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Exercise. Answer the following questions with I don’t know where / when / why / what / etc.

Example:

Is Tom at the gym? (where) ==> I don’t know where Tom is.

1. Was Miss Jackson in class yesterday?
I don’t know where Miss Jackson was.

2. Has the lawn mower been broken very long?
I don’t know how long the lawn mower has been broken.

3. Is the hotel new?
I don’t know how old the hotel is.

4. Have the children gone to school?
I don’t know where the children have gone.

5. Will Mother come home soon?
I don’t know when Mother will come home.

Exercise. Complete the following sentences.

Example:

Why do dogs bark? I don’t know ==> I don’t know why dogs bark.
When is the next bus? Do you know ==> Do you know when the next bus is?

1. What did Tom eat for lunch?
I don’t remember what Tom ate for lunch.

2. When is Mary going to college?
I don’t know when Mary is going to college.

3. Why is Jack selling his car?
Do you know why Jack is selling his car?

4. Where is the hotel?
Do you know where the hotel is?

5. How did Patrick break his leg?
I don’t know how Patrick broke his leg.

6. How hot is it?
Do you know how hot it is?

7. What did Sally get for her birthday?
I don’t remember what Sally got for her birthday.

Exercise. Write questions using Do you know if….?

Example:

Can Michael come with us? ==> Do you know if Michael can come with us?

1. Is Jack invited to the party?
Do you know if Jack is invited to the party?

2. Has Martin booked his vacation?
Do you know if Martin has booked his vacation?

3. Can Steve fix my broken clock?
Do you know if Steve can fix my broken clock?

4. Do the twins like chocolate cake?
Do you know if the twins like chocolate cake?

5. Was the window left open
Do you know if the window was left open?

6. Does Jill have a key to Dad’s house?
Do you know if Jill has a key to Dad’s house?

7. Have they picked up the garbage yet?
Do you know if they have picked up the garbage yet?

8. Did Debbie do the dishes?
Do you know if Debbie did the dishes?

9. Had the book been checked out of the library?
Do you know if the book had been checked out of the library?

10. Were there a lot of people at the beach?
Do you know if there were a lot of people at the beach?

Grammar Basics: Unit 50 – Do you know where…? I don’t know what….

Posted on 2012/07/05

Sometimes when we ask a question, we can phrase it slightly differently and change it to a yes/no question. For example,

Where is Kathy?

and

Do you know where Kathy is?

are both asking for information about the location of Kathy. But the first question is answered differently than the second question:

Where is Kathy?
–   She’s at the bank.
–   She’s at school.
–   She’s sleeping.
–   Etc.

The second question, however, is a yes/no question. If a person answers “yes,” we must ask a second question to get the information we are looking for:

Do you know where Kathy is?—No (, I don’t know where she is).
•   In this case, we have to find someone else to ask!

Do you know where Kathy is?—Yes (, I know where she is).
•   In this case, we can ask a second question (a “follow-up” question) to get the information we are looking for (Kathy’s location):
Where is she?
–   She’s playing tennis.
–   She’s at the dentist’s.
–   She’s on vacation.

Notice with these questions “Do you know where….is?” the verb comes at the end. The verb also comes at the end with the answer:

No (, I don’t know where she is).
Yes (, I know where she is).

Instead of “Do you know…?” we can also say “Can you tell me…?” Both ways of asking have the same meaning:

Do you know where Kathy is? = Can you tell me where Kathy is?

Other questions converted to yes/no questions that would need a follow-up question – note the verb at the end of the question:

•   Who is that man? ==> Do you know who that man is? / Can you tell me who that man is? / I know who that man is. / I don’t know who that man is. / I don’t remember who that man is.
•   What time is it? ==> Do you know what time it is? / Can you tell me what time it is? / I know what time it is. / I don’t know what time it is.
•   How tall is Jack? ==> Do you know how tall Jack is? / Can you tell me how tall Jack is? / I know how tall Jack is. / I don’t know how tall Jack is. / I don’t remember how tall Jack is.
•   When is Tom going? ==> Do you know when Tom is going? / Can you tell me when Tom is going? / I know when Tom is going. / I don’t know when Tom is going. / I don’t remember when Tom is going.

For converting questions with do / does / did, use simple present or simple past in the converted sentence, at the end:

•   Where does Mr. Smith live? ==> Do you know where Mr. Smith lives? / Can you tell me where Mr. Smith lives? / I know where Mr. Smith lives. / I don’t know where Mr. Smith lives. / I don’t remember where Mr. Smith lives.
•   How much does this cost? ==> Do you know how much this costs? / Can you tell me how much this costs? / I know how much that costs. / I don’t know how much that costs. / I don’t remember how much that costs.
•   How does rain make a rainbow? ==> Do you know how rain makes a rainbow? / Can you tell me how rain makes a rainbow? / I know how rain makes a rainbow. / I don’t know how rain makes a rainbow. / I don’t remember how rain makes a rainbow.
•   Why do dogs bark? ==> Do you know why dogs bark? / Can you tell me why dogs bark? / I know why dogs bark. / I don’t know why dogs bark. / I don’t remember why dogs bark.
•   When did Jack leave? ==> Do you know when Jack left? / Can you tell me when Jack left? / I know when Jack left. / I don’t know when Jack left. / I don’t remember when Jack left.

For questions beginning with Is….? / Do….? / Can….?, we can also convert, using if or whether:

•   Is Tom sleeping? ==> Do you know if Tom is sleeping? / Do you know whether Tom is sleeping?
•   Have the kids eaten lunch yet? ==> Do you know if the kids have eaten lunch yet? / Do you know whether the kids have eaten lunch yet?
•   Can Jack ride a bicycle? ==> Do you know if Jack can ride a bicycle? / Do you know whether Jack can ride a bicycle?
•   Did Frank call? ==> Do you know if Frank called? / Do you know whether Frank called?

Exercise. Answer the following questions with I don’t know where / when / why / what / etc.

Example:

Is Tom at the gym? (where) ==> I don’t know where Tom is.

1.   Was Miss Jackson in class yesterday? (where)
2.   Has the lawn mower been broken very long? (how long)
3.   Is the hotel new? (how old)
4.   Have the children gone to school? (where)
5.   Will Mother come home soon? (when)

Exercise. Complete the following sentences.

Example:

Why do dogs bark? I don’t know ==> I don’t know why dogs bark.
When is the next bus? Do you know ==> Do you know when the next bus is?

1.   What did Tom eat for lunch? I don’t remember
2.   When is Mary going to college? I don’t know
3.   Why is Jack selling his car? Do you know
4.   Where is the hotel? Do you know
5.   How did Patrick break his leg? I don’t know
6.   How hot is it? Do you know
7.   What did Sally get for her birthday? I don’t remember

Exercise. Write questions using Do you know if….?

Example:

Can Michael come with us? ==> Do you know if Michael can come with us?

1.   Is Jack invited to the party?
2.   Has Martin booked his vacation?
3.   Can Steve fix my broken clock?
4.   Do the twins like chocolate cake?
5.   Was the window left open?
6.   Does Jill have a key to Dad’s house?
7.   Have they picked up the garbage yet?
8.   Did Debbie do the dishes?
9.   Had the book been checked out of the library?
10.   Were there a lot of people at the beach?

Grammar Basics: Unit 49 – How long does it take…? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/07/04

Exercise. Using the given words, write questions with How long….?

Example:

Chicago, New York, car ==> How long does it take to get from Chicago to New York by car?

1.   How long does it take to get from Hong Kong to Tokyo by plane?
2.   How long does it take to get from the school to the library by foot?
3.   How long does it take to get from home to downtown by train?
4.   How long does it take to get from the island to the mainland by boat?
5.   How long does it take to get from the train station to the airport by bus?

Exercise. From the following sentences, write questions using How long did it take…?

Example:

Jack painted the picture in the hall. ==> How long did it take him to paint the picture?

1. The English class read the book “War and Peace.”
How long did it take them to read the book?

2. John drove from Atlanta to Dallas.
How long did it take him to drive from Atlanta to Dallas?

3. Mother made all the bridesmaids’ dresses for Edith’s wedding.
How long did it take her to make all the bridesmaids’ dresses?

4. Edward finally finished writing the Smith family history.
How long did it take him to write the family history?

5. Jack and Jill wrapped all the Christmas presents.
How long did it take them to wrap all the presents?

Exercise. Read the following situations, and write sentences using It took….

Example:

I wrote a term paper. I started it on March 3, and finished it on April 3. ==> It took me a month to write the paper.

1. Max weeded the garden. He started at 9 a.m., and finished at 11 a.m.
It took him two hours to weed the garden.

2. We drove from Chicago to Los Angeles. We left on Monday, and got there on Saturday.
It took us six days to drive from Chicago to Los Angeles.

3. Mary knit a sweater. She started it at the beginning of October, and finished it in time for Christmas.
It took her almost three months to knit the sweater.

4. Steve walked home from the train station. He got off the train at 5:30 p.m., and got home at 5:45 p.m.
It took him fifteen minutes to walk home.

5. Kevin built his summer cottage. He started building it in 2008, and he finished it in 2010.
It took him two years to build the summer cottage.

Grammar Basics: Unit 49 – How long does it take…?

Posted on 2012/07/03

If we are talking about time, we use the phrase “How long does it take…?”

When we are wondering about the time needed to travel (from place A) to place B, we can ask “How long does it take to get (from A) to B?”:

How long does it take to get from Chicago to Miami? —It takes about three days by car.
How long does it take to get from the library to the museum? —It’s about a ten-minute walk.
How long does it take to get to the airport?—About twenty minutes.

Note: Many times we also include the method of travel. For example, traveling by plane is quicker than traveling by car. This makes a difference how the question is answered.

More examples:

How long does it take to get to school by bus?—It takes 45 minutes.
How long does it take to get from Paris to Frankfurt by train?—About four or five hours.
How long does it take to get to the beach by foot?—About fifteen minutes. (“by foot” or “on foot” both mean “by walking”)

We can also use “How long does it take…?” if we are asking about doing something:

How long does it take to bake a cake?
How long does it take to build a house?
How long does it take to get a haircut?

Other tenses are possible:

Past tense: How long did it take….?

How long did it take to knit that sweater?
How long did it take to write the book?

Future tense: How long will it take…?

How long will it take to mow the lawn?
How long will it take to save enough money for a nice vacation?

We can also make negative sentences (usually in response to one of the above questions): It doesn’t / didn’t / won’t take long…

It doesn’t take long to get from the library to the museum.
It doesn’t take long to get a haircut.
It didn’t take long to knit the sweater.
It won’t take long to mow the lawn.

The questions can be personalized, as well: How long does it take you to do something?

How long does it take you to do your homework?
How long will it take Tom to clean his room?
It took me forever to finish that project.

Exercise. Using the given words, write questions with How long….?

Example:

Chicago, New York, car ==> How long does it take to get from Chicago to New York by car?

1.   Hong Kong, Tokyo, plane
2.   School, library, foot
3.   Home, downtown, train
4.   Island, mainland, boat
5.   Train station, airport, bus

Exercise. From the following sentences, write questions using How long did it take…?

Example:

Jack painted the picture in the hall. ==> How long did it take him to paint the picture?

1.   The English class read the book “War and Peace.”
2.   John drove from Atlanta to Dallas.
3.   Mother made all the bridesmaids’ dresses for Edith’s wedding.
4.   Edward finally finished writing the Smith family history.
5.   Jack and Jill wrapped all the Christmas presents.

Exercise. Read the following situations, and write sentences using It took….
Example:

I wrote a term paper. I started it on March 3, and finished it on April 3. ==> It took me a month to write the paper.

1.   Max weeded the garden. He started at 9 a.m., and finished at 11 a.m.
2.   We drove from Chicago to Los Angeles. We left on Monday, and got there on Saturday.
3.   Mary knit a sweater. She started it at the beginning of October, and finished it in time for Christmas.
4.   Steve walked home from the train station. He got off the train at 5:30 p.m., and got home at 5:45 p.m.
5.   Kevin built his summer cottage. He started building it in 2008, and he finished it in 2010.

Grammar Basics: Unit 48 – What…? Which….? How…? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/06/01

Exercise. Using the word in parentheses, write questions with What…?

Example:

Jack went to bed late last night. (time) ==> What time did he go to bed?

1.   I went to the library this afternoon. What books did you check out?
2.   Tom bought a new car. What color is it?
3.   Let’s have some ice cream. What type would you like?
4.   We’re thinking of getting new cell phones. What kind are you thinking of getting?
5.   Mary is flying to Atlanta next week. What airline is she going to take?

Exercise. Use What, Which, or Who to complete the following questions.

Example:

There are a lot of newborns in the nursery. ____________ baby is yours? ==> Which baby is yours?

1.   What month is it?—It’s June.
2.   Don’t forget your umbrella. Which one is yours?
3.   What day does your birthday fall on this year?
4.   Who is smarter, Jack or Jill?
5.   Which room is your next class in, Room 328 or Room 329?
6.   Who did the laundry? Sally or Mack?
7.   Which lake did you vacation at? Lake Michigan, or Lake Huron?
8.   What hobby does Steve enjoy?
9.   Who ate the last piece of cake, Dad or Bill?
10.   What classes do you have this semester?

Exercise. Write questions for the following answers, using How + (adjective / adverb)…?

Example:

____________ is it to the bus station? —About three blocks. ==> How far is it to the bus station?

1.   How much money do you have? —Over $20.
2.   How tall is that building? —It’s 200 feet tall.
3.   How heavy is an elephant? —About 2000 pounds.
4.   How long is a blue whale? —It’s nearly 100 feet long.
5.   How high is Mount McKinley? —Over 20,000 feet.
6.   How far is Earth from the sun? —About 93 million miles.
7.   How many miles is it from New York to Los Angeles? —Almost 3000 miles.
8.   How much gas does the tank of your car hold? —About 12 gallons.
9.   How often do you catch a cold? —Only once or twice a year.
10.   How old is your grandmother?—She’s 96.

Grammar Basics: Unit 48 – What…? Which….? How…?

Posted on 2012/05/31

In this lesson we’ll take a look at some more question words: What…?, Which…?, and How…?

What…?

We have already seen

What + (no noun)…?
• What is Jack doing?
• What did the mayor say?

Now: What + (noun)…?
•   What time is it?
•   What color are your eyes?
•   What program did you watch?
•   What size shoe does Bobby wear?
•   What kind of dessert do you like?

Which + (noun)….?
•   Which bus should I take?
•   Which coat is yours?
•   Which teacher was your favorite?
•   Which class did you like least?

Which without a noun is used for things:
•   Which is more famous – Disneyland or Universal Studios?
•   Which is hotter – Florida or Hawaii?
•   Which is taller – the Empire State Building or Willis Tower?

For people, use Who without a noun (not Which):
• Who is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein? (not: ~~Which is more famous – Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein?~~)
• Who is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain? (not: ~~Which is taller – Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain?~~)

How do we know whether to use What or Which?
What color do you like?
or
Which color do you like?

Which: Use when there are only a few possibilities.
•   Which color do you like? Yellow, blue, or green?
•   Which way should I go? Left or right?
•   Which dessert do you want?

What: Use for more general situations.
•   What color do you want to paint the room?
•   What movies are playing at the downtown theater?
•   What desserts do they serve at that restaurant?

How…?
• How was the movie? —It was boring.
• How should I wash this sweater? —By hand.

How + (adjective / adverb)…?
•   How tall is Willis Tower?
•   How big is the sailboat?
•   How many cars are in the parking lot?
•   How often do you mow the lawn?
•   How late do you stay up?
•   How far is it to St. Louis?
•   How hard do you work to keep such a beautiful garden?
•   Etc.

Exercise. Using the word in parentheses, write questions with What…?

Example:

Jack went to bed late last night. (time) ==> What time did he go to bed?

1.   I went to the library this afternoon. (books)
2.   Tom bought a new car. (color)
3.   Let’s have some ice cream. (type)
4.   We’re thinking of getting new cell phones. (kind)
5.   Mary is flying to Atlanta next week. (airline)

Exercise. Use What, Which, or Who to complete the following questions.

Example:

There are a lot of newborns in the nursery. ____________ baby is yours? ==> Which baby is yours?

1.   ____________ month is it?—It’s June.
2.   Don’t forget your umbrella. ____________ one is yours?
3.   ____________ day does your birthday fall on this year?
4.   ____________ is smarter, Jack or Jill?
5.   ____________ room is your next class in, Room 328 or Room 329?
6.   ____________ did the laundry? Sally or Mack?
7.   ____________ lake did you vacation at? Lake Michigan, or Lake Huron?
8.   ____________ hobby does Steve enjoy?
9.   ____________ ate the last piece of cake, Dad or Bill?
10.   ____________ classes do you have this semester?

Exercise. Write questions for the following answers, using How + (adjective / adverb)…?

Example:

____________ is it to the bus station? —About three blocks. ==> How far is it to the bus station?

1.   ____________ money do you have? —Over $20.
2.   ____________ is that building? —It’s 200 feet tall.
3.   ____________ is an elephant? —About 2000 pounds.
4.   ____________ is a blue whale? —It’s nearly 100 feet long.
5.   ____________ is Mount McKinley? —Over 20,000 feet.
6.   ____________ is Earth from the sun? —About 93 million miles.
7.   ____________ miles is it from New York to Los Angeles? —Almost 3000 miles.
8.   ____________ gas does the tank of your car hold? —About 12 gallons.
9.   ____________ do you catch a cold? —Only once or twice a year.
10.   ____________ is your grandmother?—She’s 96.

Grammar Basics: Unit 47 – Who is she talking to? What is it like? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/05/30

Exercise. Write questions with Who or What to determine the missing information.

Example:

I got a phone call from XXXXX. ==> Who did you get a phone call from?

1. Dad is talking to XXXXX.
Who is Dad talking to?

2. The TV program is about XXXXX.
What is the TV program about?

3. I got a present from XXXXX.
Who did you get a present from?

4. We were just talking about XXXXX.
What were you just talking about?

5. That song was written by XXXXX.
Who was that song written by?

Exercise. Write questions using Which to get further information.

Example:

We stayed at a hotel in Houston. ==> Which hotel did you stay at?

1. I went to college in Wisconsin.
Which college did you go to?

2. Tom talked to a clerk.
Which clerk did Tom talk to?

3. Sam and Mary went to an amusement park.
Which amusement park did Sam and Mary go to?

4. Steve took me to a restaurant for my birthday.
Which restaurant did Steve take you to?

5. Jack went to see a movie.
Which theater did Jack go to?

Exercise. Find out more information by asking questions with What is/are …. like?

Example:

(the class) ==> What’s the class like?

1. (the hotel)
What’s the hotel like?

2. (the weather in Montana)
What’s the weather like in Montana?

3. (Mrs. Wilson)
What’s Mrs. Wilson like?

4. (the new movie)
What’s the new movie like?

5. (the county fair)
What’s the county fair like?

Grammar Basics: Unit 47 – Who is she talking to? What is it like?

Posted on 2012/05/29

Prepositions usually go at the end of questions beginning with Who, What, Where, and Which:

Who is Sally talking to?
Who is the teacher mad at?
What is the world coming to?
What is Jack talking about?
Where’s the party at?
Where did that stain come from?
Which picture are you looking at?
Which drawer did you put the key in?

The phrase “What’s X like?” is used when you want to ask someone to describe X. Here, “like” is NOT used as a verb – it is used as a preposition.

“What does Mr. Smith like?” ≠ “What is Mr. Smith like?”

“What does Mr. Smith like?” ==> What are Mr. Smith’s interests? What does Mr. Smith prefer?

•   Mr. Smith likes chocolate cake.
•   Mr. Smith likes spy movies.
•   Mr. Smith likes Florida.
•   Mr. Smith likes to read books.
•   Etc.

“What is Mr. Smith like?” ==> How would you describe Mr. Smith?

•   Mr. Smith is tall / short.
•   Mr. Smith is old / young.
•   Mr. Smith is athletic / not very active.
•   Mr. Smith is nice / mean.
•   Etc.

Examples:

What was the movie like?
–   It was pretty boring.
What’s the new teacher like?
–   He’s very strict.
What’s life like in the dorms?
–   Rather noisy, as you might imagine.

Exercise. Write questions with Who or What to determine the missing information.

Example:

I got a phone call from XXXXX. ==> Who did you get a phone call from?

1.   Dad is talking to XXXXX.
2.   The TV program is about XXXXX.
3.   I got a present from XXXXX.
4.   We were just talking about XXXXX.
5.   That song was written by XXXXX.

Exercise. Write questions using Which to get further information.

Example:

We stayed at a hotel in Houston. ==> Which hotel did you stay at?

1.   I went to college in Wisconsin.
2.   Tom talked to a clerk.
3.   Sam and Mary went to an amusement park.
4.   Steve took me to a restaurant for my birthday.
5.   Jack went to see a movie.

Exercise. Find out more information by asking questions with What is/are …. like?

Example:

(the class) ==> What’s the class like?

1.   (the hotel)
2.   (the weather in Montana)
3.   (Mrs. Wilson)
4.   (the new movie)
5.   (the county fair)

Grammar Basics: Unit 46 – Who saw you? Who did you see? (Solution)

Posted on 2012/05/25

Exercise. Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the subject.

Example:

Somebody got in trouble for the prank. ==> Who got in trouble for the prank?
Something got in my eye. ==> What got in your eye?

1. Somebody ate my porridge.
Who ate your porridge?

2. Someone’s been sleeping in my bed.
Who’s been sleeping in my bed?

3. Something made a strange noise in the basement.
What made a strange noise in the basement?

4. Someone gave me a pair of free tickets.
Who gave you a pair of free tickets?

5. Something frightened the chickens.
What frightened the chickens?

6. Something caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.
What caused the dinosaurs to become extinct?

7. Something’s wrong with the TV.
What’s wrong with the TV?

8. Somebody turned off the lights.
Who turned off the lights?

9. Somebody brought a cake for the class party.
Who brought a cake for the class party?

10. Something made me cancel my vacation plans.
What made you cancel your vacation plans?

Exercise. Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the object.

Example:

John ran into someone at the train station. ==> Who did John run into at the train station?
Mary ate something for lunch. ==> What did Mary eat for lunch?

1. Tony asked someone to the dance.
Who did Tony ask to the dance?

2. The cat has something in its mouth.
What does the cat have in its mouth?

3. Steve is going to the store to get something.
What is Steve going to get at the store?

4. The police arrested someone for the arson.
Who did the police arrest for the arson?

5. The teacher picked someone to be his helper.
Who did the teacher pick to be his helper?

6. Jack wrote something on the back of the picture.
What did Jack write on the back of the picture?

7. The prince married someone at the end of the fairy tale.
Who did the prince marry at the end of the fairy tale?

8. The waiter brought Jane something to drink.
What did the waiter bring Jane to drink?

9. The farmer put something on the plants to make them grow.
What did the farmer put on the plants to make them grow?

10. The doctor operated on someone.
Who did the doctor operate on?

Exercise. Ask a question using who or what to find the missing information.

Example:

I bought a XXXXX for a souvenir, and XXXXX got some postcards. ==>
What did you get for a souvenir?
Who got postcards?

1. Tom took a picture of Becky sitting on XXXXX, but XXXXX didn’t want his picture taken.
What was Becky sitting on?
Who didn’t want his picture taken?

2. On our vacation we went to see XXXXX. Mother also wanted to see XXXXX.
What did you see on your vacation?
What did Mother also want to see?

3. XXXXX wrote many famous fairy tales. He also wrote many XXXXX.
Who wrote many famous fairy tales?
What did he also write?

4. We packed XXXXX, but XXXXX forgot his toothbrush.
What did you pack?
Who forgot his toothbrush?

5. The children caught XXXXX in the creek. XXXXX caught the most of all.
What did the children catch in the creek?
Who caught the most of all?

Grammar Basics: Unit 46 – Who saw you? Who did you see?

Posted on 2012/05/24

Who / What can be used as either the subject of a question, or the object, when we want to ask about the subject / object.

Who is used when the subject / object is people: somebody, someone
What is used when the subject / object is not a person – things, ideas, animals, etc.: something

Jack called Jill on the phone. ==> Who called Jill on the phone?
I invited Tom to the party. . ==> Who did you invite to the party?

(To be absolutely proper, “whom” is the object form: Whom did you invite to the party? But in American English, we commonly do not distinguish between “who” and “whom.” You can, of course, use “whom,” and it will be completely okay. Just be aware that most Americans do not use it.)

Questions with “Who” as subject:

Who called on the phone?
Who gave you that nice present?
Who is coming to the party?
Who won the election?
Who took my coat?

Questions with “What” as subject:

What happened to the car?
What gave you the idea I was going on vacation?
What stung me on the cheek?
What is in the box?
What has four wings and flies?
What’s wrong with Tom?

Questions with “who” as object:

Who did you see at the library?
Who was Mr. Collins angry at?
Who did the doctor operate on?
Who is Johnny taking piano lessons from?

Questions with “what” as object:

What is Jacob doing?
What was the correct answer to problem number 3?
What did you do in school today?
What was Moses doing in the dark?
What is your name?

We now have more ways to turn a sentence into a question:

The cat caught a mouse. ==>
What caught a mouse?
or
What did the cat catch?

Janice gave the baby a bath. ==>
Who gave the baby a bath?
or
Who did Janice give a bath to?

Peter ate a piece of cake. ==>
Who ate a piece of cake?
or
What did Peter eat?

Exercise. Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the subject.

Example:

Somebody got in trouble for the prank. ==> Who got in trouble for the prank?
Something got in my eye. ==> What got in your eye?

1. Somebody ate my porridge.

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2. Someone’s been sleeping in my bed.

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3. Something made a strange noise in the basement.

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4. Someone gave me a pair of free tickets.

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5. Something frightened the chickens.

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6. Something caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.

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7. Something’s wrong with the TV.

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8. Somebody turned off the lights.

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9. Somebody brought a cake for the class party.

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10. Something made me cancel my vacation plans.

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Exercise. Use the following sentences to write questions, using either Who or What for the object.

Example:

John ran into someone at the train station. ==> Who did John run into at the train station?
Mary ate something for lunch. ==> What did Mary eat for lunch?

1. Tony asked someone to the dance.

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2. The cat has something in its mouth.

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3. Steve is going to the store to get something.

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4. The police arrested someone for the arson.

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5. The teacher picked someone to be his helper.

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6. Jack wrote something on the back of the picture.

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7. The prince married someone at the end of the fairy tale.

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8. The waiter brought Jane something to drink.

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9. The farmer put something on the plants to make them grow.

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10. The doctor operated on someone.

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Exercise. Ask a question using who or what to find the missing information.

Example:

I bought a XXXXX for a souvenir, and XXXXX got some postcards. ==>
What did you get for a souvenir?
Who got postcards?

1. Tom took a picture of Becky sitting on XXXXX, but XXXXX didn’t want his picture taken.

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2. On our vacation we went to see XXXXX. Mother also wanted to see XXXXX.

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3. XXXXX wrote many famous fairy tales. He also wrote many XXXXX.

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4. We packed XXXXX, but XXXXX forgot his toothbrush.

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5. The children caught XXXXX in the creek. XXXXX caught the most of all.

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