B. Foundations of Language · Cursive, Spelling and Sentences

Question Words, Prepositions and Interjections

B3.2 B3.3 B3.1About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can use question words how, when, where and why to ask about an action.
I can use which, what and whose before a noun to ask a question.
I can use prepositions like in, on, under, through, after to show where or when.
I can use interjections like Wow! and Oops! to show feelings, with the right punctuation.

Words to know

interrogative
A fancy word for asking. Interrogative words are used to ask questions.

interrogative adverb
A question word that asks about an action: how, when, where, why.

interrogative adjective
A question word that comes right before a noun: which coat, what time, whose boots.

preposition
A word that shows how a noun is connected to other words, often telling where or when: under, beside, after.

prepositional phrase
A preposition plus the noun that goes with it: under the bed, after lunch.

interjection
A word that shows a quick feeling, like Wow!, Oops! or Ouch!

A day full of words

"Wow! Whose skates are these? Where did you find them?"

"Under the bench, beside the door!"

That little conversation uses three new kinds of words: question words, prepositions and an interjection. Let's meet them.

A pair of hockey skates under a wooden bench and a pair of winter boots beside the front door. — Where are the skates? Under the bench! Where are the boots? Beside the door! Under and beside are prepositions: they tell where things are. AI-generated image

Question words that ask about actions

These question words ask about how, when, where or why something happens. They are interrogative adverbs:

How did you get to school? (in what way)
When does the game start? (what time)
Where did you put my mittens? (what place)
Why is the sky dark? (what reason)

Question words that come before a noun

These question words sit right in front of a noun, like an adjective. They are interrogative adjectives:

Which mitten is yours? (which + mitten)
What colour is your toque? (what + colour)
Whose backpack is this? (whose + backpack: who owns it?)

If a noun comes right after which, what or whose, it is working as a question adjective.

Each question word asks for a different kind of answer. Knowing which kind helps you write (and answer) clear questions.

whose or who's?

whose asks who owns something: Whose boots are these?

who's is short for who is: Who's coming to the party?

Test: can you say who is? Then write who's.

Worked example

Let's choose the question word

Fill in the best question word: ______ did the bear go into its den? (Answer: in November.)

The answer is in November. That's a time.
Which question word asks about time? When.
Every question ends with a question mark.

When did the bear go into its den?

Prepositions: where and when

A preposition shows how a noun connects to the rest of the sentence. Many prepositions tell where, and some tell when:

Where: in, on, under, over, beside, behind, between, through, across, around, near, inside, into, from
When: before, after, during, until, since
Others: with, without, about, for, of

A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun. Together they make a prepositional phrase: under the bridge, after school, with my friend.

Prepositions show where the ball is: on the box, under the table, in the box, beside the box.

Worked example

Let's find the prepositional phrases

Find the prepositional phrases: The fox ran across the field and hid behind a rock.

Look for prepositions: across, behind.
Add the noun that follows each one: across the field, behind a rock.
Each phrase tells where the fox went.

across the field and behind a rock

Just for fun

Where did the preposition sit at the party?

Between two friends, beside the snacks and under the balloons!

Same word, different job

Some words, like after and before, can be a preposition or start an adverb clause (from the sentences lesson).

After lunch, we went out. (preposition + noun)
After we ate lunch, we went out. (a clause with a subject and verb)

Interjections: words with feeling

An interjection is a word that shows a sudden feeling. It is not really part of the sentence: it pops in!

Wow, Oops, Ouch, Yikes, Hooray, Hey, Oh, Uh-oh, Phew, Brr

A strong feeling gets an exclamation mark: Ouch! I stubbed my toe. Hooray! It's a snow day!
A mild feeling gets a comma: Oh, I forgot my lunch. Well, maybe we can share.

Kind of word	Job	Examples
Interrogative adverb	asks how, when, where, why	How? When? Where? Why?
Interrogative adjective	asks about a noun	Which coat? What time? Whose dog?
Preposition	shows where, when or how things connect	in, under, after, with
Interjection	shows a quick feeling	Wow! Oops! Oh,

New kinds of words

Hands-on activity

Hide and seek with prepositions

You need: a small toy and a family member.

One person hides the toy while the other covers their eyes.
The seeker asks questions using question words: "Is it under something?" "Which room is it in?" The hider answers with prepositional phrases: "It's in the kitchen, near the fridge."
When the toy is found, the seeker shouts an interjection: "Hooray!" or "Finally!"
Switch roles and play three rounds.
Afterwards, write one question with where, one with whose, and one sentence with an interjection.

Your turn

Fill in a question word: ______ are you wearing your boots? (Answer: because it's muddy.)

Fill in a question word: ______ jacket is on the floor? (Answer: Sam's.)

Fill in a question word: ______ book do you want, the red one or the blue one?

Find the preposition: The cat slept under the table.

Find the preposition that tells when: We had a snack after the game.

Add an interjection with the right punctuation: ______ That was a close one!

whose or who's? ______ ready to go sledding?

More practice: warm-up

Which question word asks about a place?

Which question word asks about a time?

Find the preposition: The ball rolled into the net.

Find the interjection: Wow, look at that rainbow!

Name two prepositions that tell where.

More practice: on your own

Write a question that starts with How.

Is what a question adjective in this sentence? What time is it?

Find both prepositional phrases: During the storm, we sat by the fire.

Punctuate the interjection: Oh I see what you mean.

Write a sentence with the preposition between.

Challenge

Is after a preposition or the start of a clause? (a) After school, we skated. (b) After we finished school, we skated.

Write three questions about a moose using where, why and which.

Write a short dialogue (2 lines) between two friends that uses an interjection, a question word and a preposition.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which question word asks who owns something?

Which question word fits? ______ did you get here? We took the bus.

Which word is a preposition?

Which sentence uses an interjection correctly?

Find the prepositional phrase: The kids walked through the forest.

Which is correct?

In Which mitten is yours?, the word which is...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 3 students learn the functions of interrogative adjectives and adverbs, prepositions and interjections (B3.2), and punctuate interjections and questions correctly (B3.3). Children use these words every day; the goal is to notice what job each word does and use them precisely in writing.

Interrogative adverbs: how, when, where, why
Interrogative adjectives: which, what, whose (before a noun)

How to help at home:

Play "20 questions" using only where/when/how/why/which questions.
Give directions using prepositions: "Put your boots beside the mat, under the bench."
Read comics: they're full of interjections!

Common difficulties:

whose vs. who's. Test with "who is".
Overusing interjections or adding many exclamation marks. One is enough.
Missing the question mark when a sentence starts with a question word.
Terms like interrogative are new; children don't need to memorize them, but they should be able to use the words and explain what each asks about.