Who wrote the book?

Subject questions

Subject and object questions

In subject questions the word order is the same as an affirmative sentence. In simple tenses there is no auxiliary verb.

  • Who stopped the bus? The driver stopped the bus.

In this question who refers to the driver, the subject of the sentence.

  • Who likes chocolate?
    NOT: Who does like chocolate?
  • Who phoned before?
    NOT: Who did phone before?
  • Who was singing the song?
    NOT: Was who singing the song?

Compare these examples.

Question
(the subjects are in blue)		 Answer
(the answers are in bold)
Who loves Nelly?
Who does David love? 		David loves Nelly.
David loves Nelly.
Who phoned before?
Who did you phone?		 Roger phoned before.
I phoned Anna.
Who was talking to you?
Who were you playing with? 		Lucy was talking to me.
I was playing with Richard.

1. Read

Read a story about an exciting moment and put the pictures in order.

... and here is this week's "EXCITING MOMENTS" letter from Spain.

My son Harry was born two weeks early. Jean, my wife, suddenly had stomach pains. We went in the car to the hospital. We were driving through the centre of town and Jean called out, "The baby is coming!" I stopped the car and helped my wife. I was very nervous and worried. I was holding the baby when the ambulance arrived. Fortunately, the baby and my wife were fine.

2. Questions.

Choose the correct answer.

3. Past simple or past continuous?

Which of the questions are in the past simple tense?

4. Subject questions.

Look at the example.

Who stopped the car?
The father stopped the car.

In this question who refers to the father, the subject of the sentence.

Drag the subject questions to the correct box.

5. Word order.

Can you remember? Put the words in order to make the questions.

6. Write questions.

Write down the questions for the missing information in the sentences.



For example:
Somebody was born in a car. = Who was born in a car?
 Janet helped somebody. = Who did Janet help?

1. Somebody is the baby's mother.
2. Sam met somebody at a party.
3. Somebody loves Nicole.
4. Nicole loves somebody.
5. Somebody drank all the wine.
6. Ana drank something.
7. Something stopped the car.
8. Somebody was working late.
9. John was doing something.

See answers

1. Who is the baby's mother?
2. Who did Sam meet at a party?
3. Who loves Nicole?
4. Who does Nicole love?
5. Who drank all the wine?
6. What did Ana drink?
7. What stopped the car?
8. Who was working late?
9. What was John doing?

For more information about subject and object questions see the Grammar Reference.