lesson 4

Lesson 4

A.1 Compare the word order of yes/no questions and wh-questions.

Statement:			John	Likes	Coffee
Yes/no questions:		does	john	like	Coffee?
Wh- Question:	What	Does	John	Like	Coffee?

Comments

1.       Wh- questions of this type begin with a question word, such as who, what, when, or where. The rest of the word order pattern is the same as in yes or no questions: do, does, or some orther auxiliary is placed before the subject.

2.       Who substitutes for a noun phrase which refers to a person.

What substitutes for a noun phrase which refers to a thing.

When substitutes for an adverbial  which refers to time.

Where substitutes for an adverbial  which refers to place.

NOTE: In this pattern, the wh- words are substitues for parts of the the predicate phrase. The use of wh-words as substitutes for the subject is treated in Lesson 9.

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

QUESTIONS	SHORT ANSWER
What does john like?	Coffee
What does he study?	English
What did he study yesterday?	Grammar
Where does he study at night?	In the library
Where did he study last night?	At home
When does he usually study?	In the morning
When did he study yesterday?	In the morning
Who does he visit every day?	Mary
Whom does he visit every day?	Mary

NOTE: who in this pattern is informal standard english. It is used in conversation and in notes and letters to friends and relatives. Whom is formal standard English and is used in speeches and formal writing, such as papers which students write in college.

Taken from: English sentence structure by Robert Khrohn