Signal and Question Words

Objectives
Student will be able to:
  • identify signal words and question words.

Introduction
Signal words are words a writer uses to help us understand the important information in a story. Signal words also help us understand how information is organized.
 
Question words can help us find important information and understand a story. Question words are who, what, when, where, why, and how.
 
Some questions we can ask using these words are:
  • Who does the action?
  • What  actions are taking place?
  • When  is something taking place?
  • Where  are the characters?
  • Why  are they doing something?
  • How  are they doing something?


Examples

Read the sentence. Then answer the questions below. Write your answers on the lines.

Jonathan grabbed his book bag and walked to the bus stop.

1.
What did Jonathan get?
 

If you said that Jonathon grabbed his book bag, you are right. The question word what is all about the details.


2.
Where did Jonathan go?
 

Did you say the bus stop? Great! The question word where is always asking you to tell the place or location that something happened.


Try Together

Read the sentences. Then answer the questions below. Write your answers on the lines. Use the question words to help you figure out how to answer.

Carl got up early in the morning. He wanted to exercise. He went to the beach and ran.


1.
Who is doing the action?
 
 
Carl
 

2.
What did he do?
 
He got up early, he went to the beach, and he ran.
 

3.
Where did he go?
 
 
the beach
 

4.
Why did he go?
 
 
to get exercise
 

5.
When did he go?
 
 
early in the morning
 

Please evaluate the student's answers:

Excellent

Good

Okay