Grammar - Question Words

Question Words

Which and what - the difference
Which and what are often both possible, with little difference of meaning.
Which/What is the hottest city in the gulf?
Which/What train did you come on?
Which/What people have influenced you most in your last vacation?

Which is preferred when the speaker has a limited number of choices in mind.
We've got white or brown shirt. Which will you have?
(More natural than... What will you have?)
Which size do you want- small, medium or large?
When the speaker is not thinking of a limited number of choices, what is used.
What language do people speak in Greenland?
(More natural than Which language...)
What's your father phone number? (NOT Which is your phone number?)

Without nouns: who, which and what
When these words are used as pronouns, without nouns immediately after them, we generally use who, not which, for people.
Who won - Smith or Khaled? (NOT -Which won-...?)
Who are you going out with - Nadia or Mary?

However, which can be used in questions about people's identity, and what can be used to ask about people's jobs and functions.
'Which is your husband?' 'The one in jeans.'
'So Janet's the Managing Director. What's Peter?' 'He is the Company Secretary.'

And which is sometimes used instead of who in questions about classes of people.
Which is more valuable to society - a politician or a nurse?

Which and what can both be used to ask about things (for the difference, see above).
Which do you prefer - electric cookers or gas?
What have you got in your pockets?

whose
With a noun or alone
The question word whose can be used with a noun as a determiner like my, your etc.
Whose car is that outside?
Whose drawing do you think looks the nicest?
Whose can also be used alone, like mine, yours etc.
Whose is that bicycle outside?
'Whose is this?' 'Mine.'

Prepositions
Prepositions can normally come either before whose (more formal) or at the end of the clause (less formal).
For whose benefit were all these changes made?
Whose side are you on?
In short questions with no verb, prepositions can only come before whose.
I'm going to buy a flat.' 'With whose money?' (NOT 'Whose money with?')

Whose and who's
Whose is a possessive word meaning 'of whom/which', used in questions
and relative clauses. Who's is the contraction of who is or who has. Compare:
- Whose is that coat?
It was a decision whose importance was not realized at the time.
(NOT ... who's importance-...)
- Do you know anybody who's going to Egypt in the next week?
(NOT ... anybody whose going...)
I've got a cousin who's never been to London.
(NOT .. .-whose never been...)


Why and why not
We generally use Why not?, not Why?, in short replies to negative statements.
Compare:
'They've decided to move to Devon.' 'Why?'
'I can't manage tomorrow evening.' 'Why not?' (More natural than Why?)
Why not? can also be used to agree to a suggestion.
'Let's hang out this evening.' 'Yes, why not?'

Long Vowel Flash Cards Pdf for kids and beginners

Long Vowel Flash Cards
Useful flash cards to learn long vowels for kids and beginners.

Find pdf here:
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Whaddaya Say? pdf

A very important book to improve your English
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Picture Grammar - Starter pdf

Picture Grammar - Starter
An amazing grammar book for absolute beginners and kids
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Grammar - Should

Should
Should is an auxiliary verb - a modal auxiliary verb.

1. To give advice, a recommendation or a suggestion
You should see the new movie. It's great!
You should stop eating too much.
What should I wear?

2. Expresses an obligation that is not as strong as Must.
You should be wearing your seat belt.
I should be at work now. (duty)
You should pay more attention in class.

3.Talk about probability and expectation
Are you ready? The bus should be here soon.
He should have the letter by now. I sent it a weeks ago.
It should be fine tomorrow.

4.To ask questions
Should we turn left at this street?

5.Should for conditionals
We sometimes use should (instead of would) for the first person singular and plural (I, we) of some conditionals:
If I lost my job I should have no money.

Shouldn't
We shouldn't leave without saying goodbye.
Are you tired? You shouldn't work so much.

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Grammar - Could

Could

Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb.
Could is similar to Can and often replaces Can in the past tense (though not always).

To express ability in the past
I could ride a horse when I was nine but now I can't.
He could write when he was three years old.

Polite word used to ask for permission or to request something (in the present)
Could you pass me the salt please?
Could I borrow your car?
Could you call back later?

General permission in the past
He couldn't go to the stadium because his father died.
We couldn't enter our company without employee ID card.

A suggestion when asked what to do (choices and opportunities)
He could try and fix it himself.
We could watch live footbal match on TV if you are interested.

Couldn't: Sure that something is untrue
Just like can't, you can use couldn't when you are sure that something isn't true or real.
Where are they? They could have got lost.
It's ten o'clock. They could have arrived by now.

Could + have + past participle: To express a possibility in the past
Why did you do that? You could have lost your eye.

Could + have + past participle: Unrealised past ability
She could have married anyone she wanted to.

Grammar - Can

Can
Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb.

Can expresses ability. Cannot (can’t) shows inability.
She can speak four languages.
She can't dance very well.
Birds can fly.

To express a possibility (in general) - not for future possibilities. For this you would use may or might.
It can get cold there at night so take your coat.
I know you can win beat him.

To offer to do something for others
Can I help you?
Can I do that for him?

To ask for or give permission / To request something
You can borrow my bag, I don't need it right now.
Can I ask you a question?
You can't go to the zoo. It will still be wet from the rain last night.

Could is more formal and polite than can:
Could I ask a question please?
Could we go to school now?

Can't: Something that is forbidden or not allowed
You can't smoke in the school.
You cannot drive a car without a license.

Can't: when you are sure that something isn't true or something is surprising
It can't be cold outside! It's 7th of August!
They can't have landed on the March.

The negative form is can't in spoken English and cannot in written English.