1. Wh- Questions
Subject and Object

2. Wh-Questions - 1
Wh-questions (or = information questions) is used to ask for specific information.
Wh-questions begin with wh-words such as who, what, where, when, why, which, whose, how, how many, how much, and how long.
Examples:
A: Who did you see at McDonald’s?
B: Tom Smith
A: When did you go there?
B: On June 13
A: How many people saw you?
B: Two

3. Wh-Questions - 2 When you are asking about the subject, use:
A wh-word in place of the subject, and statement word order: subject + verb
Example:
Someone saw you.  Who saw you?  subject + verb
Something happened.  What happened?  subject + verb
For questions beginning with which, whose, how much, and how many, we often use who-word + noun in place of the subject.
Which witness told you the truth?  which + noun
How many people saw the trial?  how many + noun

4. Wh-Questions - 3
When the verb is a form of be (am, is, are, was, were), use:
Wh-word + be
Example: Harry Adams is the defendant.
Who is the defendant?
Harry Adams is the defendant.
Who is Harry Adams?

5. Wh-Questions - 4 When you are asking about the object, use:
a wh-word, and the following word order:
auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
Example: You saw someone. (someone = object)
Who did you see?  auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
He said something. (something = object)
What did he say?  auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

6. Wh-Questions - 5
For questions beginning with which, whose, how much, and how many, we often use wh-word + noun in place of the object.
Example:
Which witness did you believe?
How much time did the jury need?
REMEMBER:
An auxiliary verb is a verb such as do (does, did), have (has, had), can, or will. Be can be an auxiliary, too.
Example: Who does she defend?
Who is she helping?

7. Wh-Questions - 7
> USAGE NOTE: In very formal English when asking about people as object, whom is sometimes used instead of who.
Example:
Whom did you see?  Very Formal
Who did you see?  More Common
> BE CAREFUL!
If the main verb is a form of be, you cannot use whom.
Who is the next witness?
NOT X Whom X is the next witness?

8. Wh-Questions - 8
Wh-questions with why, when, or where have the following word order:
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
This is the same word order as in wh-questions about the object.
Example:
Why does she want to defend him?
When did she arrive?
Where will she go?