This document discusses the order and structure of subject and object questions in English. For subject questions, which have a question word as the subject, the question is formed by using the present or past simple verb form without an auxiliary. For object questions, which have a question word as the object, the standard question word order is used with an auxiliary or modal verb preceding the subject and main verb in infinitive form. Yes/no questions omit the question word and simply invert the subject and auxiliary verb.
2. Questions: OrderQuestions: Order
This is the usual word order in question:This is the usual word order in question:
Question word+auxiliary or modalQuestion word+auxiliary or modal
verb+subject+main verb in the infinitive formverb+subject+main verb in the infinitive form
without to+rest of the sentence+questionwithout to+rest of the sentence+question
markmark::
What do you do for a living? I am an English
teacher.
If it is a Yes/No question, we simply omit theIf it is a Yes/No question, we simply omit the
question word:question word:
Are you coming to the party tonight?Are you coming to the party tonight?
3. Subject questionsSubject questions
When the question word (who, what,When the question word (who, what,
which, how much/many) is the subjectwhich, how much/many) is the subject
of the question, we do not need anof the question, we do not need an
auxiliary or modal verb, we simply writeauxiliary or modal verb, we simply write
either the present or past simple in itseither the present or past simple in its
suitable form:suitable form:
WhoWho invented the telephone? A. G. Bellinvented the telephone? A. G. Bell
invented the telephone.invented the telephone.
4. Object questionsObject questions
If the question word is the object ofIf the question word is the object of
the question, the question word order isthe question, the question word order is
the usual one:the usual one:
Who does she look like? She looks likeWho does she look like? She looks like
her father.her father.
What do you usually do in your spareWhat do you usually do in your spare
time?time?
I like reading, trekking, skiing.I like reading, trekking, skiing.
