LONGMAN ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRACTICE

13 Questions, answers, negatives

13.8 Subject-questions:'Who?','What?','Which?','Whose?'

13.8A Subject or object? [> LEG 13.41-43]

1 A subject-question asks for the identity of the subject.

There is no inversion and the question has the same word order as a statement:

statement:

subject-question:

subject

Someone

Who

verb object

paid the waiter,

paid the waiter?

subject-answer

John (did).

Compare a Wftofm^-question which asks for the object of a statement [> 13.5B]:

subject object-answer

statement: John

Who(m)-quesX\on: Who(m) did John pay?

verb object

paid the waiter.

The waiter.

2 Answers to subject-questions often echo the auxiliary verb used in the question:

Who can play the piano? - 1 can./! can't.

When no auxiliary verb is present in the question, we use do, does or did in the answer:

Who wants a lift?- 1 do. Who won?- We did.

3 What, Which, Whose and How much/How many can combine with other subject-words:

What number is ...? Which boy likes ...? Whose car is ...? How many students are ...?

Write 1 : Does the question-word ask for the subject or the object in each question?
Write S or О against each one.

1 Who spoke to you? S

2 Who did you speak to?

3 Who will she leave her money to?

4 Who'll lend you the money?

5 What frightened you?

6 What did she see?

7 Which hat does he like?

8 Which hat suits him best?

9 Whose number did you ring?

10 Whose telephone rang?

11 How many people did you invite?

12 How many people came to your party?

Write 2: Supply suitable subject question-words on the left and suitable answers on the right.

1 Wfw. can play chess?

2 wants to have a day off?

3 broke the big glass vase?

4 'II help tomorrow?

5 made this mark on the table? A knife

6 will make you happy? A new car

7 teacher took you for maths?

8 tie goes best with this shirt?

9 dog bit you? My neighbour's...

10 dog bit you? The

11 suitcase got lost on the journey?