Interrogative adverbs: usage and examples

Definition

Common interrogative adverbs

Usage notes

Examples of interrogative adverbs in sentences

Interrogative adverbs in indirect questions

Negative interrogative questions

Definition

Interrogative adverbs are words used to ask questions about time, place, reason, manner, frequency, quantity, and degree. They are typically placed at the beginning of a question and are followed by the auxiliary verb, subject, and main verb in direct questions.

Common interrogative adverbs

Adverb	Function	Example question
When	Asks about time	When are you leaving?
Where	Asks about place	Where do you live?
Why	Asks about reason	Why are you upset?
How	Asks about manner or method	How did you solve the problem?

Usage notes

Interrogative adverbs are placed at the beginning of the question.
They are followed by the auxiliary verb (e.g., is, do, can), the subject, and the main verb.
They differ from interrogative pronouns (like "who" and "what"), which ask about people or things rather than time, place, or manner.

Examples of interrogative adverbs in sentences

When does the movie start?
Where did you put my keys?
Why is she crying?
How do you spell that word?

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Interrogative adverbs in indirect questions

In indirect question forms, the adverb still introduces the question, but the verb follows the subject, just like in an affirmative statement.

I wonder why they are late.
Can you tell me where she is?
Could you explain how you fixed it?
I wonder why he left.

Negative interrogative questions

Negative interrogative adverbs are used to ask questions in a way that suggests surprise, expectation, or emphasis. These questions are often used when the speaker expects a certain answer or is expressing frustration, disappointment, or confusion. The word order in negative interrogative sentences remains the same as in normal interrogative sentences, but they include a negative auxiliary verb such as didn’t, haven’t, isn’t, or wasn’t.