Common errors in the use of wh questions made by the eleventh grade students at tran hung dao high school

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is a great pleasure for me to thank many people who have helped me in the
preparation of this graduation paper.
First of all, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs.
Nguyen Thi Le, MA, who has been wonderfully helpful in providing me with
invaluable advises, instruction, reading and commenting on every part of my thesis.
I also would like to express my sincere thanks to the teachers of English at Tran
Hung Dao High School, especially Mrs. Pham Thi Luan for her help and guidance
while I was carrying out the survey.
I wish to thank all the lecturers at Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2,
especially the lecturers in the Foreign Language Faculty for their dedicated
instructions during my years of university work.
I am particularly grateful to my friends for their collaborating, constructive ideas
in helping me collect valuable reference documents and data.
Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge my beloved family for the source
of happiness and support which they have been giving me.

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ABSTRACT

The wh-questions is an interesting category of English grammar. It is obvious
that students apply the wh-questions much into learning English process and in real
life. However, the uses of the wh-questions referred to in some books have not been
dealt with in full and sometimes cause confusion to learners of English.
As a result, students of English often make errors when they use the whquestions. Therefore, this research work entails studying the uses of the wh-questions
and conducting a survey for error analysis.
Based on the results of the survey, the types of errors and causes have been
found. Solutions to the problems have been suggested.

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Title: Common Errors in the Use of Wh- questions
(Graduation paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in
English)

I, Tran Thi Van, hereby state that this thesis is the result of my own research and
that the thesis is originally written by me under strict guidance from my supervisor.

Date submitted: May 2013

Student

Tran Thi Van

Supervisor

Nguyen Thi Le, M.A.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ i
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP............................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. iv

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
I.RATIONALE ............................................................................................................... 1
II. RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION ........................................................................... 2
III. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ........................................................ 3
IV. SCOPE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................ 3
VI. METHODS OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 3
VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH .......................................... 3
VIII. DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH WORK .............................................................. 4

PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1.LITERATURE REVIEW IN BRIEF........................................................................ 5
I.2. Wh-questions ........................................................................................................... 6
I.2.1. Definition .............................................................................................................. 6
I.2.2. Types of Wh-questions ......................................................................................... 7
I.2.2.1. Wh-information questions ................................................................................. 7
I.2.2.2. Repeat please questions ..................................................................................... 8
I.2.2.3. Elaborate please questions ................................................................................. 8
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I.2.3. Form ...................................................................................................................... 9
I.2.3.1. Wh-questions about an object ............................................................................ 9
I.2.3.2. Wh-questions about a subject .......................................................................... 11
I.2.3.3. Wh-questions with How + Adjective/ Adverb ................................................ 11

I.2.4. Functions of wh-question words...................................................................11
I.2.4.1 As a subject ....................................................................................................... 11
I.2.4.2 As a direct object .............................................................................................. 12
I.2.4.3. As an indirect object ........................................................................................ 12
I.2.4.4. As a subject complement ................................................................................. 12
I.2.4.5. As an object complement ................................................................................. 13
I.2.4.6 As an object of preposition ............................................................................... 13
I.2.5. Uses of wh-questions .......................................................................................... 13
I.2.5.1. Seeking information ......................................................................................... 13
I.2.5.3. Beginning a conversation................................................................................. 16
I.2.5.4. Making a comment .......................................................................................... 16

CHAPTER TWO
COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF WH- QUESTIONS
II.1 Survey .................................................................................................................... 17
II.1.1 Purpose of the survey ......................................................................................... 17
II.1.2 Population of the survey ..................................................................................... 17
II.1.3 Type of survey .................................................................................................... 18
II.1.4 Construction of the survey.................................................................................. 18
II.1.5 Preparation of the survey .................................................................................... 18
II.1.5.1 Test items ......................................................................................................... 18
II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the survey .............................................................................. 19
II.1.6 Administration of the try-out .............................................................................. 19
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II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out................................................................................. 19
II.1.6.2 Try-out ............................................................................................................. 19
II.1.7 Method of data analysis ...................................................................................... 20
II.1.8 Results of the survey .......................................................................................... 20

II.2 Common errors and causes .................................................................................... 21
II.2.1. Errors in the use of question words as objects of prepositions ......................... 21
II.2.2 Errors in using What and Which, Who and Whom ............................................. 22
II.2.4 Errors in the use of main verb in wh-questions .................................................. 23
II.2.5 Errors in the use of how much and how many ................................................... 23
II.2.6 Errors in the use of what and how ...................................................................... 24
II.2.7 Errors in answering questions with why as a suggestion or invitation............... 24
II.2.8 Errors in the use of how as a greeting rather than a question ............................. 25
II.3 Suggested solutions ............................................................................................... 25
II.3.1 Suggested solutions ............................................................................................ 25
II.3.2 Suggested exercises ............................................................................................ 27

PART THREE
CONCLUSION
REFERENCE ............................................................................................................... 30
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 32
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE..................................................................................... 32
SUGGESTED EXERCISES ........................................................................................ 38

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PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
I.RATIONALE
The English language is considered to be one of the most important languages in
the world. There are other languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese etc, but they
are not important for the same reasons as the English Language. English is a universal
language that links the world together which is the most important fact considering
the changing times.

We know that, studying English nowadays has become an essential demand for
everyone. However, most people beginning to study this language find that it’s
difficult to speak it well and fluently. Although learning English is not very easy, a
lot of people have been eager to learn it.
Learning English is very important. It’s simple because English is one of the
most popular, important international languages and it’s most used not only all over
the world but also in many fields such as in business, in international conferences or
to communicate with foreigners when they come to our country or when we go
abroad.
Moreover, if we know English well, we can read newspapers, magazines and
reference books or listen to the radio in English to enlarge our knowledge and
especially it’s easy to get a job in a foreign company with a- high salary.
However, it is proved that English grammar is complex and often causes
embarrassment to students. The wh-questions is one of the language categories that
students at high schools have to learn much. The "grammar" used with wh-questions
depends on whether the topic being asked about is the "subject" or "predicate" of a
sentence. Due to its various uses, it is assumed that there are many errors which may
be made. In fact, many students confess that the wh-questions is one of the biggest
problems of English grammar and they often make errors in the use of wh-question.
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For example:
What hobbies does Tom have?
How does the radio works?
From who did you obtain the information?
Moreover, as a prospective teacher, I would like to make a contribution to the
English teaching in Vietnam. For the reasons above, this study is conducted, which
mentions to errors in the use of wh-questions among the students in grade 11at Tran
Hung Dao High School.

II. RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION
With regard to the errors quoted above, the problem is with grammatical
structures. The correct versions could be:
Which hobbies does Tom have?
How does the radio work?
From whom did you obtain the information?
Some questions are raised:
1) What kinds of errors in the use of wh-questions are made by the eleventhgrade students at Tran Hung Dao High School in the academic year of
2012/2013?
2) What kinds of errors in the use of wh-questions is the most often made by the
eleventh-grade students at Tran Hung Dao High School in the academic year of
2012/2013?
3) What are the causes of the errors in the use of wh-questions made by the
eleventh-grade students at Tran Hung Dao High School in the academic year of
2012/2013?
Based on the questions above, I am eager to learn about the problems and make
an error analysis in questions so that the major errors in the use of wh-questions may
be found.
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III. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study aims to find out mistakes in using wh-questions made by learners and
determine whether the learners are aware of their mistakes or not. The study is
expected to answer the following questions:
1) What are the mistakes in using wh-questions by learners?
2) To what extent, are the learners aware of their mistakes?
It is expected that after exploring the mistakes and the awareness of learners of
their mistakes, the study can suggest some solutions to solve the problems of making
mistakes.

IV. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The general research area of this study is grammar.
The phenomenon is errors in the use of wh-questions made by the eleventh-grade
students at Tran Hung Dao High School in the academic year of 2012/2013. Others
relating to the wh-questions are also briefly mentioned.
The population involved in the study is one hundred eleventh-grade students of
English at Tran Hung Dao High School.
VI. METHODS OF THE STUDY
To conduct this study, a variety of methods have been applied. I rely, firstly, on
library research, consultation to supervisor and teachers to get ideas and data,
exchanging ideas with friends, conducting a survey and analyzing the results.
VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH
Errors in any language teaching and learning, particularly in English as a foreign
language, are sometimes predictable and sometimes unpredictable. It is, therefore,
essential for teachers to have better treatment to anticipate errors. After the research, it
is hoped that the result will be helpful to provide:
1) Input for learners of English in order to minimize their errors in the use of whquestions.
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2) Input for teachers of English with the information on error types and solutions
to the problems so that they can have good methods of teaching the wh-questions.
This study is also beneficial to anyone who is interested in the wh-questions in
English.
VIII. DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH WORK
The research work has three main parts, namely: Introduction, Development and
Conclusion. The part “Development” consists two chapters. Chapter one is entitled
“Theoretical Background”. It consists two sections. Section one reviews literature in
brief. The second one deals with things related to the wh-questions such as definition,
formations, types, functions and uses of the wh-questions.

Chapter two is named “Common Errors in the Use of Wh-Questions”. It has
three sections. Section one is devoted to the survey. The second deals with error types
and causes. The last one is solutions to the problems and suggested exercises on the
wh-questions.

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PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1.LITERATURE REVIEW IN BRIEF
Wh-questions have been described by many grammarians like L. G. Alexander
(1990), John Eastwood (1994), Raymond Murphy (2000), Elaine Walker & Steve
Ellsworth (2000) and so on. They each have their own way to describe the whquestions. Generally, they focus their attention on the definition, formation , function,
types and usages of the wh-questions. Sometimes, they also mention to intonation in
expressing the wh-questions.
In the book Longman English Grammar Practice for Intermediate Students, L.
G. Alexander gives definition of wh-questions. Beside, in the 2nd edition of the
Grammar Book, Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman list some of the kinds of
information that can be sought with wh-questions along with some of the settings
where they are used. Wh-questions, remember, are used to get specific informationwho, what, when, where, why, and so on.
Mark Lester (2008) in the book McGraw-Hill’s Essential ESL Grammar shows
main functions of wh-questions that are quite understandable for learners namely
subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, object complement and
object of preposition. In addition, he spends much his attention on distinguishing
function of subject/object questions between who and whom,which and what. This
often makes students confused when doing exercises.
In the book The Teacher’s Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference

Guide, Ron Cowan (2008)

mentions to three main formations which are wh-

questions about an object, wh-questions about a subject and wh-questions with how +
adjective/adverb of wh-questions. Moreover, he pays much attention to patterns
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(count or noncount, singular or plural nouns) that are preceded by question phrases (
how much, how many) because wh-questions can be classified into two kinds:
question words (who, what, which, when, etc.) and question phrases (what color,
what time, how many, etc.). In this book, he also introduces many types of exercises
for the students practicing.
Celce-Murcia, M. & Larsen- Freeman, D. (1999) in Applied English Grammar
start a chapter on “ Questions and Commands: with a section called “ Importance of
wh-questions” and then immediately follow that with a section on “Purposes of whquestions”. The purposes or uses that they list include seeking information, beginning
a conversation, and making a comment. In this book, they also mention to why in
combination with Negative Questions in order to make a request or invitation.
Furthermore, in some cases, one question word is used with many different purposes
and it is not easy, therefore, for learners to avoid errors which they sometimes make.
In the book The Teacher’s Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference
Guide , Ron Cowan (2008) shows three main types of wh-questions. Wh-questions
can be categorized according to the purpose they serve for an asker. Three types exist:
wh-information questions, repeat please questions, and elaborate please questions.
Elaine Walker & Steve Ellsworth (2000) in Grammar Practice for Intermediate
Students give short, clear explanations all of cases using of wh-questions.
In brief, much research has been done on the wh-questions but only John
Eastwood (1992) points out errors in the use of wh- questions. In fact, there are far
more errors that learners of English often make when they use the wh-questions.

Therefore, it is essential to have a comprehensive study of common errors in the use
of wh-questions.
I.2. Wh-questions
I.2.1. Definition
Wh-questions, according to L. G. Alexander in the book Longman English
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Grammar Practice for Intermediate are questions that begin with any of the words
“who, what, when, where”, etc or phrases “ what time, how many, how much, how
often”, etc. For instance:
What did you do last evening?
When do you arrive?
Where are you now?
Who is that?
How many students are there in your class?
I.2.2. Types of Wh-questions
In the book The Teacher’s Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference
Guide , Ron Cowan (2008) shows types of wh-questions. Wh-questions can be
categorized according to the purpose they serve for an asker. Three types exist:
information questions, repeat please questions, and elaborate please questions
I.2.2.1. Wh- information questions
Information wh-questions are the basic type. They are used to request
information that has not been previously mentioned, and they take the different forms
considered thus far.
Unlike

yes/no

questions,

wh-information

questions always

contain

a

presupposition. For instance, when we ask the question what did John do? we
presume that John did in fact do something.
Questions

Presumed Information

a. How did they do it?

They did it somehow

b. Where did John go?

John went somewhere

c. Whose book was stolen?

Someone’s book was stolen

d. What has he done?

He has done something

e. Who is doing it?

Someone is doing it.

Information wh-questions have up-fall intonation, as shown in (a), (b), and (c)
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or down-rise intonation, as shown in (d) and (e)
a. How can they do it?
b. What did she want?
c. How long did the meeting last?
d. Where did John go?
e. What has Julia done now?
I.2.2.2. Repeat please questions
Repeat please questions are often uttered when the asker either did not hear or
understand the information she or he was given or is having difficulty accepting it.
This type of wh-question frequently functions as a request for verification. Repeat
please questions can have two word orders: question word order with the wh-word
fronted, as in (2a), or normal declarative statement word order, shown in (2b). Both
have rising intonation. A greater degree of stress on the wh-word and a higher rise in
the intonation patterns signal a greater degree of surprise on the part of the asker.
(2) Fred: When did Susan come home this morning?
Alice: At five o’clock.
Fred: a. When did she get in?
b. She got in when?
I.2.2.3. Elaborate please questions
Elaborate please questions are used when the asker has already been told
something but needs more information regarding what was said. A question is then

posed about someone, something, or somewhere mentioned by the speaker. In (3), Al
is trying to sell his car, and Fred has found a prospective buyer. He tells Al that this
person will come and look at the car tomorrow. Al wants more information about the
time that has been arranged for the inspection. In (4), the police officer needs more
precise information about the person before he or she can act.

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(3) Fred: He’ll come by tomorrow and have a look at the car.
Al: when will he come by?
(4) Susan: Officer, that guy over there just stole my purse.
Police Officer: Which guy?
Elaborate please questions can either consist of a longer sentence such as (5a) or
a shorter answer such as (5b). The wh-word is always stressed, and questions
consisting of two or more words carry up-fall intonation.
(5) Sandra: We lived for over a year in France.
Joan: a. Where in France?
b. Where?
I.2.3. Form
Ron Cowan (2008) describes in detail the formation of the wh- questions.
Consider the declarative sentence , in (1).
(1) The boy lost his bicycle.
Notice that there are various constituents in (1) that could be questioned with a
wh-question. For instance, we could pose a question about the subject NP ( the boy),
as in (2a), or we could ask about the object NP ( his bicycle ) with (2b).
(2) a. Who lost his bicycle?
b. What did the boy lose?
I.2.3.1. Wh- questions about an object
When any object (i.e., direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition ) in

a declarative sentence is questioned and the sentence contains an auxiliary verb, a
modal verb, or copular be, two rules come into play: wh- movement and subject- aux
inversion. For example, the wh-question in (3a) asks for information about the direct
object in sentence (3b). The steps that are followed to produce (3a) are shown in (3c)
and (3d).
(3) a. What are you watching?
9


b. You are watching something.

declarative sentence

c. What you are watching _____?

Wh-movement

d. What are you watching?

subject- aux inversion

First, the object, something, is converted into the appropriate wh- question word,
what, and this is moved to the beginning of the sentence by the process of whmovement ( also referred to as wh- fronting ). Subsequently, subject- aux inversion
switches the positions of the subject, you, and the auxiliary verb, are.
If the underlying sentence does not contain an auxiliary verb, a model verb, or copular
be, then a slightly different process is applied to create a wh- question. This process is
shown in (4).
(4) a. Who did you see?
b. You saw someone.

declarative sentence

c. Who you saw ____.

Wh- movement

d. Who did you see?

do insertion, saw becomes see

Wh- movement is applied in (4c), followed by do insertion and a change of the
verb to its bare infinitive form, shown in (4d).
Wh-questions usually begin with a wh- word, but there are exceptions. For
instance, when asking a question about the object of a preposition in a declarative
sentence, as in (5), two possible question patterns may be used.
(5) a. You went to the concert with someone. declarative sentence
b. Who did you go to the concert with?
c. With whom did you go to the concert?
In (5a), someone is the object of the preposition with. In (5b), we see that
someone has been converted to the wh-question word who, which has been moved to
the front of the sentence. However, in (5c) the preposition with has been moved to the
front of the sentence along with the wh- word. The wh-word has been changed from
who to whom. Both of these question forms are grammatically acceptable, but (5c) is
10


considered by some to be more appropriate for formal or academic writing.
I.2.3.2. Wh- questions about a subject
When the subject of a declarative sentence is questioned, no fronting or inversion
rules apply. The subject is simply converted into the appropriate wh-word. This is

illustrated in (6).
(6) a. Who needs a lift?
b. Someone needs a lift.

declarative sentence

c. who needs a lift?

subject, someone, becomes who

I.2.3.3. Wh- questions with How + Adjective/ Adverb
How combines with adjectives and adverbs to form questions beginning with how
many, how long, how often, and so on, as shown in (7).
(7) a. How long did the press conference last?
b. How many stamps did she take?
I.2.4. Functions of Wh-question words
I.2.4.1 As a subject
Mark Lester (2008) in the book McGraw-Hill’s Essential ESL Grammar give
quite understandable picture of functions of wh-questions. He says that Who, Whose,
Which, What used as subjects - are normally followed by an affirmative, not an
interrogative, verb:
For example:

Who pays the bills?

(affirmative verb)

Whose/Which horse won?

(affirmative verb)

Which pigeon arrived first?

(affirmative)

What happened?/ What went wrong? (affirmative verb;
possible answers: We missed the train/ had an accident.)
But with Who, Whose etc. + be + noun or personal/distributive pronoun, an
interrogative verb is used:
Who are you?
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Whose is this?
What is that noise?
I.2.4.2 As a direct object
The direct object is the noun that receives the action of the transitive verb.
Typically, a direct object follows the verb and can be found by asking who or
what received the action of the verb. For example:
What do you want to eat?
Who did you see?
Whose umbrella did you borrow?
Which hand do you use?
Whom did the committee appoint?
I.2.4.3. As an indirect object
An indirect object precedes the direct object and tells to Whom or for Whom the
action of the verb is done and who is receiving the direct object. There must be a
direct object to have an indirect object. Indirect objects are usually found with verbs
of giving or communicating like give, bring, tell, show, take, or offer. An indirect
object is always a noun or pronoun which is not part of a prepositional phrase. Whwords asked play a role as an indirect object in the sentence.

For example:

Who did the faculty give the prize to?
Or To whom did the faculty give the prize?

I.2.4.4. As a subject complement
Martin J. Endley (2010) states that a subject complement is an expression that
describes the subject in a clause. Subject complements can follow linking verbs such
as be, look, feel, get, become, sound, smell, appear, seem, prove, taste, come, fall, go,
grow, keep, remain, and turn. They can be either personal pronouns or demonstrative
pronouns. The Wh-words in Wh-questions as a subject complement is normally used
before the verb be. It can function as a predicate. For instance:
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Who is he?
What is that?
Whose umbrella is this?
I.2.4.5. As an object complement
An object complement is a noun, pronoun, or adjective which follows a direct
object and renames it or tells what the direct object has become. It is most often used
with verbs of creating or nominating such as make, name, elect, paint, call, etc. When
the word follows the direct object and it tells what the direct object has become, it is
the object complement. Here, wh-word is used as an object complement.
For example:

What did you call your last book?
How did he make you? → He made me happy.

I.2.4.6 As an object of preposition

When a question word is the object of a preposition, the preposition usually
comes at the end of the sentence, especially in an informal style. For example:
What are you looking for?
Who were you speaking to?
Which pictures are you talking about?
Who(m) did you go to the restaurant with?
In formal English we use preposition + Whom:
With whom did you go?
To whom were you speaking?
But in ordinary English we usually move the preposition to the end of the
sentence. The whom then normally changes to who:
Who did you go with?
Who were you speaking to?
I.2.5. Uses of wh-questions
I.2.5.1. Seeking information
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In the 2nd edition of the Grammar Book, Celce- Murcia and Larsen- Freeman list
some of the kinds of information that can be sought with wh- questions. For example:

Question Word
What

Function
asking for information about

Example
What is your name?

something
asking for repetition or

What? I can't hear you.

confirmation

You did what?

What...for

asking for a reason, asking why

What did you do that for?

When

asking about time

When did he leave?

Where

asking in or at what place or

Where do they live?

position
Which

asking about choice

Which colour do you
want?

Who

asking what or which person or

Who opened the door?

people (subject)
Whom

asking what or which person or

Whom did you see?

people (object)
Whose

asking about ownership

Whose are these keys?
Whose turn is it?

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Why

asking for reason, asking what...for

Why do you say that?

Why don't

making a suggestion

Why don't I help you?

How

asking about manner

How does this work?

asking about condition or quality

How was your exam?

How + adj/adv

asking about extent or degree

see examples below

How far

distance

How far is Pattaya from
Bangkok?

How long

length (time or space)

How long will it take?

How many

quantity (countable)

How many cars are there?

How much

quantity (uncountable)

How much money do you
have?

How old

age

How old are you?

How come

asking for reason, asking why

How come I can't see her?

(informal)

I.2.5.2. Making a suggestion or invitation
Almost Wh-questions are used for seeking information but in the cases Why in
combination with negative questions, they are used for a suggestion or invitation.
For example:
Why don’t you call the service center? → a request
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→ I already did, but there was no answer.
Why don’t we go out for a meal? → an invitation
→ That sounds good.
How about some cake to go with it?
→ OK, why not
I.2.5.3. Beginning a conversation
In general, a conversation is necessary for people to communicate with each
other. Questions are asked with the purpose of finding information to show care about
heath, job, old, etc. Beside, a question is a greeting to begin a conversation rather than
a question when two people are introduced.
For example: A: How do you do?
B: How do you do?
I.2.5.4. Making a comment
People use the grammar structure What + be... like? to give a request for a
description or comment:

For example:

What was the exam like? → It was very difficult.
What’s the food like in your hostel? → It’s quite good

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CHAPTER TWO: COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF WH-QUESTIONS

This chapter presents the finding of the practical research with the students in the
grade 11 at Tran Hung Dao High School. It falls into three sections. Section II.1 deals
with the survey questionnaire, which was designed to map out some common errors
made by the eleventh-grade students at Tran Hung Dao High School. Section II.2
presents common errors and causes. Section II.3 provides students and teachers with
some suggested solutions to minimize the errors in the use of wh-questions.
II.1 Survey
As it was mentioned in chapter one, the study does not only help students have a
deep insight into the wh-questions but also find out errors in the use of wh-questions.
Due to the framework of the thesis, to map out all the mistakes made by student at all
educational levels is impossible. Therefore, this thesis is only focused on common
errors in the use of wh-questions made by the eleventh-grade students at Tran Hung
Dao High School. To find out the errors made by those students, a survey
questionnaire was conducted.
II.1.1 Purpose of the survey
The overall objectives of the survey questionnaire are to test students’
understanding of the wh-questions and find out common errors made by the eleventhgrade students at Tran Hung Dao High School in the school year of 2012/2013
II.1.2 Population of the survey
The number of the students participating in the survey questionnaire is one
hundred students in grade 11 at Tran Hung Dao High School. They have to learn

English for six years. Some have learnt English for eight years. Therefore, the
expected English level among them is intermediate. Naturally, they have been taught
some of the wh-questions uses. Some of them are really good at grammar but some
of them are bad at grammar in general, and wh-questions in particular.
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II.1.3 Type of survey
To collect data, a completion test was used. It involves such activities as
choosing the correct answer, making questions with wh-question words in bracket and
filling in the blanks with question words.
II.1.4 Construction of the survey
The material used in the test was taken from grammar books concerned with the
wh- questions. The survey is divided into two parts. Part A, which consists of three
sentences, is designed to get general information about informants and their English
competence. Part B is conducted to find out how much the students have known and
mastered the wh-questions. This part has three exercises.
1) Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer
This exercise consists of twenty items.
2) Exercise 2: Make questions with wh question words in bracket
This exercise has twenty five items.
3) Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with question words
This exercise consists of fifteen items.
II.1.5 Preparation of the survey
II.1.5.1 Test items
There are many possible errors in the use of wh-questions that survey cannot find
out. Thus, it is necessary to predict possible errors and include them in the survey. In
this survey, possible errors were classified into the following categories.
1) Errors in the use of question words as subjects
2) Errors in the use of question words as objects of prepositions

3) Errors in using What and Which, Who and Whom
4) Errors in the use of how much and how many
5) Errors in the use of main verb in wh-questions
6) Errors in the use of what and how
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7) Errors in the use of how as a greeting rather than a question
8) Errors in answering questions with why as a suggestion or an invitation
II.1.5.2 Arrangement of the survey
After being classified, the test items were arranged into the following numbers:
1) Test on the use of question words as subjects, numbers 2, 4, 11, 14, 15, 38,
41, and 56.
2) Test on the use of question words as objects of prepositions, numbers 12, 13,
16, 18, 21, 43, 46, and 48.
3) Test on the use of What and Which, Who and Whom, numbers 22, 24, 25,
26, 31, 32, 54, 57, 58, 59, and 60.
4) Test on the use of how much and how many, numbers 8, 19, 20, 23, 27, 33,
35, 36, 37, 52, and 55.
5) Test on the use of main verb in wh-questions, numbers 5, 6, 9, 10, 29, 34, and
45.
6) Test on the use of what and how, numbers 40, 42, 44, 50, and 53.
7) Test on the use of how as a greeting rather than a question, numbers 1, 17, and
49.
8) Test on the use of why as a suggestion or an invitation, numbers 3, 7, 28, 30,
39, 47, and 51.
II.1.6 Administration of the try-out
II.1.6.1 Preparation of the try-out
The teachers in charge of the two classes which were intended to do the survey
questionnaire were asked for permission before the try-out was carried out.

II.1.6.2 Try-out
The try-out was conducted on November, 15th, 2012. The students from two
classes were gathered in the room and asked to do the questionnaire as well as
possible in compliance with their own ability. They were instructed carefully before
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