UNIT 24
Wh-Questions: Subject and Predicate
Grammar Explanations:
1. Use wh-questions to ask for specific information.
Wh- questions begin with question words such as who, what, where, when, why,
which, whose, how many, how much, and how long.
For example:
Who did you see at Al’s Grill?
Why did you go there?
How many people saw you there?
How long did you stay there?
2. When you are asking about the subject (usually the first part of the sentence), use a
wh-question word in place of the subject. The word order is the same as in a statement.
Someone saw you
＞
Who saw you?
3. When you are asking about the predicate (usually the last part of the sentence), the
question begins with a wh-word, but the word order is the same as in a yes/no question.
 Be careful! When you ask a wh-question about something in the predicate, you
need either
a. a form of the verb be.
b. a form of an auxiliary (“helping”) verb such as do, have, can, will.
For example:
You saw someone. ＞
Did you see someone?
Who is Harry Adams?
Why was he at Al’s Grill?
Why does she want to testify?
＞ Who did you see?
Not Why she wants to testify?
4. Usage Note: In very formal English when asking about people in the predicate, whom is
sometimes used instead of who.
 Be Careful! If the main verb is a form of be, you cannot use whom.
Very Formal
Whom did you see?
Informal
Who did you see?
Who is the next witness?
Not Whom is the next witness?
1. MATCH. Each question goes with an answer. Match each question with the correct
answer.
Question
1.Who did you see?
2. Who saw you?
Answer
a. His wife saw me.
b. She hit a car.
3. What hit her?
c. I gave the money to Harry.
4.What did she hit?
d. A car hit her.
5. Which man did you give the money to?
e. Harry gave me the money.
6. Which man gave you the money?
f. I saw the defendant.
2. COMPLETE. Read this cross-examination. Complete it by writing the lawyer’s
questions.
1. L: What time did you return home? (What time/you/return home?)
W: I returned home just before midnight.
2. L:
(How/you/get home?)
W: Someone gave me a lift.
3. L:
(Who/give/you/a ride)
W: A friend from work.
4. L:
(What/happen/next?)
W: I opened my door and saw someone on my living room floor.
5. L:
(Who/ you/see?)
W: Deborah Collins.
6. L:
(Who/be/Deborah Collins?)
W: She’s my wife’s boss. I mean she was my wife’s boss. She’s dead now.
7. L:
(What/you/do?)
W: I called the police.
8. L:
(How many/people/call/you?)
W: No one called me. Why?
3. ASK. Read these statements. Then ask questions about the underlined words.
1. The witness recognized Harry Adams.
Who recognized Harry Adams?
2. The witness recognized Harry Adams.
Who did the witness recognize?
3. Court begins at 9:00A.M.
______________________________
4. Five witnesses testified.
______________________________
5. The jury found Adams guilty because he didn’t have an alibi.
6.
7.
8.
9.
______________________________
Something horrible happened.
______________________________
The trail lasted two weeks.
______________________________
The judge spoke to the jury.
______________________________
Adams paid his lawyer ＄2,000.
__________________________________
10. The district attorney questioned the restaurant manager.
4. EDIT. Read this list of questions. There six mistakes in the use of wh- questions. Find
and correct them. The first mistake is already corrected.
What time<did> the suspect return home?
Who did see him? Where there any witness?
Whom was at home?
Why did he call A. Smith?
What did happen next?
Where he did go?
How much money he took with him?