Subject and object questions
Who called you, or who did you call? Questions about the subject have no do, does or did.
Not sure A2 is your level? Find out in 8–40 questions, no account needed.
A question with who or what can ask about two different things. If it asks about the subject, the person or thing that does the action, we don't use do, does or did: Who called you? If it asks about the object, we make a normal question with do, does or did: Who did you call?
Two questions, two answers
Two facts: Anna called Tom. The dog ate my sandwich.
Question | It asks about | Answer |
|---|---|---|
Who called Tom? | the subject | Anna. |
Who did Anna call? | the object | Tom. |
What ate your sandwich? | the subject | The dog. |
What did the dog eat? | the object | My sandwich. |
- "Who called you?" "Anna called me."
(Anna is the subject: she did the calling.)
- "Who did you call?" "I called Anna."
(Anna is the object: you called her.)
Subject questions: no do, does, did
In a subject question, who or what takes the place of the subject. The word order stays the same as in a statement, and the verb keeps its normal form: -s in the present simple, -ed or an irregular form in the past.
- Who lives in that house?
- What happened at the meeting?
- Who wants a cup of tea?
- Who broke the window?
- Incorrect: Who did call you yesterday?
- Correct: Who called you yesterday?Who is the subject, so we don't add did.
- Incorrect: Who live in this flat?
- Correct: Who lives in this flat?Who takes a singular verb: lives, with -s.
You may hear did in a subject question with very strong stress, when someone is surprised or annoyed. In normal questions, leave it out.
Object questions: do, does, did
When we ask about the object, the question has the normal order: question word + do, does or did + subject + verb.
- Who do you live with?
- What did you buy?
- Who did she marry?
- Incorrect: What you bought at the market?
- Correct: What did you buy at the market?What is the object here (you bought something), so the question needs did.
Which, whose, how many + noun
The same rule works when which, whose, what or how many come before a noun.
- Which bus goes to the station?
(Subject: a bus goes there.)
- Which bus did you take?
(Object: you took a bus.)
- How many people came to the party?
- Whose phone is ringing?
With be, can, will and other tenses
With be and with verbs like can, will, have, the subject question keeps the statement order too.
- Who is coming tonight?
- What's wrong?
- Who can help me with this?
- Who has seen my keys?
- Who are you waiting for?
(An object question: you are waiting for someone.)
Object questions with a preposition
When the verb needs a preposition (with, for, to, about), it usually goes at the end of an object question.
- Who did you go to the cinema with?
- What are you talking about?
- Who is this present for?
- What are you looking at?
Compare a subject question and an object question with the same verb:
- Who talked to you?
(Someone talked to you. Who was it?)
- Who did you talk to?
(You talked to someone. Who was it?)
Short answers to subject questions
Answer a subject question with the subject + do, does, did or another auxiliary, or with the name alone.
- "Who wants more cake?" "I do."
- "Who told you?" "Mark did." / "Mark."
- "Who's coming with me?" "We are."