Class 10, 11, and 12 English Grammar

Hello scholars, welcome to the HSC exam guide. Framing ‘wh’ questions are the miscellaneous questions that can be asked in the board exam.

While preparing Maharashtra board exam you have noticed that there are many miscellaneous questions from the grammar section that will be asked for 1 mark only. Though these questions carry only one mark, this is an advantage for you as they are very simple if you study them properly. So this is the topic of this post where you can easily understand how to solve the question ‘Framing Wh Question’.

Nature of the question asked in the exam

In this type of question, a sentence is given to you with some underlined portion. You have to frame a question in a way that the underlined portion will be its answer.

( framing wh question या प्रकारच्या प्रश्नामध्ये एक वाक्य दिले जाते व वाक्यातील काही भाग अधोरेखित केलेला असतो. अधोरेखित केलेले वाक्य हे उत्तर असेल या प्रमाणे तुम्हला प्रश्न तयार करावयचा असतो.)

For example:-

Given sentence: In the board exam, ‘wh’ questions are asked to frame.

Answer: Which type of questions are asked in the board exam?

Given sentence: Ram is going to the market.

Answer: Where is Ram Going?

I hope you understand the nature of the question. Now, before going to learn framing ‘wh’ question let first understand the structure of ‘wh’ question

The structure of the ‘wh’ question:

‘WH’ word + helping verb or auxiliary verb + subject + verb form + other?

This is the basic structure of the 'Wh' question. It has to be modified according to the tense of the sentence. Check below;

Simple present tense:

‘Wh’ word + do/ does + subject + verb 1?

Simple past tense:

‘Wh’ word +did + subject + verb 1?

Simple future tense:

‘Wh’ word + will + subject + verb 1?

Continuous present tense:

‘Wh’ word + am/is/are + subject + verb-ing?

Continuous past tense:

‘Wh’ word + was/were + subject + verb-ing?

Continuous future tense:

‘Wh’ word + will + subject + be + verb-ing?

Perfect present tense:

‘Wh’ word + have/has + subject + verb 3?

Perfect past tense:

‘Wh’ word + had + subject + verb 3?

Perfect future tense:

‘Wh’ word + will + subject + have + verb 3?

Perfect Continuous present tense:

‘Wh’ word + have/has + subject +been + verb-ing?

Perfect Continuous past tense:

‘Wh’ word + had + subject +been + verb-ing?

Perfect Continuous future tense:

‘Wh’ word + will +subject + have +been + verb-ing?

use of verb and helping verb according to tense

Steps To frame ‘Wh’ question:

Now let's talk about some basic steps to frame ‘wh’ questions of a given sentence.

1) Firstly try to understand what does the underlined portion refers to?

(वाक्यत underline केलेला शब्द काय दर्शवतो ते पहा.)

For example:

Jenny is living in Canada.

Explanation: The underlined portion refers to the place. So the question will be-

Wh Question- Where is Jenny living?

2) Secondly, use the proper verb according to the tense and subject, especially in the case of simple tense.

( योग्य ते helping verb वापरा. Simple tense मध्ये खाली दिलेल्या चार्ट नुसार योग्य ते to do चे रुप वापरावे. इतर tense मध्ये वाक्यात दिलेले helping verb वापरावे.)

For example

Jeevan gave Soham a book.

Explanation: In this sentence, there is no helping verb. So we have to take the verb according to tense and subject. This sentence is simple past tense so we will use did. Then the question will be-

Wh Question- What did Jeevan give Soham?

Remember this

If the Sentence contains	use this
Verb 1	do
Verb 1 with s/es	does
Verb 2	did

(या टेबल प्रमाणे योग्य ते सहय्यकारी क्रियापद वापरा.)‌

When you use do/does/did always use 1st verb form.

3) Last but not least, don't forget to give a question mark (?) at the end of the question.

( प्रश्नाच्या शेवटी question mark ( ? ) द्यावा.)

Some ‘Wh’ words and their uses:

What - If the underlined portion in a given sentence explains something or provides information about something then use ‘what’.

For example

Sentence - They are studying mathematics.

Wh Question ⇒ What are they studying?

Where- If the underlined portion in a given sentence refers to the place or position then use ‘where’.

For example

Sentence - He had reached the farmhouse.

Wh Question ⇒ Where had he reached?

When- If the underlined portion in a given sentence refers to the time or position then use ‘when’.

For example

1) He had reached the farmhouse at 11.30 am.

⇒When had he reached the farmhouse?

2) The stranger had gone off into the night, after giving the astrologer a handful of coins.

⇒ When had the stranger gone off into the night?

Who- The ‘wh’ word ‘who’ is used when the underlined portion refers to the person. Mostly it is used when the underlined portion is the subject of the sentence.

For example

The astrologer met the stranger.

⇒ Who did meet the stranger?

Whom -The ‘wh’ word ‘whom’ is also used when the underlined portion refers to the person. But it is the person other than the subject.

For example

The astrologer met the stranger.

⇒ Whom did the astrologer meet?

Whose - it is used when an underlined sentence refers to the belonging of someone or something.

For example

1) The green book is mine.

⇒ Whose book is this?

2) My most sensitive toe was trampled.

⇒ Whose toe was trampled?

Why - if the underlined portion is the reason for something then use ‘why’.

For example

1) Chanda is a topper in her class because she studies hard.

⇒ Why is Chanda a topper in her class?

2) Soapy was seized with a sudden fear that some dreadful enchantment had rendered him immune to arrest.

⇒Why was Soapy seized with a sudden fear?

Which - If the underlined portion in a sentence refers to the choice or gives reference to something then use ‘which’.

For example

Farhan has bought a ford car.

⇒ Which car has Farhan bought?

How - when there is an explanation, condition, or quality of something mentioned in an underlined sentence that time use ‘how’.

For example

1) He had left the village without any previous thought or plan.

⇒ How had he left the village?

2) The passenger behaved very rudely.

⇒ How did the passenger behave?

3) The bus conductor was a friendly person.

⇒ How was the bus conductor?

How much / How many - it is used if the underlined portion refers to the measurement of something. ‘How many’ is used when the measurement is countable and ‘How much’ is used when the measurement is uncountable like water, sugar, etc.

How long - It is used for the reference of the length of time and space.

For example

Covid fever lasts for a week or more.

⇒ How long does covid fever last?

How far - it is used when the reference of distance is given in the underlined sentence.

For example

The Moon is 384,400 km away from the Earth.

⇒ How far is the Moon from the Earth?

Other Topics:

25 Figures of Speech

Unit 2.1 Song of the Open Road

Unit 2.2 Indian Weavers

Let's see some other examples:

1) The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position.

Answer: How was the power of his eyes considerably enhanced?

2) If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees?

Answer: How many rupees will you give me, if you find my answers satisfactory?

3) He shook his head regretfully.

Answer: How did he shake his head?

4) I will prepare some nice stuff for her.

Answer: What will I/she prepare for her?

5) A stone struck the man on the head.

Answer: where did a stone strike the man?

6) The pain of a wound to our self-respect may poison a whole day.

Answer: What may poison a whole day?

7) I had left home without any money in my pocket.

Answer: How had I ( he) left home?

8) Bitter problems in day-to-day life can be solved by sweet words.

Answer: How can bitter problems in day-to-day life be solved?

9) If only he could reach the table in the restaurant unsuspected, success would be his.

Answer: When would success be his?

10) One dollar for the cigar would be enough.

Answer: How many dollars would be enough for the cigar?

11) On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant of no great pretensions.

Answer: What was on the opposite side of the street?

12) They seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.

Answer: How did they seem to regard him?

13) Big data analytics is the complex process of examining large and varied data sets of big data to uncover information.

Answer: What is Big data analytics?

14) Big data has been useful in identifying and tracking the exact location of a place.

Answer: Where has Big data been useful?

15) New insights have enabled the banks and finance companies to come up with suitable plans.

Answer: How have new insights enabled the banks and finance companies?

16) Big Data algorithms are used to make trading decisions.

Answer: Why are Big Data algorithms used?

17) Big Data algorithms are used to make trading decisions.

Answer: What are used to make trading decisions.

18) Mabel had her first serious suspicion that something was wrong as she took her cloak off.

Answer: Why had Mabel her first serious suspicion that something was wrong?

19) Mrs. Holman looked at it suspiciously.

Answer: How did Mrs. Holman look at it?

20) I learnt these values during my IIT days.

Answer: When did I/he learn these values?

I hope, you have understood the topic. If you have any questions or want to appreciate me or have any suggestions please comment in the comment box and share with all your friends and students.