Word order in english when where

Можно ли использовать вопросительный порядок слов в утвердительных предложениях? Как построить предложение, если в нем нет подлежащего? Об этих и других нюансах читайте в нашей статье.

Порядок слов в английском предложении, часть 1

Прямой порядок слов в английских предложениях

Утвердительные предложения

В английском языке основной порядок слов можно описать формулой SVO: subject – verb – object (подлежащее – сказуемое – дополнение).

Mary reads many books. — Мэри читает много книг.

Подлежащее — это существительное или местоимение, которое стоит в начале предложения (кто? — Mary).

Сказуемое — это глагол, который стоит после подлежащего (что делает? — reads).

Дополнение — это существительное или местоимение, которое стоит после глагола (что? — books).

В английском отсутствуют падежи, поэтому необходимо строго соблюдать основной порядок слов, так как часто это единственное, что указывает на связь между словами.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Дополнение Перевод
My mum loves soap operas. Моя мама любит мыльные оперы.
Sally found her keys. Салли нашла свои ключи.
I remember you. Я помню тебя.

Глагол to be в утвердительных предложениях

Как правило, английское предложение не обходится без сказуемого, выраженного глаголом. Так как в русском можно построить предложение без глагола, мы часто забываем о нем в английском. Например:

Mary is a teacher. — Мэри — учительница. (Мэри является учительницей.)
I’m scared. — Мне страшно. (Я являюсь напуганной.)

Life is unfair. — Жизнь несправедлива. (Жизнь является несправедливой.)
My younger brother is ten years old. — Моему младшему брату десять лет. (Моему младшему брату есть десять лет.)

His friends are from Spain. — Его друзья из Испании. (Его друзья происходят из Испании.)
The vase is on the table. — Ваза на столе. (Ваза находится/стоит на столе.)

Подведем итог, глагол to be в переводе на русский может означать:

  • быть/есть/являться;
  • находиться / пребывать (в каком-то месте или состоянии);
  • существовать;
  • происходить (из какой-то местности).

Если вы не уверены, нужен ли to be в вашем предложении в настоящем времени, то переведите предложение в прошедшее время: я на работе — я была на работе. Если в прошедшем времени появляется глагол-связка, то и в настоящем он необходим.

Предложения с there is / there are

Когда мы хотим сказать, что что-то где-то есть или чего-то где-то нет, то нам нужно придерживаться конструкции there + to be в начале предложения.

There is grass in the yard, there is wood on the grass. — На дворе — трава, на траве — дрова.

Если в таких типах предложений мы не используем конструкцию there is / there are, то по-английски подобные предложения будут звучать менее естественно:

There are a lot of people in the room. — В комнате много людей. (естественно)
A lot of people are in the room. — Много людей находится в комнате. (менее естественно)

Обратите внимание, предложения с there is / there are, как правило, переводятся на русский с конца предложения.

Еще конструкция there is / there are нужна, чтобы соблюсти основной порядок слов — SVO (подлежащее – сказуемое – дополнение):

Подлежащее Сказуемое Дополнение Перевод
There is too much sugar in my tea. В моем чае слишком много сахара.

Более подробно о конструкции there is / there are можно прочитать в статье «Грамматика английского языка для начинающих, часть 3».

Местоимение it

Мы, как носители русского языка, в английских предложениях забываем не только про сказуемое, но и про подлежащее. Особенно сложно понять, как перевести на английский подобные предложения: Темнеет. Пора вставать. Приятно было пообщаться. В английском языке во всех этих предложениях должно стоять подлежащее, роль которого будет играть вводное местоимение it. Особенно важно его не забыть, если мы говорим о погоде.

It’s getting dark. — Темнеет.
It’s time to get up. — Пора вставать.
It was nice to talk to you. — Приятно было пообщаться.

Хотите научиться грамотно говорить по-английски? Тогда записывайтесь на курс практической грамматики.

Отрицательные предложения

Если предложение отрицательное, то мы ставим отрицательную частицу not после:

  • вспомогательного глагола (auxiliary verb);
  • модального глагола (modal verb).
Подлежащее Вспомогательный/Модальный глагол Частица not Сказуемое Дополнение Перевод
Sally has not found her keys. Салли не нашла свои ключи.
My mum does not love soap operas. Моя мама не любит мыльные оперы.
He could not save his reputation. Он не мог спасти свою репутацию
I will not be yours. Я не буду твоей.

Если в предложении единственный глагол — to be, то ставим not после него.

Подлежащее Глагол to be Частица not Дополнение Перевод
Peter is not an engineer. Питер не инженер.
I was not at work yesterday. Я не была вчера на работе.
Her friends were not polite enough. Ее друзья были недостаточно вежливы.

Порядок слов в вопросах

Для начала скажем, что вопросы бывают двух основных типов:

  • закрытые вопросы (вопросы с ответом «да/нет»);
  • открытые вопросы (вопросы, на которые можно дать развернутый ответ).

Закрытые вопросы

Чтобы построить вопрос «да/нет», нужно поставить модальный или вспомогательный глагол в начало предложения. Получится следующая структура: вспомогательный/модальный глагол – подлежащее – сказуемое. Следующие примеры вам помогут понять, как утвердительное предложение преобразовать в вопросительное.

She goes to the gym on Mondays. — Она ходит в зал по понедельникам.
Does she go to the gym on Mondays? — Ходит ли она в зал по понедельникам?

He can speak English fluently. — Он умеет бегло говорить по-английски.
Can he speak English fluently? — Умеет ли он бегло говорить по-английски?

Simon has always loved Katy. — Саймон всегда любил Кэти.
Has Simon always loved Katy? — Всегда ли Саймон любил Кэти?

Обратите внимание! Если в предложении есть только глагол to be, то в Present Simple и Past Simple мы перенесем его в начало предложения.

She was at home all day yesterday. — Она была дома весь день.
Was she at home all day yesterday? — Она была дома весь день?

They’re tired. — Они устали.
Are they tired? — Они устали?

Открытые вопросы

В вопросах открытого типа порядок слов такой же, только в начало предложения необходимо добавить вопросительное слово. Тогда структура предложения будет следующая: вопросительное слово – вспомогательный/модальный глагол – подлежащее – сказуемое.

Перечислим вопросительные слова: what (что?, какой?), who (кто?), where (где?, куда?), why (почему?, зачем?), how (как?), when (когда?), which (который?), whose (чей?), whom (кого?, кому?).

He was at work on Monday. — В понедельник он весь день был на работе.
Where was he on Monday? — Где он был в понедельник?

She went to the cinema yesterday. — Она вчера ходила в кино.
Where did she go yesterday? — Куда она вчера ходила?

My father watches Netflix every day. — Мой отец каждый день смотрит Netflix.
How often does your father watch Netflix? — Как часто твой отец смотрит Netflix?

Вопросы к подлежащему

В английском есть такой тип вопросов, как вопросы к подлежащему. У них порядок слов такой же, как и в утвердительных предложениях, только в начале будет стоять вопросительное слово вместо подлежащего. Сравните:

Who do you love? — Кого ты любишь? (подлежащее you)
Who loves you? — Кто тебя любит? (подлежащее who)

Whose phone did she find two days ago? — Чей телефон она вчера нашла? (подлежащее she)
Whose phone is ringing? — Чей телефон звонит? (подлежащее whose phone)

What have you done? — Что ты наделал? (подлежащее you)
What happened? — Что случилось? (подлежащее what)

Обратите внимание! После вопросительных слов who и what необходимо использовать глагол в единственном числе.

Who lives in this mansion? — Кто живет в этом особняке?
What makes us human? — Что делает нас людьми?

Косвенные вопросы

Если вам нужно что-то узнать и вы хотите звучать более вежливо, то можете начать свой вопрос с таких фраз, как: Could you tell me… ? (Можете подсказать… ?), Can you please help… ? (Можете помочь… ?) Далее задавайте вопрос, но используйте прямой порядок слов.

Could you tell me where is the post office is? — Не могли бы вы мне подсказать, где находится почта?
Do you know what time does the store opens? — Вы знаете, во сколько открывается магазин?

Если в косвенный вопрос мы трансформируем вопрос типа «да/нет», то перед вопросительной частью нам понадобится частица «ли» — if или whether.

Do you like action films? — Тебе нравятся боевики?
I wonder if/whether you like action films. — Мне интересно узнать, нравятся ли тебе экшн-фильмы.

Другие члены предложения

Прилагательное в английском стоит перед существительным, а наречие обычно — в конце предложения.

Grace Kelly was a beautiful woman. — Грейс Келли была красивой женщиной.
Andy reads well. — Энди хорошо читает.

Обстоятельство, как правило, стоит в конце предложения. Оно отвечает на вопросы как?, где?, куда?, почему?, когда?

There was no rain last summer. — Прошлым летом не было дождя.
The town hall is in the city center. — Администрация находится в центре города.

Если в предложении несколько обстоятельств, то их надо ставить в следующем порядке:

Подлежащее + сказуемое Обстоятельство (как?) Обстоятельство (где?) Обстоятельство (когда?) Перевод
Fergie didn’t perform very well at the concert two years ago. Ферги не очень хорошо выступила на концерте два года назад.

Чтобы подчеркнуть, когда или где что-то случилось, мы можем поставить обстоятельство места или времени в начало предложения:

Last Christmas I gave you my heart. But the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to someone special. — Прошлым Рождеством я подарил тебе свое сердце. Но уже на следующий день ты отдала его обратно. В этом году, чтобы больше не горевать, я подарю его кому-нибудь другому.

Если вы хотите преодолеть языковой барьер и начать свободно общаться с иностранцами, записывайтесь на разговорный курс английского.

Надеемся, эта статья была вам полезной и вы разобрались, как строить предложения в английском языке. Предлагаем пройти небольшой тест для закрепления темы.

Тест по теме «Порядок слов в английском предложении, часть 1»

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Порядок слов в английском предложении — это тема с одной стороны нетрудная, потому что основные правила просты, с другой — неисчерпаемая, потому что нюансы бесконечны. В этой статье мы не будем пытаться объять необъятное, а рассмотрим основные правила, принципы построения предложения в английском языке.

Предложение в английском языке может быть простым и сложным. Простое включает в себя одну грамматическую основу (подлежащее и сказуемое), сложное — две и более. Сложные предложения делятся на сложносочиненные, предложения в составе которого равноценны, и сложноподчиненные, состоящие из главного и придаточных предложений.

  • Подлежащее — действующее лицо или предмет в предложении, отвечает на вопросы: кто? что?

Mountains are beautiful. — Горы красивы.

  • Сказуемое — то, что говорится о подлежащем. Что делает подлежащее? Какое оно?

Mountains are beautiful. — Горы красивы.

  • Дополнение — лицо или предмет, на которое направлено действие. После некоторых глаголов возможны два дополнения: прямое, на которое действие направлено непосредственно, и косвенное, отвечающее на вопрос «кому?», — на него действие направлено косвенно.

He told me a joke. — Он рассказал мне анекдот.

В этом примере joke — прямое дополнение, me — косвенное.

  • Определение — признак предмета или лица, отвечает на вопросы: какой? какая? чей? и т. п.

This is my spot. — Это мое место.

  • Обстоятельство — показывает, когда, как, при каких обстоятельствах происходит действие.

I drive carefully. — Я вожу машину осторожно.

Особенность порядка слов в английском языке

В английском языке более строгий порядок слов, чем в русском. В русском языке мы с небольшими изменениями смысла можем переставлять слова в предложении:

  • Кошка преследует мышку.
  • Мышку преследует кошка.

Мы понимает, кто кого догоняет, поскольку в русском языке за подобные смысловые связи отвечают не только порядок слов и предлоги, но и падежные окончания (мышкУ, кошкА).

В английском падежных окончаний нет, поэтому так вольно переставлять слова нельзя — изменится смысл предложения:

  • A cat chases a mouse. — Кошка преследует мышку.
  • A mouse chases a cat. — Мышка преследует кошку.

Порядок слов в утвердительном и отрицательном предложении

В утвердительном предложении используется прямой порядок слов. Схема следующая: подлежащее, сказуемое, дополнение (если есть).

Подлежащее Сказуемое Дополнение
I see you
Я вижу тебя
We found a cat
Мы нашли кошку
Mark will help them
Марк поможет им

В отрицательном предложении порядок слов такой же. Разница в том, что в отрицательном предложении используется отрицательная частица not и вспомогательный глагол (will, do, be, have).

Подлежащее Сказуемое Дополнение
I will not tell the truth
Я не расскажу правду
We do not help rich people
Мы не помогаем богатым людям

Место определения

У определения нет четко зафиксированного места в предложении, оно может стоять при любом определяемом им существительном, например:

  • I see a white dog — Я вижу белую собаку (white — определение),
  • My friend will help me. — Мой друг мне поможет (my — определение).

Примечание: в схемах ниже определения не будут выделены как отдельный член предложения, чтобы не делать схемы слишком громоздкими.

Место косвенного дополнения

Косвенное дополнение может находиться до или после прямого дополнения.

Как правило, косвенное дополнение находится ДО прямого — в этом случае предлог перед косвенным дополнением не нужен.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Косвенное дополнение Прямое дополнение
I sent my sister a postcard
Я отправил моей сестре открытку
Anna gave a dog some food
Анна дала собаке немного еды

Косвенное дополнение может находиться после прямого — в этом случае используется предлог to.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Прямое дополнение Косвенное дополнение
I sent a postcard to my sister
Я отправил открытку моей сестре
Anna gave some food to a dog
Анна дала немного еды собаке

Место обстоятельства, выраженного наречием

Трудности часто вызывают обстоятельства, выраженные наречием. Рассмотрим основные правила.

1. Обстоятельство образа действия

Обстоятельство образа действия располагается после глагола, если он непереходный, то есть не требующий после себя дополнения.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Обстоятельство
He walked carefully
Он шел осторожно
Tina ran slowly
Тина бежала медленно

Если глагол переходный, то есть требующий после себя дополнения, наречие стоит перед глаголом или после дополнения.

Подлежащее Обстоятельство Сказуемое Прямое дополнение Обстоятельство
He calmly answered the question
Он спокойно ответил на вопрос
He answered the question calmly
Он ответил на вопрос спокойно

Совет: если вы путаетесь в переходных и непереходных глаголах, просто ставьте обстоятельства образа действия после глагола или дополнения (если оно есть) — не ошибетесь.

2. Обстоятельство места

Находятся после прямого дополнения или сказуемого.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Прямое дополнение Обстоятельство
I need that machine here
Мне нужен этот станок здесь
We stayed behind
Мы остались позади

3. Обстоятельство времени

Обстоятельство времени обычно располагается в конце предложения.

Подлежащее Сказуемое Косв. дополнение Прямое дополнение Обст. времени
I will tell you the story tomorrow
Я расскажу тебе историю завтра
Maria didn’t see you yesterday
Мария не видела тебя вчера

Оно может находиться и в начале.

Обст. времени Подлежащее Сказуемое Косв. дополнение Прямое дополнение
Tomorrow I will tell you the story
Завтра я расскажу тебе историю
Yesterday Maria didn’t see you
Вчера Мария не видела тебя

4. Обстоятельства времени, обозначающие частоту действия

Особый случай — обстоятельства, обозначающие частоту действия, например: always (всегда), seldom (редко), usually (обычно), never (никогда).

1. В предложениях без глагола to be в составе сказуемого «частотные» обстоятельства располагаются перед сказуемым.

Подлежащее Обстоятельство Сказуемое Дополнение
Helen rarely needs help
Хелен редко нужна помощь
I often read newspapers
Я часто читаю газеты

2. Если сказуемое включает глагол to be в одной из простых форм, то есть без вспомогательного глагола, обстоятельство ставится ПОСЛЕ to be.

Подлежащее Сказуемое to be Обстоятельство Обст. места
We are usually here
Мы обычно здесь

Даже если в предложении составное сказуемое (глагол to be + именная часть), обстоятельство все равно ставится после to be, отделяя его от именной части.

Подлежащее Глагольная часть сказуемого Обстоятельство Именная часть сказуемого
They are rarely not together
Они редко не вместе

3. Если сказуемое используется в сложной форме (вспомогательный глагол + глагол, в том числе to be), обстоятельство стоит между вспомогательным и основным глаголом.

Подлежащее Вспомогательный глагол Обстоятельство Основной глагол Дополнение
Martin has never met Lucy
Мартин никогда не встречал Люси
I will always remember you
Я буду всегда помнить тебя

Это касается и предложений с глаголом to be в сложной форме (то есть «вспомогательный глагол + to be»).

Подлежащее Вспомогательный глагол Обстоятельство Основной глагол Обстоятельство места
We have never been abroad
Мы никогда не были за границей
This house will always be here
Этот дом всегда будет здесь

Порядок слов в вопросительном предложении

В вопросительном предложении вспомогательный глагол выносится в начало предложения.

Вспомогательный глагол Подлежащее Основной глагол Дополнение
Do you need my assistance?
Вам нужна моя помощь?
Did your brother pass the exam?
Твой брат сдал экзамен?

Существует несколько видов вопросительных предложений, подробнее они разобраны в статье «Вопросы в английском языке: общие и специальные».

Порядок слов в придаточном предложении (в сложноподчиненном предложении)

В придаточных предложениях порядок слов простой — такой же как в утвердительном,

  • I know where you live. — Я знаю, где ты живешь.
  • I don’t know where you live. — Я не знаю, где ты живешь.
  • Do you know where I live? — Ты знаешь, где я живу?

Для наглядности представлю предложения в виде таблицы:

Основная часть Союз Придаточное предложение
I know where you live
I don’t know where you live
Do you know where I live?

Частая ошибка заключается в том, что в части предложения, начинающейся на союзы (в данном случае это союзы) who, why, when, where слова переставляют, как в вопросительном предложении.

  • Неправильно: I don’t know why did she call me.
  • Правильно: I don’t know why she called me.

В данном случае «…why she called me» — это вовсе не то же самое, что вопросительное предложение «Why did she call me?», а придаточное предложение. Порядок слов в нем — прямой, как в простом утвердительном предложении.

Особенно часто так ошибаются в сложноподчиненных вопросительных предложениях. В таком случае обратный порядок слов должен быть только в основной части (Do you know), но не в придаточной (where I live).

  • Неправильно: Do you know where do I live?
  • Правильно: Do you know where I live?
  • Неправильно: Do you know who was it?
  • Правильно: Do you know who it was?

General questions

In general questions, the auxiliary verb (do, be, have, will) is placed before the subject, and the main verb follows the subject, i.e., the word order is: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (+ object + adverbial modifier). Responses to general questions can be in the form of short «Yes» or «No» answers or in the form of full statements. (General questions are also called Yes / No questions or yes-no questions.) General questions are pronounced with rising intonation.

Do you live here? – Yes, I do. / Yes, I live here. – No, I don’t. / No, I don’t live here.

Does Bell work? – Yes, she does. – No, she doesn’t.

Did you like the film? – Yes, I did. – No, I didn’t like the film.

Are you reading now? – Yes. / Yes, I am. / Yes, I’m reading now. – No. / No, I am not. / No, I’m not reading.

Have the guests left already? – Yes, they have. – No, they haven’t.

Will you see him tomorrow? – Yes, I will. / Yes, I will see him. – No, I won’t. / No, I will not.

General questions with modal verbs have the same structure and word order.

Can you help me? – Yes, I can. / Yes, I can help you. – No, I can’t. / No, I can’t help you.

Should we call Maria? – Yes. / Yes, we should. – No. / No, we shouldn’t.

May I come in? – Yes, you may. – No, you may not.

In general questions with the verb BE as a main verb or a linking verb, the verb BE is placed before the subject.

Is he in Rome now? – Yes. / Yes, he is in Rome now. – No. / No, he isn’t.

Is Anna a teacher? – Yes, she is. / Yes, Anna is a teacher. – No, she isn’t. / No, Anna is not a teacher.

Were they happy? – Yes, they were. – No, they weren’t.

Word order in negative questions

Didn’t she like the film? – Yes, she did. / Yes, she liked the film. – No, she did not. / No, she didn’t like it.

Aren’t they reading now? – Yes, they are. / Yes, they are reading now. – No, they aren’t. / No, they are not reading now.

Isn’t he a student?

Hasn’t he left already?

Won’t you see him tomorrow?

Can’t you speak more slowly?

Note: Negative questions usually contain some emotion, for example, expecting «yes» for an answer, surprise, annoyance, mockery. Negative questions may sound impolite in some situations, for example, in requests. Read more about negative questions in Word Order in Requests and Requests and Permission in the section Grammar.

Special questions

When the question is put to any part of the sentence, except the subject, the word order after the interrogative word (e.g., how, whom, what, when, where, why) is the same as in general questions: interrogative + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (+ object + adverbial modifier). The answer is usually given in full, but short responses are also possible. Special questions (information questions) are pronounced with falling intonation.

How did you get there? – I got there by bus. / By bus.

How much did it cost? – It cost ten dollars. / Ten dollars.

How many people did he see? – He saw five people. / Five.

How long have you been here? – I’ve been here for a week. / For a week. / A week.

Who(m) will you ask? – I’ll ask Tom. / Tom.

What is he doing? – He’s sleeping. / Sleeping.

What did she say? – Nothing.

What book is he reading? – The Talisman.

Which coat did she choose? – The red one.

When is he leaving? – He’s leaving at six. / At six.

Where does she live? – She lives on Tenth Street. / On Tenth Street.

Where are you from? – I am from Russia. / From Russia.

Where did he go? – He went home. / Home.

Why are you late? – I missed my bus.

Why didn’t you call me? – I’m sorry. I forgot.

Questions to the subject

When the interrogative word «who» or «what» is the subject in the question (i.e., the question is put to the subject), the question is asked without an auxiliary verb, and the word order is that of a statement: interrogative word (i.e., the subject) + predicate (+ object + adverbial modifier). The same word order is used when the subject of the question is in the form of which / whose / how many + noun.

Who told you about it? – Tom told me. / Tom did. / Tom.

Who called her yesterday? – I called her. / I did.

Who will tell him about it? – I will.

Who hasn’t read this book yet? – I haven’t.

What happened? – I lost my bag.

What made you do it? – I don’t know.

Which coat is yours? – This coat is mine. / This one.

Whose book is this? – It’s mine.

How many people came to work? – Ten people came to work. / Ten.

Note: «who» and «whom»

Nominative case – who; objective case – whom. The interrogative word «whom» is often replaced by «who» in everyday speech and writing, but «who» is an object in this case, not the subject, i.e., it is not a question to the subject. Consequently, an auxiliary verb is required for the formation of special questions in which «who» is used instead of «whom», and the word order in them is that of a question, not of a statement. Compare:

Who saw you? – Tom saw me.

Who / whom did you see? – I saw Anna.

Who asked her to do it? – Ben asked her.

Who / whom did she ask for help? – She asked Mike to help her.

Prepositions at the end of questions

When the interrogatives «what, whom/who» ask a question to the object with a preposition, the preposition is often placed at the end of the question after the predicate (or after the direct object, if any), especially in everyday speech.

What are you talking about? – I’m talking about our plans.

What are you interested in? – I’m interested in psychology.

Who are you looking at? – I’m looking at Sandra.

Who does it depend on? – It depends on my brother.

Who are you playing tennis with on Friday? – I’m playing tennis with Maria.

Who did she make a pie for? – She made a pie for her co-workers.

Note that not all prepositions can be placed at the end of such special questions, and the preposition at the end should not be too far from the interrogative word. In formal speech and writing, placing the preposition before the interrogative word in long constructions is often considered more appropriate. For example: With whom are you playing tennis on Friday? For whom did she make a pie?

Alternative questions

Word order in alternative questions (questions with a choice) is the same as in general questions. The answer is usually given in full because you need to make a choice, but short responses are also possible. Use the rising tone on the first element of the choice (before «or») and the falling tone on the second element of the choice.

Is your house large or small? – My house is small. / It’s small.

Are you a first-year or a third-year student? – I’m a third-year student.

Would you like tea or coffee? – I’d like coffee, please.

Would you like to go to a restaurant or would you rather eat at home? – I’d rather eat at home.

Alternative questions are sometimes asked in the form of special questions:

Where does he live: in Paris or Rome? – He lives in Rome. / In Rome.

Which do you like more: hazelnuts or walnuts? – I like hazelnuts more than walnuts. / Hazelnuts.

Tag questions

A tag question (a disjunctive question) consists of two parts. The first part is a declarative sentence (a statement). The second part is a short general question (the tag). If the statement is affirmative, the tag is negative. If the statement is negative, the tag is affirmative. Use falling intonation in the first part and rising or falling intonation in the second part of the tag question.

With the verb BE:

It’s a nice day, isn’t it?

He is here now, isn’t he?

It was true, wasn’t it?

He wasn’t invited, was he?

With main verbs:

You know him, don’t you?

He went there, didn’t he?

She will agree, won’t she?

He hasn’t seen her, has he?

He’s sleeping, isn’t he?

He didn’t study French, did he?

With modal verbs:

You can swim, can’t you?

He should go, shouldn’t he?

I shouldn’t do it, should I?

Responses to tag questions

Responses to tag questions can be in the form of short «Yes» or «No» answers or in the form of full statements. Despite the fact that tag questions are asked to get confirmation, the answer may be negative.

You live here, don’t you?

Yes, I do. / Yes, I live here. (agreement)

No, I don’t. / No, I don’t live here. (disagreement)

You don’t live here, do you?

No, I don’t. / No, I don’t live here. (agreement)

Yes, I do. / Yes, I live here. (disagreement)

It was difficult, wasn’t it?

Yes, it was. / Yes, it was difficult. (agreement)

No, it wasn’t. / No, it wasn’t difficult. (disagreement)

It wasn’t difficult, was it?

No, it wasn’t. / No, it wasn’t difficult. (agreement)

Yes, it was. / Yes, it was difficult. (disagreement)

(Intonation in different types of questions is described in Falling Intonation and Rising Intonation in the section Phonetics.)

Порядок слов в вопросах

Общие вопросы

В общих вопросах, вспомогательный глагол (do, be, have, will) ставится перед подлежащим, а основной глагол следует за подлежащим, т.е. порядок слов такой: вспомогательный глагол + подлежащее + основной глагол (+ дополнение + обстоятельство). Ответы на общие вопросы могут быть в виде кратких ответов Yes или No или в виде полных повествовательных предложений. (Общие вопросы также называются Yes / No questions или yes-no questions.) Общие вопросы произносятся с интонацией повышения.

Вы живете здесь? – Да, живу. / Да, я живу здесь. – Нет, не живу. / Нет, я не живу здесь.

Белл работает? – Да, она работает. – Нет, она не работает.

Вам понравился фильм? – Да, понравился. – Нет, мне не понравился фильм.

Вы читаете сейчас? – Да. / Да, читаю. / Да, я читаю сейчас. – Нет. / Нет, не читаю. / Нет, я не читаю.

Гости уже ушли? – Да, они ушли. – Нет, они не ушли.

Вы увидите его завтра? – Да, увижу. / Да, я увижу его. – Нет, не увижу.

Общие вопросы с модальными глаголами имеют такое же строение и порядок слов.

Вы можете мне помочь? – Да, могу. / Да, я могу помочь вам. – Нет, не могу. / Нет, я не могу помочь вам.

Следует ли нам позвонить Марии? – Да. / Да, следует. – Нет. / Нет, не следует.

Можно мне войти? – Да, можно. – Нет, нельзя.

В общих вопросах с глаголом BE как основным глаголом или глаголом-связкой, глагол BE ставится перед подлежащим.

Он сейчас в Риме? – Да. / Да, он сейчас в Риме. – Нет.

Анна учитель? – Да. / Да, Анна учитель. – Нет. / Нет, Анна не учитель.

Они были счастливы? – Да, были. – Нет, не были.

Порядок слов в отрицательных вопросах

Разве ей не понравился фильм? – Да, понравился. / Да, ей понравился фильм. – Нет, не понравился. / Нет, ей он не понравился.

Разве они не читают сейчас? – Да, читают. / Да, они читают сейчас. – Нет, не читают. / Нет, они не читают сейчас.

Разве он не студент?

Разве он уже не ушел?

Разве вы не увидите его завтра?

Разве вы не можете говорить помедленнее?

Примечание: Отрицательные вопросы обычно содержат какую-то эмоцию, например, ожидание ответа yes, удивление, раздражение, насмешку. Отрицательные вопросы могут звучать невежливо в некоторых ситуациях, например, в просьбах. Прочитайте еще об отрицательных вопросах в статьях Word Order in Requests и Requests and Permission в разделе Grammar.

Специальные вопросы

Когда вопрос ставится к любому члену предложения, кроме подлежащего, порядок слов после вопросительного слова (например, как, кого, что, когда, где, почему) такой же, как в общих вопросах: вопросительное слово + вспомогательный глагол + подлежащее + основной глагол (+ дополнение + обстоятельство). Ответ обычно дается полностью, но краткие ответы тоже возможны. Специальные вопросы (информационные вопросы) произносятся с интонацией понижения.

Как вы туда добрались? – Я добрался туда автобусом. / Автобусом.

Сколько это стоило? – Это стоило десять долларов. / Десять долларов.

Сколько человек он увидел? – Он увидел пять человек. / Пять.

Сколько вы здесь пробыли? – Я пробыл здесь неделю. / Неделю. / Неделю.

Кого вы спросите? – Я спрошу Тома. / Тома.

Что он делает? – Он спит. / Спит.

Что она сказала? – Ничего.

Какую книгу он читает? – «Талисман».

Которое пальто она выбрала? – Красное.

Когда он уезжает? – Он уезжает в шесть. / В шесть.

Где она живет? – Она живет на Десятой улице. / На Десятой улице.

Откуда вы? – Я из России. / Из России.

Куда он пошел? – Он пошел домой. / Домой.

Почему вы опоздали? – Я пропустил свой автобус.

Почему вы мне не позвонили? – Извините. Я забыл.

Вопросы к подлежащему

Когда вопросительное слово who или what является подлежащим в вопросе (т.е. вопрос ставится к подлежащему), вопрос задается без вспомогательного глагола и порядок слов как в повествовательном предложении: вопросительное слово (т.е. подлежащее) + сказуемое (+ дополнение + обстоятельство). Такой же порядок слов, когда подлежащее в вопросе в виде which / whose / how many + существительное.

Кто вам сказал об этом? – Том сказал мне. / Том.

Кто ей звонил вчера? – Я звонил ей. / Я звонил.

Кто ему скажет об этом? – Я скажу.

Кто еще не прочитал эту книгу? – Я не прочитал.

Что случилось? – Я потерял свою сумку.

Что заставило вас сделать это? – Не знаю.

Которое пальто ваше? – Это пальто мое. / Вот это.

Чья это книга? – Моя.

Сколько человек пришли на работу? – Десять человек пришли на работу. / Десять.

Примечание: who и whom

Именительный падеж – who; косвенный падеж – whom. Вопросительное слово whom часто заменяется словом who в разговорной устной и письменной речи, но who в этом случае дополнение, а не подлежащее, т.е. это не вопрос к подлежащему. Следовательно, требуется вспомогательный глагол для образования специальных вопросов, в которых вопросительное слово who употреблено вместо whom, и порядок слов в них как в вопросе, а не как в повествовательном предложении. Сравните:

Кто видел вас? – Том видел меня.

Кого вы видели? – Я видел Анну.

Кто попросил ее сделать это? – Бен попросил ее.

Кого она попросила о помощи? – Она попросила Майка помочь ей.

Предлоги в конце вопросов

Когда вопросительные слова what, whom/who задают вопрос к дополнению с предлогом, предлог часто ставится в конец вопроса после сказуемого (или после прямого дополнения, если оно есть), особенно в разговорной речи.

О чем вы говорите? – Я говорю о наших планах.

Чем вы интересуетесь? – Я интересуюсь психологией.

На кого вы смотрите? – Я смотрю на Сандру.

От кого это зависит? – Это зависит от моего брата.

С кем вы играете в теннис в пятницу? – Я играю в теннис с Марией.

Для кого она сделала пирог? – Она сделала пирог для своих сотрудников.

Отметьте, что не все предлоги можно поместить в конец таких специальных вопросов, и предлог в конце предложения не должен быть слишком далеко от вопросительного слова. В официальной устной и письменной речи, помещение предлога перед вопросительным словом в длинных конструкциях часто считается более подходящим. Например: With whom are you playing tennis on Friday? For whom did she make a pie?

Альтернативные вопросы

Порядок слов в альтернативных вопросах (вопросах с выбором) такой же, как в общих вопросах. Ответ обычно дается полностью, потому что нужно сделать выбор, но краткие ответы тоже возможны. Употребите тон повышения на первом элементе выбора (перед or) и тон понижения на втором элементе выбора.

Ваш дом большой или маленький? – Мой дом маленький. / Маленький.

Вы студент первого или третьего курса? – Я студент третьего курса.

Вы хотели бы чай или кофе? – Я хотел бы кофе, пожалуйста.

Вы хотели бы пойти в ресторан или предпочли бы поесть дома? – Я предпочел бы поесть дома.

Альтернативные вопросы иногда задаются в форме специальных вопросов:

Где он живет: в Париже или Риме? – Он живет в Риме. / В Риме.

Что вы больше любите: фундук или грецкие орехи? – Я люблю фундук больше, чем грецкие орехи. / Фундук.

Разъединенные вопросы

Разъединенный вопрос (разделительный вопрос, расчлененный вопрос) состоит из двух частей. Первая часть – повествовательное предложение (утверждение). Вторая часть – краткий общий вопрос. Если повествовательное предложение утвердительное, краткий вопрос отрицательный. Если предложение отрицательное, краткий вопрос утвердительный. Употребите интонацию понижения в первой части и интонацию повышения или понижения во второй части разъединенного вопроса.

С глаголом BE:

Приятный день, не так ли?

Он здесь сейчас, не так ли?

Это была правда, не так ли?

Его не пригласили, не так ли?

С основными глаголами:

Вы знаете его, не так ли?

Он пошел туда, не так ли?

Она согласится, не так ли?

Он не видел ее, не так ли?

Он спит, не так ли?

Он не изучал французский язык, не так ли?

С модальными глаголами:

Вы можете плавать, не так ли?

Ему следует идти, не так ли?

Мне не следует этого делать, не так ли?

Ответы на разделительные вопросы

Ответы на разделительные вопросы могут быть в виде кратких ответов Yes или No или в виде полных повествовательных предложений. Несмотря на то, что разъединенные вопросы задаются для получения подтверждения, ответ может быть отрицательным.

Вы живете здесь, не так ли?

Да, живу. / Да, я живу здесь. (согласие)

Нет, не живу. / Нет, я не живу здесь. (несогласие)

Вы не живете здесь, не так ли?

Нет, не живу. / Нет, я не живу здесь. (согласие)

Нет, живу. / Нет, я живу здесь. (несогласие)

Это было трудно, не так ли?

Да, трудно. / Да, это было трудно. (согласие)

Нет, не трудно. / Нет, это было не трудно. (несогласие)

Это было не трудно, не так ли?

Нет, не трудно. / Нет, это было не трудно. (согласие)

Нет, трудно. / Нет, это было трудно. (несогласие)

(Интонация в различных типах вопросов описывается в статьях Falling Intonation и Rising Intonation в разделе Phonetics.)

Normally, sentences in the English language take a simple form. However, there are times it would be a little complex. In these cases, the basic rules for how words appear in a sentence can help you.

Word order typically refers to the way the words in a sentence are arranged. In the English language, the order of words is important if you wish to accurately and effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas.

Although there are some exceptions to these rules, this article aims to outline some basic sentence structures that can be used as templates. Also, the article provides the rules for the ordering of adverbs and adjectives in English sentences.

Basic Sentence Structure and word order rules in English

For English sentences, the simple rule of thumb is that the subject should always come before the verb followed by the object. This rule is usually referred to as the SVO word order, and then most sentences must conform to this. However, it is essential to know that this rule only applies to sentences that have a subject, verb, and object.

For example

Subject + Verb + Object

He loves food

She killed the rat

Sentences are usually made of at least one clause. A clause is a string of words with a subject(noun) and a predicate (verb). A sentence with just one clause is referred to as a simple sentence, while those with more than one clause are referred to as compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences.

The following is an explanation and example of the most commonly used clause patterns in the English language.

check markInversion

The English word order is inverted in questions. The subject changes its place in a question. Also, English questions usually begin with a verb or a helping verb if the verb is complex.

For example

Verb + Subject + object

Can you finish the assignment?

Did you go to work?

SVOMPT word order

SVOMPT word order

check markIntransitive Verbs

Some sentences use verbs that require no object or nothing else to follow them. These verbs are generally referred to as intransitive verbs. With intransitive verbs, you can form the most basic sentences since all that is required is a subject (made of one noun) and a predicate (made of one verb).

For example

Subject + verb

John eats

Christine fights

check markLinking Verbs

Linking verbs are verbs that connect a subject to the quality of the subject. Sentences that use linking verbs usually contain a subject, the linking verb and a subject complement or predicate adjective in this order.

For example

Subject + verb + Subject complement/Predicate adjective

The dress was beautiful

Her voice was amazing

check markTransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that tell what the subject did to something else. Sentences that use transitive verbs usually contain a subject, the transitive verb, and a direct object, usually in this order.

For example

Subject + Verb + Direct object

The father slapped his son

The teacher questioned his students

check markIndirect Objects

Sentences with transitive verbs can have a mixture of direct and indirect objects. Indirect objects are usually the receiver of the action or the audience of the direct object.

For example

Subject + Verb + IndirectObject + DirectObject

He gave the man a good job.

The singer gave the crowd a spectacular concert.

The order of direct and indirect objects can also be reversed. However, for the reversal of the order, there needs to be the inclusion of the preposition “to” before the indirect object. The addition of the preposition transforms the indirect object into what is called a prepositional phrase.

For example

Subject + Verb + DirectObject + Preposition + IndirectObject

He gave a lot of money to the man

The singer gave a spectacular concert to the crowd.

check markAdverbials

Adverbs are phrases or words that modify or qualify a verb, adjective, or other adverbs. They typically provide information on the when, where, how, and why of an action. Adverbs are usually very difficult to place as they can be in different positions in a sentence. Changing the placement of an adverb in a sentence can change the meaning or emphasis of that sentence.

Therefore, adverbials should be placed as close as possible to the things they modify, generally before the verbs.

For example

He hastily went to work.

He hurriedly ate his food.

However, if the verb is transitive, then the adverb should come after the transitive verb.

For example

John sat uncomfortably in the examination exam.

She spoke quietly in the class

The adverb of place is usually placed before the adverb of time

For example

John goes to work every morning

They arrived at school very late

The adverb of time can also be placed at the beginning of a sentence

For example

On Sunday he is traveling home

Every evening James jogs around the block

When there is more than one verb in the sentence, the adverb should be placed after the first verb.

For example

Peter will never forget his first dog

She has always loved eating rice.

check markAdjectives

Adjectives commonly refer to words that are used to describe someone or something. Adjectives can appear almost anywhere in the sentence.

Adjectives can sometimes appear after the verb to be

For example

He is fat

She is big

Adjectives can also appear before a noun.

For example

A big house

A fat boy

However, some sentences can contain more than one adjective to describe something or someone. These adjectives have an order in which they can appear before a now. The order is

Opinion – size – physical quality – shape – condition – age – color – pattern – origin – material – type – purpose

If more than one adjective is expected to come before a noun in a sentence, then it should follow this order. This order feels intuitive for native English speakers. However, it can be a little difficult to unpack for non-native English speakers.

For example

The ugly old woman is back

The dirty red car parked outside your house

When more than one adjective comes after a verb, it is usually connected by and

For example

The room is dark and cold

Having said that, Susan is tall and big

Get an expert to perfect your paper

scientific editing and proofreading

Порядок слов в английском меняется редко: каждый член предложения находится на своём месте. Если переставить слова местами, носитель языка может тебя не понять. Рассказываем, как запомнить порядок слов в английском, что такое инверсия и зачем её использовать. А также дарим промокод на интенсив по лексике и разговорному английскому.

Чтобы понять, как устроен порядок слов в английском, вспомним, из чего состоит предложение. 

Члены предложения в английском

Как и в русском языке, предложение в английском состоит из главных и второстепенных членов.

Главные члены предложения

  • Subject (Подлежащее

Субъект, который выполняет действие. Отвечает на вопрос Who? (Кто?) или What? (Что?).

The dog barks. — Собака лает. (the dog — подлежащее)

  • Predicate (Сказуемое

Обозначает действие, которое выполняет субъект. Выражено глаголом или глагольными конструкциями. 

The dog barks. — Собака лает. (barks — сказуемое)

Второстепенные члены предложения

  • Object (Дополнение

Объект, на который направлено действие. Дополнение в английском бывает direct (прямым), indirect (косвенным беспредложным) и prepositional (косвенным предложным)

Direct object (Прямое дополнение) Indirect object  (Непрямое дополнение) Prepositional Object (Косвенное дополнение)
Whom? (Кого?) What? (Что?) To whom? (Кому?) About whom? (О ком?) About what? (О чём?) With whom? (С кем?) For whom? (Для кого?).

The dog barks at me. — Собака лает на меня. (at me — косвенное дополнение)

  • Attribute (Определение

Характеристика подлежащего или дополнения. Отвечает на вопросы What? (Какой?), What kind? (Какого типа?), Which one? (Который?). 

The small dog barks. — Маленькая собака лает. (small — определение)

  • Adverbial modifier (Обстоятельство)

Указывает на признак, причину, время и место действия. Отвечает на вопросы When? (Когда?), How? (Как?), Where? (Где?), Why? (Почему?)

The dog barks outside. — Собака лает снаружи. (outside — обстоятельство)

В отличие от русского языка, где нет строго закреплённой позиции у того или иного слова, в английском каждому члену предложения отведено своё место. Переставлять их нельзя, потому что изменится смысл. Сравни:

Mary likes John very much. Мэри очень нравится Джон.

John likes Mary very much. Джону очень нравится Мэри

Мы поменяли местами подлежащее Mary и дополнение John, и смысл предложения кардинально изменился. Поэтому запомни:   

Порядок слов в английских предложениях строгий и фиксированный.  

Ниже найдёшь правила и таблицы, по которым легко сможешь правильно построить предложение в английском.

Типичный порядок слов

Порядок слов в утвердительных предложениях

Обычный порядок слов в английском языке выглядит так: 

Subject Predicate (Verb) Object

Сначала идёт подлежащее, потом сказуемое, затем дополнение. Это называется direct word order (прямой порядок слов).

The girl got the flowers. — Девушка получила цветы.

При этом, если к подлежащему относится определение, оно ставится перед ним. 

The beautiful girl got the flowers. — Красивая девушка получила цветы.

Всё усложняется, если в предложении есть несколько дополнений и обстоятельств. В этом случае нужно чётко определить их вид и расположить согласно таблице:

I gave my mother the flowers with pleasure at home yesterday. —  Вчера дома я с удовольствием подарил маме цветы.

I gave the flowers to my mother. — Я подарил цветы маме.

Five minutes ago I gave the flowers to my mother with pleasure at home. — Пять минут назад дома я с удовольствием подарил цветы маме. 

*  Порядок слов при переводе на русский может отличаться от английского. 

Обрати внимание, что обстоятельства времени или места могут стоять как в начале, так и в конце предложения.

Yesterday, he wrote a poem. — Вчера он написал стихотворение.

He wrote a poem yesterday. — Он написал стихотворение вчера.

Место прилагательных в предложении

По правилам английского, прилагательное ставится перед существительным, к которому относится. Если прилагательных больше, чем одно, их порядок определяется следующим образом: 

Порядок прилагательных в предложении: мнение/оценка — размер — возраст — форма — цвет — происхождение — материал — применение

These are cool big new square purple Italian silk pillow cases. — Это классные большие новые квадратные фиолетовые итальянские шёлковые наволочки для подушек. (pillow cases дословно подушечные наволочки)

Место наречий в предложении

Общее правило: наречие в английском идёт после глагола, но перед прилагательным или другим наречием. 

Mike acts quickly when I ask him to help. Mike is a very brave man. — Майк  быстро реагирует, когда я прошу помощи. Майк очень смелый человек.

Существуют также особые правила для конкретного типа наречий.

  • Наречия частоты идут перед глаголами.

My sister sometimes has her nails done by herself. — Моя сестра иногда сама делает себе маникюр.

  • Наречия степени ставятся перед главными глаголами, но после вспомогательных.

I totally get what you mean. — Я точно понял, что ты имел в виду. 

I don’t really get what you mean. — Я не совсем понял, что ты имел в виду.

  • Наречия места и времени обычно идут в конце предложения.

Mike will be here at 6 pm. — Майк будет здесь в шесть вечера.

  • Наречия, которые относятся ко всему предложению, идут в начале. 

Unfortunately I cannot come to you party. — К сожалению, я не смогу прийти на твою вечеринку. 

Если в предложении несколько наречий, они расставляются по правилу: 

наречие образа действия наречие места наречие времени

She looked prettily in her new dress that day. — Она выглядела мило в новом платье в тот день.

Если в предложении есть глагол движения (to go, to come, to leave), наречия идут так: 

наречие места наречие образа действия наречие времени. 

He left for Paris suddenly yesterday. — Вчера он внезапно уехал в Париж. 

Порядок слов в отрицательных предложениях

В отрицательных предложениях сохраняется прямой порядок слов Subject Predicate (Verb) Object, а частица not ставится после вспомогательного глагола. 

The girl did not get the flowers. — Девушка не получила цветы. 

At the moment, I do not have my phone. — Сейчас у меня нет с собой телефона.

Порядок слов в вопросительных предложениях

Вопросительные предложения в английском строятся по следующим правилам: 

  • В общих вопросах вспомогательный (to have, to be, to do) или модальный глагол ставится перед подлежащим, далее сохраняется прямой порядок слов. 

Can I take your book? — Могу я взять твою книгу?

Do you have a book? — У тебя есть книга?

Is it your book? — Это твоя книга?

  • Вопросительное слово всегда ставится в начале.

Why do you have that book? — Почему у тебя есть та книга?

  • В вопросах к определению любого члена предложения за вопросительным словом ставится существительное.

What book do you have? — Какая у тебя есть книга?

  • Если вопросительное слово идёт с предлогом, тот ставится после сказуемого. Если в вопросе есть дополнение, предлог ставится после него. 

What are you reading about? — О чём читаешь? 

Если ты уже очумел от непонятных правил и грамматических конструкций, набил шишек на временах и предлогах, пришло время разобраться с английской грамматикой раз и навсегда. Наши пособия «Grammar Is All You Need» и «12-in-1 Tenses Handbook» тебе в этом помогут. В них нет никаких занудных правил и сложных примеров, всё чётко и по фану!

Нетипичный порядок слов в английском

Когда мы хотим сделать акцент в предложении на определённой идее или добавить ей эмоциональности, можно нарушить прямой порядок слов и применить инверсию (Inversion). Это значит — поменять местами подлежащее и сказуемое. 

Самый простой пример инверсии в английском — это вопросительные предложения. О них мы рассказали выше. Но существуют и более сложные случаи её употребления. 

Тему инверсии обычно проходят на уровне Upper-Intermediate. Чтобы определить свой уровень английского, пройди наш короткий тест.

Наречия отрицания

Если в предложении есть наречия never (никогда), seldom (изредка), rarely (редко), scarcely (вряд ли), hardly (едва), in vain (напрасно), no sooner (не раньше), можно применить инверсию, чтобы эмоционально усилить отрицание.

Сравни:

They had never been to New York. — Они никогда не были в Нью-Йорке.

Never had they been to New York. — Никогда они не были в Нью-Йорке.

У этих двух предложений один и тот же смысл, только второй вариант на английском звучит выразительнее. Образуется такая инверсия по схеме:

AdverbAuxiliary VerbSubject  — Verb

Seldom can he visit his grandparents. Изредка он может навещать своих дедушку и бабушку.

Rarely does it snow in Africa. — Редко бывает, что снег идёт в Африке.

Это же правило относится и к наречию little с отрицательным значением. 

Little did they know what to do. — Они совсем не знали, что делать.

Наречия с not

Если предложение начинается с not since (с тех пор как, ни разу), not till/until (пока не), инверсия происходит в главном предложении.

Not till I called him did I calm down. Пока я ему не позвонил, я не успокоился.

Устойчивые выражения с no

В английском инверсию можно применять в предложениях с выражениями on no account (ни в коем случае), under no circumstances (ни при каких обстоятельствах), in no way (никоим образом), at no time (никогда).

Under no circumstances should you go outside. Ни при каких обстоятельствах не выходи на улицу.

In no way did he want to hurt you. Никоим образом он не хотел тебя обидеть.

Only 

Также инверсия в английском используется в предложениях после указателей времени со словом only (только). 

Only once before have I lost my keys. — Лишь однажды я терял свои ключи.

Only when he left did I remember about present to him. — Только когда он ушёл, я вспомнил про подарок для него.

Here и there

Инверсия может применяться после слов here (вот, здесь, тут) и there (там), когда они являются обстоятельством места, а подлежащее выражено существительным. 

Here comes the sun! — Вот выходит солнце! 

I looked back and there stood Benjamin, all covered in paint. — Я оглянулся, и там стоял Бенджамин, весь перемазанный в краске. 

Если подлежащее выражено местоимением, это правило не работает.

Here are we. Here we are. — Вот и мы.

So.. that, such… that

Подчеркнуть чьё-либо качество можно также с помощью инверсии.

She was so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off. — Она была настолько красивой, что я не мог отвести глаз.

Инверсия: So beautiful was she that I couldn’t take my eyes off. 

Условные предложения

Инверсию можно использовать во всех типах условных предложений, кроме нулевого. Для этого следует убрать if (если) и вынести в начало предложения вспомогательный глагол. Как образуются условные наклонения, сколько их и чем они отличаются, объяснили на примерах из фильма «Джокер». 

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact me. — Если у вас будут вопросы, свяжитесь со мной.

Хочешь научиться свободно использовать инверсию в своей речи, а также научиться увлекательно излагать свои мысли и рассказывать истории? Записывайся на интенсив «Думай и говори как носитель» с Веней Паком и Тикеей Дей. По промокоду HERECOMES тебя ждёт скидка в 10 $ на любой тариф курса.

Что почитать: 

Современные учебники английского для самостоятельного изучения языка

Таблица неправильных глаголов в английском и советы по их изучению

Словообразование в английском: таблица английских суффиксов и префиксов

Как выучить все английские времена

План по совершенствованию английского: пять простых шагов

Тайм-менеджмент в изучении английского языка

Tip: See my list of the Most Common Mistakes in English. It will teach you how to avoid mis­takes with com­mas, pre­pos­i­tions, ir­reg­u­lar verbs, and much more.

Word order differs between questions and subordinate clauses (i.e. sentences beginning like “the place where …”, “the time when …”, “the man who …”). Clauses beginning with “why”, “where”, “when”, etc., are often misleading because they look like questions but aren’t.

The rule here is that word order in subordinate clauses is exactly the same as in ordinary (non-question) sentences, e.g.:

I don’t know why someone does something.
I don’t know why someone

is

doing something.

(notice that “does” and “is doing” comes after “someone”). For example:

correct I don’t know why she did it.

wrong I don’t know why

did

she do it.

correct I don’t know why she

has

done it.

wrong I don’t know why

has

she done it.

The same would happen in a question:

correct Do you know why she did it?

wrong Do you know why

did

she do it?

correct Do you know why she

is

doing that?

wrong Do you know why

is

she doing that?

But isn’t word order different in questions? Yes, but the question is “Do you know …?”. The part “why she did it” is a subordinate clause, no matter what comes before it. People tend to make mistakes especially after “who” and “what”:

correct Do you know who he is?

wrong Do you know who is he?

The structure is slightly different if there is no subject in the subordinate clause, i.e. when we actually ask about the subject:

Do you know who did it?

Since it has the same as the structure as the corresponding question, it shouldn’t pose any problems.

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In English, the word order is strict. That means we can’t place parts of the sentence wherever we want, but we should follow some certain rules when making sentences. These rules apply not only to formal language but also to everyday spoken English. So, we should learn and always follow them.

Direct word order and inversion

When the sentence is positive (affirmative), the word order is direct. That means the verb follows the subject.

Examples

Caroline is a local celebrity. Caroline = subject, is = verb

We work remotely. We = subject, work = verb

You have been learning Spanish for two years. You= subject, have been learning = verb

In questions (interrogative sentences) the subject and the verb swap places. We call it indirect word order, or inversion.

Examples

Am I right? WRONG I am right?

How old are they? WRONG How old they are?

What day is it today? WRONG What day it is today?

If there is an auxiliary verb, its first word will precede the subject.

Examples

Are you sleeping?

Have you read my message?

Will you help me, please?

Has anyone been looking for me?

Will he have finished the job by 5 o’clock?

Direct and indirect objects

The object normally goes right after the verb. We don’t put any other words between them.

I like my job very much. WRONG like very much my job

He meets his friends every Friday. WRONG meets every Friday his friends

In the examples above, the object is direct. A direct object answers the question «whom» or «what» and there is no preposition after the verb. If we can’t put the object without a preposition (talk to smb, agree with smb, rely on smb), the object is indirect.

I’m not satisfied with my test score.

Let’s talk about the new project.

Now, if we have two objects, one is indirect and the other is direct, then the direct object has the priority to go first.

The professor explained the concept to the students. WRONG to the student the concept

He said nothing about those errors. WRONG about those errors nothing

If there are two direct objects and one of them is a pronoun, the pronoun goes behind the verb.

Could you show me the way, please? WRONG the way me

They wished her luck. WRONG luck her

Place and time

Expressions of time and place usually go together after the verb and the object (if there is one). We first indicate the place (where, where to) and then the time (when, how often, how long).

Examples

We go {to the theatre} {every month}. where=to the theatre, how often=every month

There were lots of people {in the park} {on Sunday}. where=in the park, when=on Sunday

Jim will give me a lift {to the station} {after the meeting}. where to=to the station, when=after the meeting

lt is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence.

At this time tomorrow, we’ll be going to the airport.

Sometimes I want to be alone.

Summary

Let’s briefly sum up the rules:

  1. Positive sentence: subject + verb. Question sentence: verb + subject
  2. Do not split the verb and the object
  3. Direct objects go before the indirect objects
  4. If one of two direct objects is a pronoun, it goes first
  5. Place goes before time

как задать вопрос к подлежащему в английском

The subject is the main member of the sentence that answers the question «Who?» or «What?»

English interrogative pronouns What and Who

! In letter combination wh Only one letter is «read»: a sound is pronounced [w] or [H] !
Dictionary:

Who [hu:] — who?
What [wOt] — what?, what?, who is by profession / occupation? (if the question is about a person)

*** I wonder what native English speakers can pronounce wh at the beginning of words is not easy  [w], and [hw], Sounds [w] и [H] both sound, but change places (you can listen, for example, on the website lingvo-online.ru). In dictionaries in the transcription of such words, you will see [(h) w] — this means that the sound [H] may or may not be pronounced, for example what [(h) wɔt].

One of the exercises used in teaching English is to ask a question to a specific member of a sentence. The easiest way is to ask a question about the subject, because for this you only need replace subject with a question wordwithout forgetting about coordination of the verb with the subject (!).
In these examples, pay attention to the verbs is и (S):

this boy is happy. He s to sing. — This boy is happy. He likes to sing. These girls are happy. They to sing. — These girls are happy. They like to sing. — Who is happy? — Who is happy? — The boy is. / The girls are. — Boy. / Girls. — Who s to sing? — Who likes to sing? (or Who likes to sing?) — The boy does. / The girls do. — Boy. / Girls.

The question is asked the same for the subject in singular (boy) and plural (girls). Everything is the same as in Russian. It doesn’t matter if one or more people can play the guitar:

Who plays the guitar? — Who plays the guitar? (He plays guitar. — He  plays the guitar. )

To ask a question to the subject, replace the subject with an interrogative word (i.e., an interrogative pronoun), and the following verb should be the same as in the affirmative sentence with He (or  She or It).
Rule:

Question to the subject Is a sentence that preserves the word order of a declarative (affirmative) sentence, in which the interrogative pronoun Who or What plays the role of the subject (replaces the subject), followed by a verb in the form third person singular.

Examples of subject questions for different forms of verbs

It remains to be seen when the “3rd person singular” complicates our life.

A detailed consideration of the agreement of the subject and predicate in person and number is a topic for a separate article, and here I will finally give different cases in which, in order to form a question to the subject, you need to change the form of the verb of the original sentence:

Affirmative sentence Subject question

 verb to be — to be, to appear, to be, or an auxiliary verb, a linking verb; present tense forms —  am, are, is, elapsed time —  was и Were3 person unit number: is | was
I am hot. — I feel hot. Who is hot? — Who’s hot?
My friends Were in the park. — My friends were in the park. Who was in the park? — Who was in the park?
We shall be free. — We’ll be free. Who will be free? — Who will be free?
 verb to have — have or an auxiliary verb; present tense forms —  have, has, one form of the past tense —  HAD3 person unit number: has | HAD
They Have a lot of interesting books. — They have a lot of interesting books. Who has a lot of interesting books? — Who has a lot of interesting books?
My friends have been in the park. — My friends visited the park. Who Has Been in the park? — Who visited the park?
By the 1st of September, 2012, I shall have been working at school for ten years. — By September 1, 2012, I will be working at the school for 10 years. Who will have been working at school for ten years by the 1st of September, 2012? — Who will be working at the school for 1 years by September 2012, 10?
 verb to do — do or auxiliary verb; present tense forms —  do, does [dAz], one form of the past tense —  did3 person unit number: does| did
I usually do the dishes in the evening. — I usually wash the dishes in the evening. Who usually does the dishes in the evening? — Who usually washes the dishes in the evening?

Source: http://studyenglishnow.ru/vopros-k-podlezhashhemu/

How to ask questions in English?

как задать вопрос к подлежащему в английском

There are the following types of sentences in English: affirmative, negative and interrogative. Today we will focus on the last of them. It is an integral part of oral and written speech, without studying this issue, subsequent immersion in the world of a foreign language is impossible.

Some students encounter problems in this topic, but we can safely assure you: it is enough just to carefully study the theoretical material and consolidate it by solving practical problems. 

The first thing worth noting is the change in the structure of affirmative sentences to transform them into interrogative ones. This is a fairly common procedure, but it is not always required. So, the auxiliary verb in this case is placed before the subject, and the main one after it. 

5 types of questions in English 

Now it is necessary to consider in more detail each of the existing interrogative types. They have their own characteristics and structure. 

General question

As a rule, it assumes a monosyllabic «yes» or «no» answer. 

For example: 

— Do you love flowers? — Do you flowers?

— Yes — Yes, I do.

As you can see from the example, in order to form it, you need to do the above procedure: place the subject between the auxiliary and main verbs. If you need to use a modal verb (for example, could or may), you need to put it in the place of an auxiliary. 

For example:

— May I come in?

It should be noted that in questions with the verb «to be» the use of the auxiliary question is not required.

For example:

— Is she a doctor?

To form a negative interrogative sentence, it is enough to add the particle «not» after the subject. It is worth remembering that in the case of the abbreviated form n’t, it is in front of this member of the sentence. Compare two examples:

— Does he not go to school on Monday? 

— Doesn’t he go to school on Monday?

Special question

This construction allows you to ask a question to any member of the proposal. It requires a detailed answer, which significantly differs it from the previous type. Special question “markers” include the words: what ?, when ?, where ?, why ?, which ?, whose ?, whom ?.

Thus, to one of the above question words, we add an auxiliary or modal verb, then the subject follows, if there is an addition, as well as all the other previously unused members of the sentence. 

It will be easier to understand with a specific example: What (interrogative sentence) are (auxiliary verb) you (subject) doing (main verb) now (circumstance)?

A special question helps to find out almost any information of interest.

Alternative question

This construction is easily recognizable by the presence of the «or» particle. From this we can conclude that by asking a question, we give the interlocutor the right to choose one of several options. It’s easier to understand with an example: Will you go to the theater or cinema? — Will you go to the theater or cinema?

The construction of education is the same as in the general question, but it is supplemented with a particle by the aforementioned word «or». Take a look at an example: Were you in London in 2004 or 2006?

Separation issues

This is an interesting kind of question because it is divided into two parts. The first is affirmative or negative, and the second is a short clarification. Most often, the separating construction is used if the speaker is not sure of something and wants to confirm or deny the information.

The parts are separated by a comma. In English, it is called «tag», which translates as «tail». In view of this, such questions are sometimes referred to as “tail” ones.

This type is quite common in spoken and written English. This is due to several factors. First, it can express a fairly wide range of feelings and emotions: from distrust to admiration. Secondly, he quite gently prompts the interlocutor to answer without the need to ask the question directly. Thirdly, the grammatical construction of such a question is simple: here the direct word order is used, which is only supplemented by this «tail».

By the way, these «tails» can take different interpretations. The most common of them are: «Isn’t it?», «Isn’t it?» etc. 

Check out examples:

— He is your brother, is not he? — He’s your brother, isn’t he?

— You are kidding me, are not you? — You’re kidding me, right?

As you can see, the ponytails are formed with the addition of the «not» particle. The rule works in the opposite direction if the main sentence is not affirmative, but negative. 

— You are not a doctor, are you? “You’re not a doctor, are you?

It is worth remembering that if the first part of the construction contains words with a negative meaning (for example, never), then the tail will necessarily be affirmative.

— They never be in Paris, do they? “They’ve never been to Paris, have they?

Question to the subject

In this case, there are no auxiliary verbs in the construction. Formation scheme: interrogative word + predicate + secondary syntactic members. It is only required to put a question word (who or what) instead of the subject and pronounce the sentence with competent intonation.

examples:

— Who wrote this book? — Who wrote this book?

Very often this type is confused with a special question for an addendum. That is why it is important to clearly know that the question is being asked specifically to the subject. Most often, it is addressed to the person who commits or has performed this or that action, as in the example above.

So, we got acquainted with 5 questions in English, it can be seen from the material that the topic is quite simple to understand and further memorize. To hone your skills better, try to practice questions more often in dialogues with friends, acquaintances and teachers. A great solution is to make a penpal from another country.

The dating stage involves asking a lot of questions in order to get to know each other better. Thus, you will kill two birds with one stone: practice the application of the knowledge gained and make an interesting acquaintance with a person of a different culture.

By the way, not so long ago we prepared an interesting article for you that will help you tell a new friend about your family in a competent and interesting way. Hurry up to get to know her.

Source: https://englishbooster.ru/grammatika/kak-zadat-voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Subject question in English — rules, examples

как задать вопрос к подлежащему в английском

Having good spoken English is not only about asserting, but also about asking. Often we need to answer a question or ask it ourselves. Question to the subject in English (Question to the subject) can be structured according to a certain scheme. When asking a question, you must also take into account the time at which it was asked.

Question to the subject in English — what is it and how to ask it?

First, let’s clarify what is a subject question? The subject is the main protagonist of the proposal, who possesses some feature or performs a specific function. Accordingly, he is asked the question.

  • She is clever and beautiful.

Question: Is she clever and beautiful (Is she smart and beautiful?).

  • Smoking is not allowed here.

Question: Is smoking allowed here? (Can I smoke here?)

The subject in English can be expressed:

  • Noun: My book is written => My book is written.
  • Pronoun: She is a good student => She is a good student.
  • Gerundum: Smoking is not allowed here => Smoking is prohibited.
  • Infinitive: To sleep all day long is bad for your health => Sleeping all day is bad for your health.
  • Numerals: Seven people were asked to help us => Seven people were asked to help us.

You can ask a question to a subject at different times. Today we will look at the easiest times. By doing some simple exercises (answering What? And Who ?, you will quickly learn to ask the right questions).

Subject questions in English examples

The question to the subject can be asked using the words:

The first option is used when it comes to living things, the second is applied to non-living things, for example, to things, plants, nature, etc. Who or What is put in the first place in the sentence, replacing the main character.

Maya lives in London Who lives in London?
I play football every Sunday Who plays football every Sunday?

These were the Who examples. Now let’s look at the options with What:

Cooking is ready What is ready?
Green plants are essential for Earth health What is essential for Earth health?

In English, a question to a subject can be posed very easily. There is no need to change the order of words in a sentence. This feature distinguishes the subject question from other questions where you need to change the word order. This means that you do not need to add auxiliary verbs — do / does, did, etc.

Help: To correctly build a question, you just need to take an affirmative sentence and put who or what in the first place instead of the main character.

Subject question scheme => Who + place / sign / action?

Let’s look at a few examples:

Ann plays volleyball => Anna plays volleyball

Who plays volleyball? => Who plays volleyball?

When asking a question for such a sentence, you do not need to use an auxiliary verb (in this case, does) and put it in the first place. All you have to do is change the main character from (Mary) to who. The rest of the members of the proposal remain in their places.

On a note! When we use who / what, it automatically means that the subject must be in the singular — she (she), he (he), it (it).

Here is an example:

Children play the piano. Then the question is: Who plays the piano? This means that an English sentence should be constructed as if he / she was in place of who / what.

Information: To ask a question to a subject in simple present tense, you need to use the following scheme:

Who / what + verb ending -s / -es

To correctly formulate such a question, you need to: replace the character in the affirmative sentence with the word who add the ending -s / es to the verb (action).

Affirmative sentence Question to the subject
She s rabbits => She loves rabbits. Who s rabbits? Who Loves Rabbits?
People go to work => People go to work. Who goes to work? Who goes to work?

To ask a question to a subject, you need to use the following scheme:

Who / what + is + -ing verb

To correctly formulate such a question, you need to: replace the character in the affirmative sentence with the word who + the ending -ing.

Affirmative sentence Question to the subject
She is playing the guitar => She plays the guitar. Who is playing the guitar? Who plays the guitar?
Selena is writing the book => Selena is writing a book. Who is writing the book? => Who is writing the book?

Several interrogative sentences:

Who is trying to stole my cake? => Who’s trying to steal my cake?

My little son. He is trying to get your attention or

My children. They are bored sitting every day home nothing to do.

My little son. He’s trying to get your attention /

My kids. They are tired of sitting at home all day and doing nothing.

As you can see, who + is + -ing => the same scheme for all sentences — single and plural.

Сonclusion

These were the basic rules for asking questions about a specific subject. Explore other lessons and you will learn how to ask questions in other times, and there are a lot of them in English. Good luck and patience!

And remember: the language barrier can be easily overcome online!

Source: https://speakenglishwell.ru/vopros-k-podlezhashhemu-v-anglijskom-yazyke-osnovnye-pravila-s-primerami/

How to ask questions in English. Types of questions

One of the key topics that will be useful even for the greenest beginner is questions in English.

Why is it useful to be able to ask questions at the very beginning of the training?

Let’s imagine a situation: you are abroad and want to know the way. You run up to the first person you meet and, intently, looking into his eyes with hope, name your destination. Will you get the answer you want? Who knows. It is not a fact that the passer-by has information or speaks English. However, your chances of finding a hotel, attraction, or acquaintances will increase with your ability to ask and answer questions.

Inversion

Almost all questions in English are formed by inversion (reverse word order in a sentence). An auxiliary verb is placed before the subject:

Assertion / Response Question
I will run. Will I run?
She is driving. Is she driving?
They were smiling. Why were they smiling?
The horse has slept. Has the horse slept?
My sisters had been sitting. Had my sisters been sitting or standing?

Will the next news program be at 10 pm or at 11 pm? — Will the next news program be at 10 pm or 11 pm?

Answer: The next news program will be at 10 pm — The next news program will be at 10 pm.

Were the runners running the last lap? — Did the runners run the last lap?

Answer: Yes. The runners were running the last lap. — Yes. The runners ran the last lap.

When have we seen a Japanese cherry tree blooming? — When did we see the cherry blossoms?

Answer: We have seen a Japanese cherry tree blooming in April. — We saw the cherry blossoms in April.

Auxiliary verb «to do»

In cases where the formation of a verb is carried out without an «innate» auxiliary (to be, to have), a special auxiliary verb is introduced — «todo«. It is needed at times:

  • Present Simple: with all plural subjects (we, you, they) and with the first singular subject (I), use — do; with subjects in the third person singular (he, she, it) is used — does;

Source: https://englishboost.ru/voprosy-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

How to ask a question in English where are you. Common questions in English: rules, schemes, examples

Our topic today is English language issues. Namely: how to ask them correctly, about the difference between general and special questions, questions to the subject, and also talk about the use of various interrogative words.

This topic is relevant for students of any level of language proficiency, because making mistakes is possible even at a higher level when it comes to constructing questions in English. They confuse word order, skip auxiliary verbs, use incorrect intonation.

Our mission is to prevent such errors from occurring. Can we start?

The first thing to know about questions in English is that they differ from the structure of affirmative sentences. We usually (but not always!) Ask questions in English, changing the word order: we put an auxiliary verb in the first place before the subject. Another (main) verb is placed after the subject.

Continuing to delve into this topic, it should be mentioned what are the types of questions in the English language. The differences in the construction of those very questions in English depend on this.

5 types of questions in English

Common question in English

We ask this question when we want to know general information. Are you learning English? We can answer it with one word «yes» or «no».

Special question

We need such questions in order to find out certain, specific information that interests us. When did you start learning English?

Question to the subject

We set it when we want to know who is performing the action. Who teaches your English courses?

Alternative question

This is a question that gives a choice of 2 options. Do you study English with a teacher or on your own?

Separated question

This question assumes confirmation of some information. You continue to learn English in the summer, don’t you?

Now let’s take a look at how each of these questions are structured in English.

General questions

Reverse word order is used to form such questions. This means that we put the auxiliary verb first, the subject second, and the main verb third.

Tom s swimming in the sea. — Does (auxiliary) Tom (subject) (main verb) swimming in the sea? She goes to work everyday. — Does (auxiliary) she (subject) go (main verb) to work everyday?

Common questions in English are also built with modal verbs. In this case, the modal verb will replace the auxiliary, that is, it will be placed in the first place.

Could you close the door, please? «Could you close the door please? May I come in?» — Can I come in? Should I put on sweater? — Should I wear this sweater?

We draw your attention to the verb to be … We can safely consider it special — in general questions, you do not need to add an auxiliary verb to it.

Is he a teacher? «Is he a teacher? Was the weather good yesterday?» — Was the weather good yesterday?

We form a negative general question. To do this, you need to add a particle Note… It will stand right after the subject. However, if we use the shorthand form not — n’t, she will stand in front of him. Let’s see an example:

Does she not go to work on Sunday? = Doesn’t she go to work on Sunday? — Does she not go to work on Sunday? = Haven’t you watched this movie? — Have you seen this movie?

Special Issues

This type of question requires a detailed and detailed explanation. A special question can be asked to any member of an interrogative sentence in English. The word order in such questions is the same as in general, only at the beginning you need to put one of the interrogative words:

  • What? — What?
  • When? — when?
  • Where? «Where?»
  • Why? — Почему?
  • Which? — Which the?
  • who? — Whose?
  • Whom? — Whom?

In a descriptive format, we will build a special question according to the following scheme:

Question word + auxiliary (or modal) verb + subject + predicate + object + rest of the sentence.

Easier — for example:

What (question word) are (auxiliary) you (subordinate) cooking (predicate)? — What are you cooking?What (question word) do (auxiliary glagol) you (subordinate) want to eat (predicate)? — What do you want to eat?When (question word) did (auxiliary) you (subordinate) leave (predicate) the house (addition)? — When did you leave home?

Due to the fact that a special question in English is posed to almost any member of the proposal (addition, circumstance, definition, subject), with its help you can find out any information.

Questions to the subject

This type of question differs from the previous topics discussed, since it does not use auxiliary verbs. You just need to replace the subject with who or what, add interrogative intonation and a veil — the question is ready.

The scheme for constructing a question to a subject in English is as follows:

Question word + predicate + minor clauses

Who went to the supermarket? — Who went to the supermarket? «What happened to your friend? Who did that?» — Who did this?

At first glance, it is very simple. But you should not confuse questions to the subject and special questions in English to the supplement.

An addendum is a member of a sentence that provides some additional information and answers questions in English: “who?”, “What?”, “Who?”, “Why?”, “What?”. And more often than not, a question to an object begins with the interrogative pronoun who or whom and what.

This is the similarity with the questions to the subject. Only the context will help to understand. Examples for comparison:

The girl saw me yesterday. — The girl saw me yesterday.
Whom (Who) did the girl see yesterday? — Who did the girl see yesterday? — We’re waiting for the train.
What are you waiting for? — What are you waiting for?

Alternative questions

As the name suggests, these questions involve an alternative or a right to choose. By asking them, we give the interlocutor two options.

Will you fly to England or Ireland? — Will you fly to England or Ireland?

In such a question, there is always the conjunction «or» — or. The question itself is built as a general one, only at the end with the help of the above or we add selection.

Scheme for constructing the question:

Auxiliary verb + character + action to be performed + or

Source: https://www.sobakafan.ru/arbitrazhnoe-processualnoe-pravo/kak-zadat-vopros-po-angliiski-gde-ty-obshchie-voprosy-v-angliiskom-yazyke.html

Features of composing questions to the subject in English

Greetings, my dear reader.

Do you know how to correctly formulate a question for a subject in English? Probably, many of you now do not even understand what this is about. Therefore, today I will tell you what it is — a question to the subject, how it is formed and even what forms it has in different times. After studying, you can proceed to exercise и online test on this topic.

:

Ready?

So what is it?

Subject question is one of the types of questions in English. And, as you might guess from the name, it will refer exactly to the one who performs the action. The main words used here are «Who — who «or «What — what». Let’s take a look at some examples:

Who is having a birthday party today? — Who’s having a birthday party today?

As you can see, the action is performed by a person, so we use the pronoun who — who.

What is lying on the floor? — What’s on the floor?

Here we are already referring to an inanimate object, therefore we use the word what — what.

The structural diagram of the proposal is as follows:

Who What + auxiliary verb + predicate main verb + object.

Who has (auxiliary) broken (main verb) the window (object)? — Who broke the window?

How to use at different times?

In general, the sentence structure does not change over time. But to make it easier for you to remember the basic principle of constructing a sentence — I have a wonderful table for you.

In the present tense, we only change the verbs at the appropriate tense. But be careful:

В Present simple we add an ending -S to the verb — and no auxiliary verbs!!!

Present simple Who drives more safely: Jean of Bill? Who drives more carefully: Jin or Bill?
Present continuous Who is making all the noise? Who is making all this noise?
Present Perfect Who has moved the sofa? Who moved the sofa?

In the past tense, we also change only the forms of the verbs, and by analogy with the present tense

Source: https://lizasenglish.ru/grammatika/vopros-k-podlezhashhemu.html

5 types of questions in English. Examples!

Details Karina Galchenko Category: BEGINNER — ELEMENTARY

: 01 March 2016

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: 4/5

Today we will consider 5 types of questions in English And, of course, Examples with them. In order not to be mistaken, the main thing is to understand three things: 1) what question you will have, 2) at what time you need to ask it, and 3) what should be the order of words in the interrogative sentence. In this article we will deal with the first point.

5 types of questions in English and examples with them

Usually allocate 5 types of questions in English… We will briefly dwell on each of them and consider Examples.

1. General question. You don’t even need question words here, as the type of question itself does not imply their use. When asking a general question, the interviewee expects to hear a short positive or negative answer from you.

examples:

Are you doing your homework now? — Are you doing your homework now?

Do they go to the cinema every Friday? — Do they go to the movies every Friday?

Was he reading a newspaper when I phoned? — He read the newspaper when I called?

Will you give me a couple of recommendations? — Will you give me a couple of recommendations?

Is your brother at work? — Is your brother at work?

2. Special question. Here you will already need a question word or even a phrase. From this point on, a special question should begin. Next, you should adhere to the standard structure of the question.

examples:

How much do these books cost? — How much do these books cost?

What is he doing here? — What is he doing here?

Where were you yesterday? — Where were you yesterday?

What city did he visit last week? — Which city did he visit last week?

Whose beg was stolen? — Whose bag was stolen?

3. Alternative question. This type of question implies the presence OR… Before or, everything looks the same as in the general question, and then a complement that is appropriate in meaning follows.

examples:

Would you a cup of tea or coffee? — Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?

Is he doing his homework or playing computer games? — Does he do his homework or play computer games?

Will they go on a business trip on Tuesday or Wednesday?

Does Bob speak Spanish or Italian? — Does Bob speak Spanish or Italian?

Were they in Egypt or Turkey last summer? — Were they in Egypt or Turkey last summer?

4. The dividing question.

5. Question to the subject.

The last two types of questions require special attention, so we will consider them separately.

How to ask a separation question in English? Examples of

If you do not know how to ask dividing question in english, then it is worth brushing up on the knowledge of auxiliary verbs, as you will definitely need them. Pay attention to the structure of the question and Examples.

Declarative sentence +, + auxiliary verb + not + face

Negative sentence +, + auxiliary verb + face

He is doing his homework now, isn’t he? — He does his homework, right?

Miranda was in Germany last week, wasn’t she? “Miranda was in Germany last week, wasn’t she?

They speak Russian, don’t they? — They speak Russian, don’t they?

You haven’t forgotten to phone her, have you? “You didn’t forget to call her, did you?

They won’t leave for Prague, will they? — They won’t go to Prague, will they?

As you can see, the second part of the question (tail) depends on where you started. One of the parts (not two at the same time) must be negative.

How to ask a question about a subject in English? Examples of

Now see how to ask a question to the subject in english. Examples and explanations will help you avoid mistakes.

The good news for this type of question is that you don’t need an auxiliary verb. But you need to be 100% sure that you will have a question specifically for the subject.

Most often, these questions begin with who and are addressed to the person who is performing the action. That is, we will answer with the very person we are asking about.

examples:

Who is singing over there? — Mark.

Who sings over there? — Mark.

How many people (= who) came to the meeting? — Seven people came.

How many people came to the meeting? — Seven people came.

Who speaks in the living room? — Your aunt.

Who is speaking in the living room? — Your aunt.

We really hope that our article on the topic “5 types of questions in English«and Examples helped you figure it out. And if you need practice, sign up for our courses!

Source: https://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/29-beginner-elementary/412-5-tipov-voprosov-v-anglijskom-yazyke-primery.html

Using the interrogative words who and whom

The question words who and whom are very similar, so there are often doubts about their use. What is the difference between these words and is there any?

Questions with who

Consider how the question word who is used.

First of all — who is used in questions about a person, that is, we use who only in relation to people.

Translated into Russian, who is “who?”, But at the same time who we can also translate as “who? to whom? by whom?». What is the reason for such a translation? The fact that with who we can ask two different types of questions.

If we ask a question to the subjectthen who we have it «who?«, a ifto supplementthen who will already mean «whom?to whom? by whom?».

Subject and Object

To make it easier to understand, let’s remember what the subject is and what the complement is using the example of the following sentence: 

Nick called Kate.

Who? — Nick. What was Nick doing? — Nick called.

Nick is the subject (in English subject — the subject), the main character in the sentence. Who in our offer performed the action, who called? Nick. This is the subject.

So, we parse the proposal further:

Nick called Kate.

whom did Nick call? — He called Kate.

Kate is an addition (in English, an object), that is, it is the one at whom the action is directed. Who is the action in the sentence directed at? Who did Nick call? Kate. This is the addition.

Accordingly, if we need to ask a question to the subject, we will ask “Who called Katya?”. If we are interested in “Who did Nick call?”, Then this is already a question for the supplement.

So, to ask these questions, we’ll use who. At the same time, the most interesting thing here is that the structure of the questions will be different.

Who in question to the subject

To ask a question to the subject and ask “Who called Katya?”, Instead of the subject (in our case it is Nick), put the question word who.

Get:

Who called Kate?Nick… Nick called.
Whocalled Katya? — Nick… Nick called.

The peculiarity of questions to the subject is that in such questions the auxiliary verb is not placed at the beginning of the sentence: instead of the unknown subject, we simply put who and we get a question. Moreover, who in such a question becomes the subject (instead of Nick), hence the direct word order, as in the affirmative sentence.

Question to the subject — direct word order (as in an affirmative sentence, who takes the place of the subject), translated — who?

He invited her to go to Paris. — He invited her to go to Paris.
Who initiated her to go to Paris? — Who invited her to go to Paris?

Who in question for the supplement

To ask a question for an add-on and ask “Who did Nick call?

Source: https://myefe.ru/reference/who-whom

Subject question in English

In order to ask a question to a subject in English, you must first understand 3 things: what is the subject (the main member of the sentence, answers the question who? What?), What types of questions are there in English and how to compose these questions in English.

A special question for a subject in English. Structure

1. My colleague is writing a report in the office.

Subject Predictable Complement Circumstance

Who is writing a report at the office?
Who writes the report in the office?

2 students came to school.

Subject Predictable Complement Circumstance

How many pupils came to school?
How many students came to school?

3. Porridge is burning in the kitchen.

Subject Predictable Complement Circumstance

What is burning in the kitchen?
What’s burning in the kitchen?

Negative form of subject questions in English

The negative form of questions to the subject in English is built on the principle of negative sentences, that is, the auxiliary verbs do, does, did are used. We put the NOT particle after the modal or auxiliary verb.

4. This student hasn’t answered my question yet.

Subject Predictable Complement Circumstance

Who hasn’t answered my question yet?
Who hasn’t answered my question yet?

5. Kate doesn’t speak English.

Subject Predictable Complement Circumstance

Who doesn’t speak English?
Who doesn’t speak English?

How to formulate a subject question in English?

  1. Find a subject in a sentence.
  2. Replace it with a suitable interrogative pronoun
    — Who? (who?) or What? (what?).
  3. Maintain direct word order, while leaving all members of the sentence in their places.
  4. When composing a question for a subject in English, remember to reconcile the verb with the subject — in Present Simple we use the verb in the third person singular. — add the ending -s (es) to

    verb (eg Who wants tea?).

Questions to determine the subject in English:

  1. What film is the best? What’s the best movie?
  2. How many students attend lectures? How many students
    attends lectures?

Example 1

John is going to England next week.

1. Subject — John

2. Replace John with who

3. Maintain direct word order (that is,
subject + predicate)

Question to the subject: Who is going to england
next week?
Who’s going to England next
week?

Example 2.

Viktuk’s play was staged.

Questions to the subject:

Whose play was staged?
Whose play was performed on stage?

What was staged? What did you do on stage?

Example 3.

The girls are happy.

Question to the subject: Who is happy? Who
happy?

Example 4.

We were in the circle.

Question to the subject: Who was in the circle?
Who was in the circus?

Example 5.

We were in the circle.

Question to the subject: Who was in the circle?
Who was in the circus?

Exercise 2. Compare pairs of sentences, find the subject in each sentence, determine which of the questions is a question to the subject — a) or b), translate the sentences into English. In one of the pairs, both sentences are questions to the subject.

  1. a) Who will you go with? versus b) who will go
    with you?
  2. a) What does he do? versus b) Who does it?
  3. a) Who thought about his health? versus b) What did he think about?
  4. a) Whose car did you scratch? versus b) Who
    scratched your car?
  5. a) Which girl has served dinner? versus
    b) Who has to serve dinner?
  1. a) Who will you go with? Who are you going with? versus b) Who will go with you? Who will go with you? b) — question to

    subject to

  2. What does he do? What does he do? versus Who does it?
    Who is doing this? b) — a question to the subject
  3. Who thought about his health? Who thought about their health? versus What did he think about? What is he talking about

    thought? a) — a question to the subject

  4. a) Whose car did you scratch? Whose car did you scratch? versus b) Who scratched your car? Who scratched your car? b) — question to

    subject to

  5. Which girl has served dinner? Which of the girls served dinner? versus Who has to serve dinner? Who Should Serve Dinner? a) and b) — questions to

    subject to

Exercise 3: Correct the mistakes

  1. Who to sing?
  2. Who did was in the park?
  3. What does make you think so?
  4. Who did see the accident?
  5. What does washing need?
  6. Who did make you feel disappointed?
  1. Who’s to sing (singing)?
  2. Who was in the park?
  3. What makes you think so?
  4. Who saw the accident?
  5. What washing needs?
  6. Who made you feel disappointed?

Exercise 4. Translate into English

  1. Who writes articles about animals?
  2. Who upset you?
  3. What’s next to the language school?
  4. What scared your little son?
  5. Who prompted her to do this?
  6. Who didn’t go to the party?
  7. Who is cold (hot)?
  8. Who usually does the dishes in your family?
  9. What influenced his decision?
  10. How many letters did you receive in the afternoon?
  1. Who writes articles about animals?
  2. Who disappointed you? (Who made you feel
    disappointed?)
  3. What is near the language school?
  4. What scared your little son?
  5. Who influenced her to do that?
  6. Who didn’t go to the party?
  7. Who is cold (hot)?
  8. Who washes up in your family?
  9. What influenced his decision?
  10. How many letters arrived in the afternoon?

Subject question in English

Source: http://blog.englishvoyage.com/vopros-k-podlezhashhemu-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

English grammar for kids

— write plural nouns
— write plural nouns in English.
— plural nouns — exceptions

Possessive nouns.

Personal pronouns.
— replace nouns with pronouns (grade 2) — 1, 2, 3, 4
— answer questions using personal pronouns
— I or me? She or her?
— Replace phrases with the correct pronoun.
— Read phrases and replace them with pronouns, write pronouns in the blanks
— Read the sentences and choose the appropriate pronoun form

Possessive pronouns.

Demonstratives This, That, These, Those

— listening — listen to the recording and choose the appropriate picture
— choose the correct demonstrative pronouns for the pictures
— repetition — this / that / these / those and Present Simple
— Vereshchagin 3. Lesson 3. translate into English
— choose the correct demonstrative pronoun
— choose the correct pronoun form

Pronouns SOME / ANY.

Pronouns something / anything / nothing / somebody / anybody / nobody

Pronouns MUCH / MANY

,,,,

ADJECTIVE

Comparison of adjectives.

— pick up pairs (Russian meaning and translation into English)
— Read the sentences and choose the desired adjective form
— Vereshchagin grade 3. Lesson 53. Comparative degrees of adjectives.

Read and choose the correct English translation of the adjective
— in each sentence, choose the correct option for the degree of comparison of adjectives in English

Links to exercises on the degree of comparison from other sites:
— 10+, fill in the sentences with superlative adjectives;
— 6+, compare people and cartoon characters;
— 8+, in this exercise you will repeat the comparative degree of adjectives and animal names in English;
— 7+, compare people and objects;
— 9+, we train to form a comparative degree of adjectives in English;
— 9+, fill in the blanks;
— 9+, choose the required form of the adjective — comparative or superlative;

NUMERICAL

— Numbers 1-10 — spelling numbers from 1 to 10
— Numbers 1-30 — spelling numbers from 1 to 30
— Numbers 1-100 — spelling numbers from 1 to 100
— write how many objects are drawn in the picture
— Combine digital and written ordinal notations to help the animals get ready for the concert
— Listen to the audio recording, look at the picture and determine which number each child is under
— Connect alphabetic and numeric designations of ordinal numbers from 11 to 20 in English

— Body, colors, numbers — Body parts, colors, numbers
— Vereshchagin 3. Lesson 4. Repetition — colors, animals, numbers
— write how many animals are drawn in the picture
— English songs for children — I candy — English score
— We repeat the numbers from 1 to 10 — write down the numbers in words
— Numbers from 1 to 10.

Listen to the recording and try to identify the address of the speaker by ear
— Listen to the recording and enter the missing numbers in the dialogues
— Dictation. Numerals (tens, hundreds, thousands)
— Dictation. Numerals — years
— Dictation. Ordinal numbers and dates
— Dictation of the date
— Listening. Numerals in oral speech (intermediate)
— Listening.

Numbers in oral speech 2

OFFERS

Source: http://uchudoma.ru/vereshhagina/angliyskaya-grammatika-dlya-detey/

Types of questions in English

There are 4 types of interrogative sentences in English: general (general or yes / no questions), special (special or wh-questions), alternative (alternative) and separating (disjunctive or tail / tag-questions).

I propose to consider each of these types in more detail.

General or Yes / no questions

Common questions are those that can be answered «yes» or «no», hence the name «yes / no questions».

As a rule, this kind of question refers to the whole proposal, and not to a separate element of it.

For example:

  • Do you this country? — Do you like this country?
  • Does Jane know about your new job? «Does Jane know about your new job?»
  • Can I call my sister? — Can I call my sister?
  • Is it cold outside? — It’s cold outside?
  • Are they ready for the trip? — Are they ready for the trip?
  • Are you hungry? — Are you hungry?

General questions should be pronounced with a corresponding increasing intonation.

You can answer as briefly “Yes./No. «, And more fully -«Yes, I do./No, donationthis country.»These answers depend on which verb is in the question.

Try to remember the following diagram: as they ask, so we answer.

If the question starts with a verb form to be = am, is, are; then answer: Yes, I am / he is / they are; or No, I am not / he isn’t / they aren’t.

Likewise with auxiliary verbs (of/does, did, will, Have/has):

  • Did she clean the room? — Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.
  • Have you done your homework? — Yes, I have / No, I haven’t.
  • Will you buy that dress? — Yes, I will / No, I won’t.

Special or Wh-questions

Special questions, as you might guess, are posed to a specific word, a member of the sentence. For this, question words are used: who (Who), what (what), Where (where, where), When (when), why (why, why) how (as), how many (how much), etc., which are placed at the beginning of the sentence.

For example:

  • Where is he from? — Where is he from?
  • When did you come here? — When did you come here?
  • How did you meet her? — How did you meet her?
  • How many eggs do we need for this cake? — How many eggs do we need for this cake?
  • Whose children are playing in the yard? — Whose children are playing in the yard?

Please note that questions for the subject (who? What?) Have their own special structure: they do not require an auxiliary verb, we simply replace the subject with a question word.

For example:

  • We go to the cinema. — Who goes to the cinema?
  • The glass is on the table. — What is on the table?
  • most girls here wear skirts. — Who wears skirts here?

That is, after the question words who / what verbs are used as for the 3rd person singular.

We use special questions to get specific information. This implies a detailed answer.

alternative questions

Alternative interrogative sentences are suggestions for choosing one of the options. They consist of two parts connected by a union or (or).

Alternative questions can be of both general and special (specific) nature. If the question does not concern the subject, a complete answer is required.

For example:

  • Does she ice-cream or sweets? — She s ice-cream.
  • Where would you go: to the cinema or to the theater? — I would go to the cinema.
  • Is he a teacher or a student? — He is a student.

But when the question is about the subject, then the auxiliary verb is used before the second option, and the answer will be short:

  • Does she make it or do you? — She does.
  • Did they buy that house or did she? — They did.

Disjunctive or Tag-questions

Separating or «questions with a tail» in English have their equivalent in Russian: The tea is too sweet, isn’t it? Very sweet tea, isn’t it / isn’t it?

This type of interrogative sentences also consists of two parts, where the first goes in the affirmative, and the second (short) in the negative, and vice versa.

Basically, the first part of the sentence defines the expected response: affirmation is a positive answer, denial is a negative answer.

For example:

  • She sent him an invitation didn’t she? — Yes, she did.
  • You aren’t getting married, are you? — No, I am not.
  • Jane isn’t in France, is she? — No, she isn’t.
  • Our dad will come soon won’t he? — Yes, he will.

And also as an exception:

I am going with you aren’t I? — Yes, you are.

You cannot say: I am a great person, am not I? It won’t be right. Just remember that for the pronoun I (i) the ponytail uses the shape are / aren’t.

Ponytail questions are used exclusively in colloquial speech to clarify information, confirm or deny this information, if in doubt.

Good luck in learning English!

Source: https://preply.com/blog/2020/05/26/tipy-voprosov-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Types of questions in English —

How to build and when to use

There are 5 types of questions in English. Today we will look at which one to use when, as well as their construction. We recommend this article first of all to those who have only recently started to learn English, because the ability to correctly formulate questions is the basis for full-fledged communication.

First, let’s see what types of questions exist in English:

  1. General
  2. Special
  3. Question to the subject
  4. Alternative
  5. Separation (question «with a ponytail»)

Now we will consider each of them in turn.

If you just need to brush up on your knowledge, you can download handy signs here: questions

General questions in English

Common questions are those that can be answered in the affirmative or negative (either «yes» or «no»).

Such questions are formed with the help of auxiliary verbs or the verb to be (in the necessary form), which are placed in the first place before the subject.

An auxiliary verb is a verb that we do not translate in any way. He only indicates to us that this is a question, and also, at the time in which our question is built. More details for what tense, what auxiliary verb is used can be found here.

The outline of the general question looks like this:

Auxiliary verb (or to be verb in the desired form) + subject + main verb + other parts of speech.

Also, such a question can be built using a modal verb, which is placed in the first place (instead of to be or an auxiliary verb)

Examples of common questions:

— Do you swimming? — Yes, I do.

Do you like to swim? — Yes.

— Did you live in London? — No, I didn’t live there.
Have you lived in London? — No, I didn’t live there.

— Are you a doctor? — Yes, I am.
Are you a doctor? — Yes.

Are you attending college?

Also, such a question can be built using a modal verb, which is placed in the first place (instead of to be or an auxiliary verb)

Example: 

Dog you help me? — Can you help me?

In Russian, we sometimes start a question with a negation, in English we can do that too, just put an auxiliary verb or to be in a negative form. Often such questions in English correspond to our questions with the word «is not». That is, they convey some surprise.

For example:

Didn’t you visit your mom? — Didn’t you visit your mother?
Aren’t you a doctor? — Aren’t you a doctor?

No. “Isn’t he a suspect?

Special questions in English

Special questions are questions that use the words “where”, “how”, “when”, etc. They already need to be answered in full. To form such a question, we put the question word (why / where / when) first, then put the words in the same order as in the general question, that is, the auxiliary verb, then the subject and the rest of the speech.

The scheme looks like this:

Question word + auxiliary verb / to be in the required form + subject + main verb + other parts of speech

examples:

— When did you visit London? — When were you in London?

— Why should I go there? — Why should I go there?

— Where is your brother? — Where is your brother?

Why are you smiling?

By the way, sometimes in colloquial speech in English, as in Russian, such questions are conveyed by one question word and intonation:

 — I have to go. — Where?

I have to go. — Where?

— You should go with me. — Why?

You must come with me. — Why.

— I bought that T-shirt. — Which one?

I bought that T-shirt. — Which one?

It is also worth noting that special questions can be conditionally divided into simple (which we discussed above) and complex. By complex we mean questions in which the question word comes with a clarification. To make it clearer what is meant, here are examples in Russian: how long, how far, at what time, etc.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

— How long are you going to stay here? — How long do you plan to stay here?

— What dress do you want? — What dress do you want?

— What time is it? — What time is it now?

How far is Elmira?

Subject questions in English

We think there is no point in explaining the essence of such questions :).

There is no auxiliary verb in this type of question. The question word comes first: who (for animate objects) and what (for inanimate objects). Basically, who / what replaces the subject in the clause.

Here is the scheme:

Who / what + to be (if it’s a long time) + main verb + other parts of speech.

It is worth noting that we put the verb in the form in which it would stand in our affirmative sentence: for the past tense ed, for Present Simple — the ending -s for the third person.

examples:

— What is your favorite movie? — What’s your favorite movie?

Source: https://tryeng.ru/5830

Subject question in English: basic rules with examples

Sometimes you need to find out who is doing or taking an action. For example, someone gave your friend a gift. To clarify exactly who gave you a gift, you will ask the question: «Who gave you a gift?»

Every day we ask similar questions: “Who called you? Who is messaging you? Who will go to the store? «

In English, this type of question is called questions to the subject… It is very easy to construct such questions.

Below I have written detailed instructions on how to ask these questions.

In the article you will learn:

What is a subject question?

Subject matter — this is the main character in the proposal who performs the action or has some feature. That is, the one about whom (what) is said in the sentence.

Ребенок riding a bike.
(The child is the actor taking the action.)

His sister clever.
(A sister is a character with a trait.)

Therefore, we ask the question to the subject when we do not know who performed the action or has a sign.

Who riding a bike?
Who clever?

Let’s take a look at how to ask such questions in English.

Attention! Confused about English rules and making mistakes? Learn how easy it is to learn English grammar with this free lesson.

In English, we ask a question to a subject using the words:

  • who — who (for living beings: people, animals, birds, etc.)
  • what — what (for inanimate objects: plants, things, nature, etc.)

We put these words in the first place in the sentence, replacing them with the character.

Tom late for work.

Who late for work?

In English, the subject question is considered very simple. Its peculiarity and difference from other questions is that we do not need to change the order of words in a sentence.

That is, we do not add auxiliary verbs (do / does, did, etc.). To construct such a question, we simply take an affirmative sentence and put who / what in the first place instead of the character.

The outline of such a question will be as follows.

Who + action / attribute / place?

For example, we have an affirmative sentence.

mary played tennis.
Mary played tennis.

When we ask a question to a subject, we don’t need to remember an auxiliary verb and put it first. We just replace the actor (Mary) with who. Everything else in the proposal remains the same.

Who playing tennis?
Who played tennis?

IMPORTANT: when we put who / what, then we imagine that it is someone singular: she (she), he (he), it (it). There is nothing difficult in this, because in the Russian language we do the same.

Affirmative sentence: «Children smashedи vase «.
Question: «Who broke the vase?» (We say smashed, not smashed.)

Therefore, an English sentence should be constructed as if he / she was in place of who / what.

For example, take an affirmative sentence.

They Were at school. 
They were at school. 

Despite the fact that they are in the affirmative, when we ask a question to the subject, we represent he / she in place of who. Therefore, we replace with was.

Who was at school?
Who was at school?

Let’s look at the subject matter formation for basic grammatical constructions. 

Question to the subject in Present Simple time

The question to the subject over time Present Simple is asked according to the following scheme:

Who / what + a verb ending with -s / -es?

To ask this question, you must:

  • replace the character in the affirmative sentence with the word who;
  • add the ending -s / es to the verb (action).

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Affirmative sentence Question to the subject
She

Source: https://crownenglishclub.ru/baza-znanij/vopros-k-podlezhashhemu-v-anglijskom-yazyke-osnovnye-pravila-s-primerami.html

What it is?

So-called subject question in English — this is a clarification with the word Who (denotes people) or What (denotes inanimate things and animals). «Who told you?», «What are you doing?»

Subject — the main subject or the acting living person. We are talking about it, or it is performing active actions. In Russian speech, it may be absent (implicitly implied).

But in affirmative and exclamatory English-language sentences, it is necessarily present in an explicit form. Moreover, it takes a clearly assigned place among other words. Usually expressed by a pronoun or noun, less often — a complex phrase.

And only when asking questions about the subject in English, the subject is replaced with a question word.

How to ask a question?

The word order is preserved, and this is the simplicity of such phrases. Instead of a noun or pronoun denoting a subject, what or who is substituted. Question words accompanied by verbs usually in the singular, although the answer can be received in the plural.

Accordingly, the verbs, modal and semantic, remain the same or change. If they were in the plural in the affirmative (exclamatory) sentence, they should be replaced with analogues in the singular. The exception is to be in the individual cases discussed below. Various times will be given for better understanding.

Will help you put it right subject question in English exampleswhich are given in the text.

Present simple

Here are the narrative sentences:

  • Child plays football — a child plays football;
  • The sun shines every day — the sun shines every day;
  • Children play tennis — children play tennis;
  • Clouds close the sun — clouds cover the sun;
  • I stand here — I stand here;
  • He stands there — he stands there;
  • They walk anywhere — they walk everywhere.

Note that the subject of the sun is made up of two separate words. In a simple present actions occur «generally» or regularly, not necessarily at the moment… If asked, the relevant questions for the subject in English would be:

  • Who plays football?
  • What shines every day?
  • Who plays tennis?
  • What closes the sun?
  • Who stands here?
  • Who stands there?
  • Who walks anywhere?

The plural has been replaced by a single everywhere. Inanimate persons are designated by the word Who, inanimate objects — by What.

Past Simple

Any question to a subject in English in the past tense is composed according to the same scheme as in the present, only instead of the first dictionary form of the verb, the second is used. For correct ones — with the standard -ed ending. For the wrong ones, look at the table if the memory fails.

  • Who played today? — Who played today?
  • Who ran yesterday? — Who ran yesterday?
  • What prevented you to come? — What prevented you from coming?

Future simple

In the future tense, the scheme of the question to the subject in English is the simplest, since the modal verb will is not inflected in numbers and persons.

For example:

  • Who will play today? — Who will play today?
  • What will remain here? — What will stay here?

A small nuance should be noted: the main verb is used here without the ending -s (-es), characteristic of the third person singular. the numbers… This is not surprising, even in Russian “lies” and “will lie” are different word forms.

Present with to be

To be is used in the same way as any other verb when posing a question to a subject in English. But it has many different forms, not similar to each other in spelling and pronunciation. They should be properly selected and substituted.

For example:

  • Who is here?
  • Who is rich?
  • What is bread?
  • Who are you?

Typically, to be is used as is. The characteristic phrase «What is» is translated as «What is» and is often used in search engines. An exception is a direct question to the subject in English, addressed to one or many interlocutors — Who are You? Also, are is substituted if there are obviously many persons or things in the subject.

Elapsed tense with to be

When asking about a state or action in the past, use Who (What) + was +?

In the second person, this way they ask questions with who in english: Who were you? — Who were you? It is also necessary to substitute were if it is known in advance that the subject is numerous or, in principle, is never single.

Future tense with to be

Without options, will be used:

  • Who will be?
  • What will be?

Use with to be

Although most often questions to a subject in English are asked in the singular of a third person, the answer is different. On «Who’s Here?» (Who is here?) You can answer: I am, She is, We are. In the past tense — I was, He was, They were.

With modal verbs

All modal verbs are the same when using different persons and numbers, so they are very easy to use.

For example: Who can come for a breakfast? — Who can come for breakfast?

With there is or there are

In this case, the word order changes, first comes is (or are, was, were), then there. Who is there? or What is there?

Negative question form

The position of the negating particle not remains the same, as usual, only the subject is replaced by the question word:

  • What does not bring good luck? — What doesn’t bring good luck?
  • Who will not come home? — Who won’t come home?

How to answer?

Reply to subject question in English can be short and complete. Even a short, competent answer should have a verb, not just a subject.

For example:

  • Who came yesterday? — Who came yesterday?
  • Your brother John did.
  • Who plays today? — Who is playing today?
  • Manchester United does.
  • Who may enter? — Who can come in?
  • All the people may.

Complete (long) answers to similar questions in English with who build by substituting the subject in place of the question word:

  • Your brother John came yesterday.
  • Manchester United plays today.
  • All the people may enter.

Clauses with whose

We use relative clause beginning with the relative pronoun whose + noun, particularly in written English, when we talk about something belonging to or associated with a person, animal or plant:

Jonson is an architect whose designs have won international praise.

Mary was taking care of rabbit whose ears were badly damaged in a fight with a cat.

We can use whose in both defining and non-defining relative clauses.

We generally avoid using whose to talk about something belonging to or associated with a thing:

I received a letter, and its poor spelling made me think it was written by a child. (more natural than «I received a letter, whose poor spelling made me think…»)

However, we sometimes use whose when we talk about towns, countries, or organisations:

The film was made in Nigeria, whose wildlife parks are larger than those in Kenia.

We need to learn from companies whose trading is more healthy than our own.

In academic writing whose is used to talk about a wide variety of «belonging to» relationships:

Students are encouraged to use an appropriate theory in order to solve problems whose geographical limits are clear.

Clauses with when, whereby, where and why

We can begin relative and other clauses with when (referring to time), whereby (method or means; used mainly in formal contexts), and where (location). In formal English in particular, a phrase with

preposition + which can often be used instead of these:

He wasn’t looking forward to the time when he would have to leave. (or …the time at which…)

Do you know the date when we have to hand in the essay? (or …the date on/by which…)

The government is to end the system whereby (=»by which means») farmers make more money from leaving land unplanted that from growing wheat. (or …the system in/by which farmers…)

This was the place where we first met. (or …the place at/in which we…)

In academic English, we can also use where to refer to relationships other than location, particularly after words such as case, condition, example, situation, system:

Later in this chapter we will introduce cases where consumer complaints have resulted in changes in the law. (or more formally … cases in which…)

We can also use a/the reason why or a/the reason that or just a/the reason:

I didn’t get a pay rise, but this wasn’t the reason why I left. (or …the reason (that) I left.)

Clauses with who and what; whatever, whatever and whichever

Some clauses beginning with a wh-word are used like a noun phrase in a sentence. These are sometimes called nominal relative clauses:

Can you give me a list of who‘s been invited? (=the people who have been invited)

I didn’t know what I should do next. (=the thing that I should do next)

Notice that we can’t use what in this way after a noun:

I managed to get all the books that you asked for. (not …all the books what you asked for)

We use clauses beginning with whatever (=anything or it doesn’t matter what), whoever (=person/group who or any person/group who), or whichever (=one thing or person from a limited number, to

talk about things or people that are indefinite or unknown:

I’m sure I’ll enjoy eating whatever you cook.

Whoever wins will go on to play Barcelona in the final.

Whichever one of you broke the window will have to pay for it.

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