QUESTIONS (object / subject questions, tag questions)

1) Object questions
In object questions where we want to find information about the object (додаток), we use the
auxiliary verb do/does/did.

e.g. John broke a window. ----> What did John break?

e.g. Jack likes ice-cream. ----> What does Jack like?

This sentence has a subject (John), a verb (broke) and an object (window).

2) Subject questions

In subject questions where we want to find information about the subject (підмет), we
DON’T use the auxiliary verb do/does/did. After question words (who,what )we just use
direct word order in the tense which we need.

e.g. John broke a window. ----> Who broke a window?

e.g. Jack likes ice-cream. ----> Who likes ice-cream?

More examples:

Let's have a look at some more examples:

 James dropped the glass.

 Object question: What did James drop?
 Subject question: Who dropped the glass?

 We will read the book.

 Object question: What will you read?
 Subject question: Who will read the book?

 Amanda washed the car.

 Object question: What did Amanda wash?
 Subject question: Who washed the car?

 The students like their new professor.

 Object question: Who do the students like?
 Subject question: Who likes the new professor?

 I'm buying some bread.

 Object question: What are you buying?
 Subject question: Who is buying some bread?

3) Tag questions

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini-

question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Is that
right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in English.

If the first part is positive then tag must be negative and vice versa.

positive negative
statement tag

Snow is white, isn't it?

negative positive
statement tag

You don't like me, do you?

We use question tag in the tense which we have in the first part of a question

Be careful! The adverbs never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely have a
negative sense. E.g.

positive statement positive

treated as negative statement tag

He never came again, did he?

She can rarely come these days, can she?

You hardly ever came late, did you?

I barely know you, do I?

You would scarcely expect her to know would

that, you?
 EXERCISES

Ex. 1

1. I bought a newspaper this morning.

What bought you this morning?

What did you buy this morning?

What you did buy this morning?

2. Something odd happened during the storm last night.

What happened during the storm last night?

What did happen during the storm last night?

3. One of the students didn't do the final exam.

Who didn't the final exam do?

Who didn't do the final exam?

4. I wrote a romantic letter to one of the teachers.

Who did you write a romantic letter to?

Who wrote you a romantic letter?

5. Something disturbed me when I was working.

What did you disturb when you were working?

 What disturbed you when you were working?

What did disturb you when you were working?

6. I dreamt about a strange animal last night.

What did you dream about last night?

What dreamed about you last night?

7. Somebody rang me at 3am last week!

Who did you ring at 3am last week?

Who you rang at 3am last week?

Who rang you at 3am last week?

8. Someone gave me a watch for my birthday.

Who gave you a watch for your birthday?

Who did give you a watch for your birthday?

Ex. 2

1) The car is in the garage (subject question).

2) Julie loves ice cream (object question).
3) The food was on the table (subject question).
4) The student is from Colombia (object question).
5) The student is from Colombia (subject question).
6) David has lost his wallet (object question).
7) David has lost his wallet (subject question).
8) The caterpillar became a butterfly (object question).
9) The caterpillar became a butterfly (subject question).
10) The teacher is living in Istanbul (object question).

Ex 3. Ask questions about the underlined words.

Example:
Joe has broken his arm. Who has broken his arm?
1. I thought her name was Sarah.
______________________________________________
2. Sarah was her name.
______________________________________________
3. I bought a new shirt this morning.
______________________________________________
4. I bought a new shirt this morning.
______________________________________________
5. Tony phoned me at 2 a.m. last night.
______________________________________________
6. Tony phoned me at 2 a.m. last night.
______________________________________________
7. Tom sold his house ten years ago.
______________________________________________
8. Tom sold his house ten years ago.
______________________________________________
9. Tom sold his house ten years ago.
______________________________________________
10. Something happened during the night.
______________________________________________
11. Julie got married last year.
______________________________________________
12.Julie got married last year.
______________________________________________

Ex 4. Write one word in each gap to make a question.

Example:
What time does it take you to get ready in the morning?
1. Did _____ rain here yesterday?

2. Who _____ you speak to this morning?

3. When _____ the town founded?

4. _____ does this book belong to?

5. What _____ this word mean?

6. What _____ are your friends coming?

7. Who _____ you want to speak to?

8. Who _____ that man at the bar?

9. _____ did I park the car?

10. How _____ is it to the town centre?

11. How _____ time do you spend watching TV?

12. What _____ of car have you got?

Ex 7. Make questions with who or what.

Example:
Something bit me. What bit you?

1. Someone poured me with coffee.

____________________________________
2. Something fell on the floor.
____________________________________

3. Somebody gave me this.

____________________________________

4. Something smells so good here.

____________________________________

5. Someone told me that.

____________________________________

6. There is something in the box.

Ex. 8 Complete the missing parts of the question tags.

1. They go to school in Warsaw, _____________ ?

2. She believes in ghosts, _____________ ?

3. Chris plays the piano, _____________ ?

4. Jake and Sarah often visit their grandparents, _____________ ?

5. You don’t smoke cigarettes, _____________ ?

6. She doesn’t do her homework regularly, _____________ ?

7. Sheila went to the theatre last week, _____________ ?

8. My parents ordered seafood in the hotel bar last year, _____________ ?

9. I learnt a lot in primary school, _____________ ?

10. Jack and Mary got married last month, _____________ ?

11. John was speaking English on the phone, _____________ ?

12. There is a great cinema in your town, _____________ ?

13. There were a lot of people at the party, _____________ ?

14. I am having a great time, _____________ ?

15. She isn’t playing tennis now, _____________ ?

16. Katy was cooking when you arrived, _____________ ?

17. I wasn’t reading when the lights went out, _____________ ?

18. Mary and John were walking when it started to rain, _____________ ?

19. Jack had visited her before, _____________ ?

20. I am listening to you, _____________ ?

21. It is called a sticking plaster, _____________ ?

22. You can speak English, _____________ ?

23. We could buy that house, _____________ ?

24. She has lost her wallet, _____________ ?

25. They haven’t seen anything interesting, _____________ ?

26. You have broken that window, _____________ ?

27. There has been an accident, _____________ ?

28. We haven’t been talking to her for a long time, _____________ ?

29. He will see her later at school, _____________ ?

30. They won’t have a good time, _____________ ?

Ex. 9

1.Nothing bad happened, …………………………………..?

1. Nothing ever happens, …………………………………..?
2. Nobody lives in this house, …………………………………..?
3. You’ve never liked me, …………………………………..?
4. He never called you…………………………………..?
5. She can rarely come these days, …………………………………..?
6. She hardly ate anything tonight, …………………………………..?
7. I barely know him, …………………………………..?
8. You would scarcely expect her to know that, …………………………………..?