Subject Questions and Questions with Prepositions – A2 Grammar

1. You want to know who sent an email (someone sent it). Which is correct?

• A. Who did send this email?
• B. Who sent this email? ✓
• C. Who did this email send?
• D. Who this email sent?

Answer: Who sent this email?

Subject question: someone sent it. Who = subject. No auxiliary needed.

2. You want to know which person your friend is talking to. Which is correct?

• A. To who are you talking?
• B. Who are you talking to? ✓
• C. Who you are talking to?
• D. Who do you talk to?

Answer: Who are you talking to?

Preposition question. Preposition to goes at the end.

3. You want to know what broke the window (something broke it). Which is correct?

• A. What did break the window?
• B. What broke the window? ✓
• C. What did the window break?
• D. What the window broke?

Answer: What broke the window?

Subject question: something broke it. What = subject. No auxiliary.

4. You want to know who your colleague works for. Which is correct?

• A. For who does she work?
• B. Who she works for?
• C. Who does she work for? ✓
• D. Who works for her?

Answer: Who does she work for?

Preposition question. Who = object, so auxiliary does needed. For at the end.

5. You want to know who your friend spoke to (they spoke to someone). Which is correct?

• A. Who did you speak to? ✓
• B. Who spoke to you?
• C. Who did you speak?
• D. To who you spoke?

Answer: Who did you speak to?

Object question with preposition. Did + you + speak + to (end).

6. You want to know what impressed your friend (something impressed them). Which is correct?

• A. What did impress you?
• B. What impressed you? ✓
• C. What did you impress?
• D. What you impressed?

Answer: What impressed you?

Subject question: something impressed you. What = subject. No auxiliary.

7. You want to know what your friend is thinking about. Which is correct?

• A. What you are thinking about?
• B. About what are you thinking?
• C. What are you thinking about? ✓
• D. What do you think about?

Answer: What are you thinking about?

Preposition question with present continuous. Preposition about at the end.

8. You want to know who helped with the project (someone helped). Which is correct?

• A. Who did help with the project?
• B. Who helped with the project? ✓
• C. Who did they helped with?
• D. Who they helped with?

Answer: Who helped with the project?

Subject question: someone helped. Who = subject. No auxiliary.

9. You want to know what your friend is listening to. Which is correct?

• A. What you are listening to?
• B. What are you listening?
• C. To what are you listening?
• D. What are you listening to? ✓

Answer: What are you listening to?

Preposition question with present continuous. Preposition to at the end.

10. You want to know who your friend met at the party (they met someone). Which is correct?

• A. Who met at the party?
• B. Who did you meet at the party? ✓
• C. Who did meet at the party?
• D. Who you met at the party?

Answer: Who did you meet at the party?

Object question: you met someone. Who = object. Auxiliary did needed.

1. Detective Rivera arrived at the empty office and immediately noticed the broken safe. She turned to the security guard and asked quietly, "_____ to this room?" The guard hesitated - only three people had the code. Rivera wrote in her notebook, then looked at the window. She frowned and murmured to herself, "_____ this scratch on the glass - and when?" The mark was fresh. Her partner arrived and asked, "_____ to first?" Rivera pointed to the guard, who was now looking very nervous. Rivera crossed the room to examine the desk. She noticed an unsigned note and said, "_____ this here? It was not here yesterday." Nobody answered. Finally, Rivera held up the note and asked the guard directly, "_____ to?" The colour drained from his face.

• A. Who has access
• B. Who does access
• C. Who did access
• D. What caused
• E. What did cause
• F. What did it cause
• G. Who did you speak
• H. Who spoke
• I. Who you spoke
• J. Who left
• K. Who did leave
• L. Who did they leave
• M. Who does this handwriting belong
• N. To who belongs
• O. Who belongs this handwriting

Answer: Who has access, What caused, Who did you speak, Who left, Who does this handwriting belong

Subject questions: Who has access (someone has it), What caused (something caused it), Who left (someone left it). Object question: Who did you speak to (you spoke to someone). Preposition question: Who does this belong to (preposition at end).

1. the / match / won / who / ?

Answer: Who won the match?

Subject question: someone won. Who = subject. No auxiliary.

2. you / looking / are / for / what / ?

Answer: What are you looking for?

Preposition question. Preposition for at the end.

3. did / invite / who / you / the / to / party / ?

Answer: Who did you invite to the party?

Object question: you invited someone. Who = object. Did + subject + base verb.

4. problem / caused / the / what / ?

Answer: What caused the problem?

Subject question: something caused it. What = subject. No auxiliary.

5. she / who / work / does / for / ?

Answer: Who does she work for?

Preposition question. Does needed (object question). Preposition for at end.

6. are / thinking / what / you / about / ?

Answer: What are you thinking about?

Preposition question with present continuous. Preposition about at the end.

7. broke / window / the / what / ?

Answer: What broke the window?

Subject question: something broke it. What = subject. No auxiliary.

8. did / with / the / you / go / concert / who / to / ?

Answer: Who did you go to the concert with?

Object question with preposition. Did + subject + go + with (end).

9. waiting / who / are / for / you / ?

Answer: Who are you waiting for?

Preposition question with present continuous. Preposition for at end.

10. surprised / at / what / you / the / most / party / ?

Answer: What surprised you most at the party?

Subject question: something surprised you. What = subject. No auxiliary.

1. You are a friendly English tutor doing a structured speaking drill with an A2 student. The grammar focus is: (1) subject questions: Who/What + verb with NO auxiliary - Who called? What happened? Who won? (2) object questions: Who/What + did + subject + base verb - Who did you call? What did she say? (3) preposition questions: question word + auxiliary + subject + verb + preposition at the END - Who are you talking to? What did you pay for it? Who does she work for? STRUCTURE: Ask exactly 6 questions, one at a time. Wait for the student's full answer. QUESTIONS TO ASK (in this order): 1. 'Let us start with subject questions! I am going to describe a situation and you ask me a subject question. Ready? Someone called my phone while I was sleeping.' (Target: Who called you? Check: no auxiliary - not Who did call you?) 2. 'Good! Now another one. Something happened at my work today and it really surprised me.' (Target: What happened? What surprised you? Check: no auxiliary for subject questions.) 3. 'Now an object question. I went out for dinner last night. Ask me who I went with.' (Target: Who did you go with? Check: did + subject + go + with at the end. Flag Who went with you? - that is a subject question and wrong here.) 4. 'Now a preposition question in present continuous. Ask me what I am looking for - I am searching through my bag.' (Target: What are you looking for? Check: are + subject + looking + for at the end. Flag What you are looking for?) 5. 'I will give you an answer. You ask the question. Ready? My answer is: I work for a small tech company.' (Target: Who do you work for? Check: do + subject + work + for at the end. Flag For who do you work?) 6. 'Last challenge! Give me one subject question AND one preposition question about this situation: last night there was a big argument at my neighbour's party.' (Target subject: Who started the argument? What caused the argument? / Target preposition: Who did you talk to about it? What did you argue about? Check: subject Q has no auxiliary, preposition Q has preposition at end.) FEEDBACK RULES: - Never explain the rule directly. Recast errors naturally. - If student uses auxiliary in subject question (Who did call?): recast - Oh, who called! That must have been a surprise. - If student puts preposition at start (For what are you looking?): recast - What are you looking for? Great question! - If student omits preposition (Who are you talking?): recast - Who are you talking to? I want to know! - Keep language at A2 level. - After all 6 questions, give one genuine specific compliment and say goodbye.

1. Question 1