2015-08-21
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For subject-questions, eg Who came? What happened? [> 13.41]
| question-word | + auxiliary + | subject | |
| are/aren I | you? | be [> 10.6] | |
| Who(m) | |||
| What | have/haven t | you? | have[>10.27] |
| When | has/hasnt | she? | |
| Which | |||
| Why | do/don t | you? | do [> 10.41] |
| Where | does/doesnt | she? | does |
| Whose | did/didnt | we? | did |
| How | |||
| can/can t | I? | modals[> 11.5] |
Notes on the form of question-word questions
1 In questions of this kind inversion with the auxiliary must occur after
the question-word The sequence is question word first, auxiliary
next, then the subject
statement: He is isn t working inversion He (is; isnh workm^
Yes/No question Is he Isn t he working? question-word Why is isn t he working7
2 In the simple present of verbs other than be, question-word
questions are formed with do or does, and in the simple past with
did
statement We arrive at 8 We don t arrive at 8
Yes/No question Do we arrive at 8? Don t we arrive at 8?
question-word When do we arrive? Why don t we arrive at 8?
statement He arrives at 8 He doesn t arrive at 8
Yes/No question Does he arrive at 8? Doesn t he arrive at 8? question-word When does he arrive? Why doesn t he arrive at 8?
| statement Yes/No question question-word |
| He arrived at 8 Did he arrive at 8? When did he arrive? |
He didn t arrive at 6 Didn t he arrive at 8? Why didn t he arrive at 8?
3 Question words + auxiliaries are frequently contracted in everyday speech and written dialogue This is more common when the question-word ends with a vowel sound {WhoII) than when it ends with a consonant (Which II) Those marked * commonly occur in informal writing
| or Who has? or Who would? or What has? |
| Who |
'Who s? = Who is?
'Who d? = Who had?
'Who II? = Who will?
| What |
'Whats? = What is?
Whatve? = What have?
What II? = What will?
Question-word questions form and use
Which
Why
Where
How
| When’s? | = When is? | or | When has? |
| When’ve? | = When have? | ||
| When’II? | = When will? | ||
| Which’ve? | = Which have? | ||
| Which II? | = Which will? | ||
| Whys? | = Why is? | or | Why has? |
| Whyd? | = Why had? | or | Why would? |
| Why II? | = Why will? | ||
| 'Where s? | = Where is? | or | Where has? |
| Where ve? | = Where have? | ||
| Where d? | = Where had? | or | Where |
| Where II? | = Where will? | ||
| 'How s? | = How is? | or | How has? |
| 'How d? | = How had? | or | How would? |
| 'How II? | = How will? |
4 When we ask a Wh question using a verb + preposition/particle we
normally put the preposition/particle at the end [> 8. 22 13.33]
Who(m) are you going with? What are you looking at?
Where did you get that suit from?
How on earth can I get these shoes on?
In very formal English, prepositions can precede question-words To whom should I apply for more information? In which hall will the recital be given?
5 Question-words are followed by prepositions in short questions We re off on holiday tomorrow - Where to? Will you beat these eggs for me?- What with? I want to leave this parcel - Who for? More formally, prepositions can precede question words /' m going out this evening - With whom?
6 Short questions consisting of single question-words or limited combinations are common in everyday speech when we are asking for repetition (e g What9), brief information or clarification We re off to Chicago - When?
This old lady came up to me and said - Which (old) lady? This old lady came up to me and said - She said what?
7 Question-word questions can echo statements to express surprise, anger, concern, etc / m afraid I used your comb on the dog - You did what with it?
8 All question-words except Which and Whose can combine with else to refer to people, things, places, etc What else have you bought9 Where else did you go?
