the school?"
👇 Drop the words here in order 👇
Challenge 3: Ask about time
Build this question: "When do you play?"
👇 Drop the words here in order 👇
Match Questions with Answers
Click one question and one answer to match them!
❓ Questions
💬 Answers
Fill in the Question Word
Click on a blank space, then choose the correct question word from the word bank!
Conversation Practice
Click "Start Conversation" to see a real conversation with questions and answers!
Fun Learning Games
🎮 Game 1: Question Word Race!
Read each sentence. Pick the right question word to complete it!
1. "_____ is your name?"
2. "_____ is your teacher?"
3. "_____ is the library?"
4. "_____ is your birthday?"
🎮 Game 2: Fill in the Missing Question Word!
Complete each question with the right question word!
1. _____ are you feeling today?
Hint: Asking about the way or method! 🤔
2. _____ is playing outside?
Hint: Asking about a person! 👤
3. _____ are you crying?
Hint: Asking for a reason! 💡
4. _____ did you put my toy?
Hint: Asking about a place! 📍
🎮 Game 3: Match the Question Words!
Match each question word with what it asks about! Check the correct boxes!
What does "Who" ask about?
What does "When" ask about?
What does "Where" ask about?
What does "Why" ask about?
🎮 Game 4: Build Your Own Question!
Pick one word from each box to make a question that makes sense!
Question Words
Verbs
Subjects
🎮 Game 5: Question Word Detective!
Read the story below. How many question words can you find? Click on them!
A Day Full of Questions:
Who wants to play with me? I asked my sister. What time is it? She looked at the clock.
Where should we go? I wondered out loud. When can we start playing?
Why are you so happy? she asked me. How did you learn to ask so many good questions?
Mom said questions help us learn new things every day!
Click on all the question words you learned in this chapter!
Step-by-Step Practice
👋 I'll Help You - Using "Who" and "What"
Let me show you how to use "Who" and "What" in questions. Watch carefully!
Example 1: Using "Who"
I want to know about a person.
Step 1: Think - I want to know WHO is my teacher
Step 2: Start with "Who" - Who is my teacher?
✓ Perfect! "Who" helps us ask about people!
Example 2: Using "What"
I want to know about a thing or action.
Step 1: Think - I want to know WHAT is in the box
Step 2: Start with "What" - What is in the box?
✓ Great! "What" helps us ask about things!
Example 3: Practice Together
Let's ask about your friend's name.
Step 1: Are we asking about a person or a thing? Person!
Step 2: Pick the right word: Who or What? Who!
Step 3: Make the question: "Who is your friend?"
✓ You did it! Now we can find out who someone's friend is!
💪 Try With Hints - Using "Where" and "When"
Now you try! I'll give you hints if you need them.
Challenge 1:
You want to know about a PLACE. Which question word should you use?
Challenge 2:
You want to know about a TIME. Which question word should you use?
Challenge 3:
Make a question: Ask WHERE the school is.
🌟 You Can Do It! - Using "Why" and "How"
Now try on your own! You got this!
Challenge 1:
Ask a question to find out WHY someone is sad.
Challenge 2:
Ask a question to find out HOW to make a sandwich.
Challenge 3:
Make THREE questions using "Who", "Where", and "When" about going to the park.
Use It in Real Life!
📖 Scenario 1: Meeting a New Friend
You see a new kid at the playground. You want to be friends! You need to ask questions to learn about them.
What questions could you ask?
Think about: Their name, age, where they live, what they like to do.
📖 Scenario 2: Lost Toy Emergency!
Oh no! You can't find your favorite toy robot! You need to ask your family members questions to find it.
What questions will help you find your toy?
Think about: Who saw it, where it might be, when you last had it.
📖 Scenario 3: Planning a Birthday Party
Your birthday is coming! You want to help plan your party. You need to ask Mom lots of questions!
What questions about the party could you ask?
Think about: Who to invite, where to have it, when it will be, what food to have.
📖 Scenario 4: Curious About Everything!
You're at the zoo with your class! You see so many cool animals. Your teacher says, "Ask me anything!"
What questions could you ask about the animals?
Think about: What animals are there, where they live, what they eat, how they move.
Songs & Memory Magic
🎵 Learn Question Words with Songs!
The best way to remember question words is through fun songs, rhymes, and memory tricks! Let's sing and learn!
🎤 Song 1: The Question Words Song
(Sing to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")
Question words help me know,
Who and What and Where to go.
When things happen, Why they do,
How to make my dreams come true!
Question words help me know,
Asking questions helps me grow!
Sing this song 3 times and you'll remember all your question words! 🌟
🎤 Song 2: The "5 W's and H" Rap
(Rap it with a beat! Clap on each capital word!)
WHO asks about a PERSON (yeah!)
WHAT asks about a THING!
WHERE asks about a PLACE (uh-huh!)
WHEN asks about TIME, hear me sing!
WHY asks for a REASON (that's right!)
HOW asks THE WAY,
Use question words EVERY DAY!
Get your friends to rap with you! Make up hand motions for each word! 👏
🎤 Song 3: "Ask, Ask, Ask Away!"
(Sing to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
Ask, ask, ask away,
Questions help you learn!
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How,
Help you find what you yearn!
This song reminds you that questions are your learning superpowers! ⚡
🎤 Song 4: "Question Time!"
(Sing to the tune of "Happy Birthday")
It's question time, question time,
Who, What, Where, When, and Why!
It's question time, question time,
And How makes me so fly!
Sing this whenever you're about to ask a question! 🎂
🧠 Memory Tricks to Remember Question Words
Here are super cool tricks to never forget your question words!
✨ Trick 1: The Hand Trick
Hold up one hand! Each finger is a question word:
👍 Thumb = Who (points to people)
🤟 Pointer = What (points to things)
🖕 Middle = Where (the tallest, reaches far places)
💍 Ring = When (like a clock on your finger)
🤙 Pinky = Why (smallest but asks the biggest questions)
🖐️ Whole hand = How (you do things with your whole hand!)
✨ Trick 2: The Story Method
Remember this silly story:
"WHO put WHAT in WHERE?
WHEN did they do it?
WHY would they do that?
HOW did nobody see them?"
Make up your own funny story with all 6 question words!
✨ Trick 3: The Rainbow Colors
Give each question word a color:
🔴 Who = Red (for people, our red blood)
🟠 What = Orange (for things, like orange toys)
🟡 Where = Yellow (like the sun shining on places)
🟢 When = Green (like green lights mean "go" - it's time!)
🔵 Why = Blue (deep like the ocean, deep questions)
🟣 How = Purple (royal color for important questions)
✨ Trick 4: The Super Friends
Think of question words as superhero friends:
🦸 Captain Who - finds people
🦸♀️ Wonder What - discovers things
🦸 Super Where - locates places
🦸♀️ Time-Master When - controls time
🦸 Reason-Man Why - solves mysteries
🦸♀️ Method-Girl How - shows the way
✨ Trick 5: The Rhyming Helper
Make rhymes to remember what each word asks about:
"Who is for YOU and people too!"
"What is for THAT thing you see!"
"Where is for THERE and over here!"
"When is for THEN and right now too!"
"Why asks you to TRY and find out!"
"How shows the way, WOW, no doubt!"
See It, Learn It!
👀 Pictures Help You Remember!
Let's look at charts, pictures, and visual tools to make question words super easy to remember!
📊 Question Word Chart
| Question Word | Asks About | Example | Remember It! |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHO | People/Person | "Who is your friend?" | 👤 Points to people |
| WHAT | Things/Actions | "What is your name?" | 📦 Points to things |
| WHERE | Places/Location | "Where is the park?" | 📍 Points to places |
| WHEN | Time/Date | "When is lunch?" | 🕐 Points to time |
| WHY | Reason/Cause | "Why are you sad?" | ❓ Asks for reasons |
| HOW | Way/Method/Number | "How do you do that?" | 🛠️ Asks the way |
🎯 Question Word Decision Tree
What do you want to know? Follow the path!
📌 About a PERSON? → Use WHO
Example: "Who is that?"
📌 About a THING or NAME? → Use WHAT
Example: "What is this?"
📌 About a PLACE or LOCATION? → Use WHERE
Example: "Where is it?"
📌 About TIME or WHEN something happens? → Use WHEN
Example: "When does it start?"
📌 About a REASON or WHY something happened? → Use WHY
Example: "Why did you do that?"
📌 About THE WAY or METHOD? → Use HOW
Example: "How does it work?"
🔄 Compare and Contrast
WHO vs WHAT
WHO = People 👤
"Who is coming?"
WHAT = Things 📦
"What is coming?"
See the difference? One asks about people, one asks about things!
WHERE vs WHEN
WHERE = Place 📍
"Where is the party?"
WHEN = Time 🕐
"When is the party?"
One asks about location, one asks about time!
WHY vs HOW
WHY = Reason ❓
"Why are you happy?"
(Because I won!)
HOW = Way/Method 🛠️
"How did you win?"
(I practiced a lot!)
🎨 Visual Memory Helpers
WHO
Think: Person icon
WHAT
Think: Box of things
WHERE
Think: Location pin
WHEN
Think: Clock
WHY
Think: Question mark
HOW
Think: Tools/method
Create & Explore
🎨 Get Creative with Questions!
Now it's time to be creative! Make your own questions, games, and fun activities!
🎭 Activity 1: Question Word Poster
Make a colorful poster showing all 6 question words!
What you need:
- Big paper or cardboard
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Stickers or pictures from magazines
What to do:
- Write WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW in big letters
- Use a different color for each word
- Draw or paste pictures that match each word (people for WHO, places for WHERE, etc.)
- Write one example question under each word
- Decorate with stars, hearts, or anything you like!
- Hang it in your room to help you remember!
📝 Activity 2: Question Interview
Become a reporter! Interview someone in your family!
Your mission:
Ask someone 10 questions using ALL the question words. Write down their answers!
Example questions:
- Who is your best friend?
- What is your favorite food?
- Where do you like to go on vacation?
- When is your birthday?
- Why do you like your job?
- How do you make pancakes?
Make up 4 more questions using the question words again! Be creative! 🎤
🎲 Activity 3: Question Dice Game
Make your own question dice and play with friends!
How to make it:
- Get a cube (or make one from paper)
- Write one question word on each side: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW
- Roll the dice!
- Whatever word lands on top, ask a question using that word!
- Take turns with your friends!
Extra challenge:
Roll the dice twice and use BOTH question words in the same question!
Example: If you roll WHO and WHERE, ask "Who knows where the cookies are?"
📖 Activity 4: Question Story Book
Write a short story using questions!
Here's how:
- Get 3-5 pieces of paper
- Staple them together to make a little book
- On each page, write one question
- Draw a picture to go with each question
- Make a cover with your name as the author!
Story starter ideas:
- "The Mystery of the Missing Toy"
- "A Day at the Zoo - So Many Questions!"
- "The Curious Kid Who Asked Everything"
🎪 Activity 5: Question Word Scavenger Hunt
Go on a hunt around your house or school!
Your mission:
Find something for each question word and take a picture or draw it!
- WHO: Find a picture of a person (family photo, magazine, etc.)
- WHAT: Find an interesting object and ask "What is this?"
- WHERE: Find a map or picture of a place
- WHEN: Find a clock, calendar, or watch
- WHY: Find something broken and ask "Why is this broken?"
- HOW: Find instructions or a recipe (shows HOW to do something)
Take pictures or draw what you find! Make a scavenger hunt album! 📸
Challenge Zone
🏆 Ready for a Challenge?
Think you're a question word expert? Try these super challenges!
Level 1: Question Chain
Start with "Who is your friend?" Then ask a new question about the answer using a different question word!
Example chain:
1. "Who is your friend?" → Answer: "Sarah"
2. "Where does Sarah live?" → Answer: "On Oak Street"
3. "When can I meet her?" → Answer: "Tomorrow"
4. "Why tomorrow?" → Answer: "She's coming to my house"
5. "What will you do together?" → Answer: "Play games"
6. "How do you play that game?" → Answer: "I'll show you!"
Can you make a chain of 6 questions? Try it! 🔗
Level 2: The 20 Questions Game
Play the classic 20 Questions game with your family!
How to play:
- One person thinks of something (animal, person, place, or thing)
- Others ask YES/NO questions to guess what it is
- You can only ask 20 questions!
- Try to use all the question words: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How
Example questions:
- "Is it a person?"
- "Can you find it at home?"
- "Is it bigger than a car?"
- "Do people use it every day?"
Level 3: Write a News Report
Reporters use ALL the question words! Can you write a news report about something that happened?
A good news report answers these questions:
- WHO was involved?
- WHAT happened?
- WHERE did it happen?
- WHEN did it happen?
- WHY did it happen?
- HOW did it happen?
Story ideas:
- Your birthday party
- A field trip to the zoo
- Your pet doing something funny
- Making a new friend
Level 4: Question Word Master Quiz
The ultimate challenge! Can you get all of these right?
- Write 3 questions using WHO about your family
- Write 3 questions using WHAT about your school
- Write 3 questions using WHERE about your town
- Write 3 questions using WHEN about your day
- Write 3 questions using WHY about things you're curious about
- Write 3 questions using HOW about things you want to learn
That's 18 questions total! If you can do this, you're a QUESTION MASTER! 👑
Tips for Parents & Teachers
👪 How to Help Your Child Master Questions
- Model curiosity: Ask lots of questions yourself throughout the day. Show them that questions are good!
- Answer their questions: When kids ask "Why?", take time to answer thoughtfully. It encourages more questions!
- Play question games: Turn car rides into question time. "I spy" is great for "What" questions!
- Read together: Pause while reading and ask "Who", "What", "Where", "When" questions about the story
- Encourage independence: When they ask a question, sometimes ask back "What do you think?" to build thinking skills
🏫 Teaching Strategies
- Visual aids: Use colorful posters with question words. Kids remember what they see!
- Daily practice: Start each day with a "Question of the Day" using different question words
- Real-world application: Have students interview each other, write to pen pals, or create news reports
- Movement activities: Assign each question word a hand gesture or dance move
- Celebrate questions: Create a "Question Wall" where kids can post interesting questions they think of
🎯 Common Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Child confuses "Who" and "What"
Solution: Use clear examples. "Who" has an "o" like a person's head! "What" is for objects and things. Practice with pictures.
Challenge: Child doesn't understand "Why"
Solution: "Why" asks for a "because" answer. Practice: "Why are you happy?" "Because I got a present!" Link them together.
Challenge: Forgets question words
Solution: Use the hand trick (each finger = a question word) or sing the songs daily. Repetition with music helps!
💡 Extension Activities
- Create a class "Question Museum" where students bring objects and others ask questions about them
- Have a "Question Word of the Week" and challenge students to use it as much as possible
- Start a question journal where kids write one question every day
- Play "Question Ball" - toss a ball and whoever catches it must ask a question using a specific word
- Connect to science: Before experiments, have students write prediction questions using all question words
Quick Review
📋 Let's Review What You Learned!
Check off everything you can do now! How many boxes can you check?
✅ Skills Checklist
🎯 Quick Self-Test (5 Questions)
Try these quick questions to test yourself! No peeking at the answers!
1. Which question word asks about people?
2. If you want to know about a place, which word do you use?
3. Complete this question: "_____ is your birthday?"
4. Which question word asks for the reason something happened?
5. Write your own question using "How"!
🎉 Congratulations!
You've learned how to ask amazing questions!
Remember: Questions are your superpower!
The more questions you ask, the more you learn!
Keep being curious! Keep asking questions! Keep growing! 🌟
Practice Activities
📝 Activity 1: Choose the Right Question Word
Choose the correct question word for each situation:
- To ask about someone's age: _____ old are you? (How/What)
- To ask about a person: _____ is your teacher? (Who/Where)
- To ask about location: _____ is the library? (When/Where)
- To ask for a reason: _____ are you sad? (Why/What)
- To ask about time: _____ is the party? (When/Who)
📝 Activity 2: Complete the Questions
Complete these questions with the right words:
- What _____ your favorite color? (is/are)
- Where _____ you live? (do/does)
- Who _____ playing outside? (is/am)
- How _____ you feeling today? (is/are)
📝 Activity 3: Write Your Own Questions
Practice writing questions about:
- Your friend's favorite game
- The time school starts
- Where the nearest park is
- Why someone is happy
Extra Practice Fun!
🌟 More Practice, More Fun!
The more you practice question words, the better you'll get! Let's try some more activities!
🎯 Activity 1: Question Word Sorting
Sort these questions into the right groups! Which question word does each one use?
Questions to sort:
- "What time is it?"
- "Where are my shoes?"
- "Who wants ice cream?"
- "When is your birthday?"
- "Why is the sky blue?"
- "How do birds fly?"
- "What is your name?"
- "Where do you go to school?"
- "Who is your best friend?"
- "When do we eat lunch?"
Make a chart with 6 columns (one for each question word) and put each question in the right place! 📊
🎨 Activity 2: Draw Your Questions
Draw pictures to show each question word! Make it colorful and fun!
Drawing ideas:
- WHO: Draw different people asking "Who are you?"
- WHAT: Draw mystery boxes with question marks asking "What's inside?"
- WHERE: Draw a treasure map with "Where is the treasure?"
- WHEN: Draw a big clock asking "When is it time?"
- WHY: Draw someone thinking with thought bubbles full of "Why?"
- HOW: Draw step-by-step pictures showing "How to tie shoes"
Make a poster with all 6 drawings! Hang it in your room! 🎨
🎭 Activity 3: Question Word Role Play
Act out different situations using question words! Get your friends or family to play!
Role play scenarios:
🏥 Scenario 1: Doctor Visit
- Doctor asks: "What hurts?"
- Doctor asks: "When did it start hurting?"
- Doctor asks: "How does it feel?"
- Patient asks: "Why does it hurt?"
- Patient asks: "When will I feel better?"
🎂 Scenario 2: Planning a Party
- "Who should we invite?"
- "Where should we have it?"
- "When is the party?"
- "What games will we play?"
- "Why are we having a party?"
- "How many people are coming?"
🔍 Scenario 3: Detective Mystery
- "Who took the cookies?"
- "What happened to them?"
- "Where were they last seen?"
- "When did they disappear?"
- "Why would someone take them?"
- "How can we solve this mystery?"
📱 Activity 4: Question Word Video
Make a fun video teaching others about question words!
Video ideas:
- Introduce yourself and say what you're teaching
- Show each question word on a big card or paper
- Give 2-3 example questions for each word
- Act out asking the questions in a fun way
- Make up a silly song or rap about question words
- End with a quiz for your viewers!
You could even make a series of videos - one for each question word! 🎬
🎲 Activity 5: Question Word Board Game
Create your own board game all about question words!
How to make it:
- Get a large piece of paper or cardboard
- Draw a winding path with about 30 spaces
- Color some spaces with different colors:
- 🔴 Red = WHO question
- 🔵 Blue = WHAT question
- 🟢 Green = WHERE question
- 🟡 Yellow = WHEN question
- 🟣 Purple = WHY question
- 🟠 Orange = HOW question
- Make question cards for each color
- When you land on a color, answer a question from that pile!
- First player to reach the end wins! 🏆
✍️ Activity 6: Daily Question Journal
Keep a special journal where you write questions every day!
Journal challenge:
- Monday: Write 3 WHO questions
- Tuesday: Write 3 WHAT questions
- Wednesday: Write 3 WHERE questions
- Thursday: Write 3 WHEN questions
- Friday: Write 3 WHY questions
- Saturday: Write 3 HOW questions
- Sunday: Write one question using EACH word!
After 4 weeks, you'll have written over 100 questions! You'll be a question expert! 📓✨
Knowledge Check
Let's test what you've learned! Choose the best answer for each question.
Which question word do you use to ask about people?
"_____ is your birthday?" Which word completes this question?
Which question asks for a reason?
"_____ do you go to school?" Which word fits?
Which question asks about a place?
"_____ is your favorite game?" Complete the question.
Which word asks about the way something is done?
Answers to "Why" questions usually start with...
"_____ lives in this house?" Which word completes it?
Which question asks about time?
Complete this question: "_____ old are you?"
If you want to know the reason for something, which word do you use?
Which question would you ask to find out where something is?
Which question word can ask about the way something is done?
True or False: Questions help us learn new things and make friends.