What … ? Which … ? How … ? (questions 4)

Question 1

What + NOUN (What colour … ? / What kind … ? etc.)

Answer 1

…What COLOUR is your car?

…What SIZE is this shirt?

Question 2

What WITHOUT a noun:

Answer 2

…What IS your favourite colour?

…What DO you want to do tonight?

Question 3

Which + NOUN (things or people)

Answer 3

…Which TRAIN did you catch – the 9.50 or the 10.30?

…Which DOCTOR did you see – Doctor Ellis, Doctor Gray or Doctor Hill?

Question 4

We use which WITHOUT a noun for things, NOT people

Answer 4

…Which is bigger - Canada or Australia?

Question 5

We use who for PEOPLE (WITHOUT a noun)

Answer 5

…Who is taller – Joe or Gary? (NOT Which is taller?)

Question 6

We use which when we are thinking about a SMALL NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES (perhaps 2, 3 or 4)

What is more GENERAL

Answer 6

…What colour are his eyes? (not Which colour?)
…Which colour do you prefer, pink or yellow?
…What is the longest river in the world?
…Which is the longest river – the Mississippi, the Amazon or the Nile?

Question 7

You can use HOW + adjective/adverb (how tall / how old / how often etc.):

Answer 7

…How TALL are you?
I’m 1 metre 70.

…How BIG is the house?
Not very big.

…How OLD is your mother?
She’s 45.

…How FAR is it from here to the airport?
Five kilometres.

…How OFTEN do you use your car?
Every day.

…How LONG have they been married?
Ten years.

…How MUCH was the meal?
Thirty pounds.