Unit2 - Subjective Questions

Direct Object:

• The direct object is the person or thing that directly receives the action of the verb.
• It answers the question 'what?' or 'who?'.
• Example: In the sentence "John kicked the ball," the ball is the direct object.

Indirect Object:

• The indirect object is the person or thing to whom or for whom the action is performed.
• It receives the direct object.
• Example: In the sentence "She gave him a gift," him is the indirect object (the recipient of the gift).

Structure:
Usually, the pattern is: .

When a transitive verb has both objects, two structures are possible:

1. Without a preposition:

   • The indirect object comes before the direct object.
   • Formula:
   • Example: "I sent Mary a letter."

2. With a preposition (to/for):

   • The direct object comes first, followed by a preposition and the indirect object.
   • Formula:
   • Example: "I sent a letter to Mary."

Note: If the direct object is a pronoun (e.g., 'it'), we usually use the second pattern (e.g., "Give it to me," not "Give me it").

Yes/No questions are formed by placing the auxiliary verb (do, be, have) or modal verb before the subject.

Formula:

Examples:

1. Present Simple (using 'do'):

   • Statement: You like coffee.
   • Question: "Do you like coffee?"

2. Past Simple (using 'did'):

   • Statement: He visited Paris.
   • Question: "Did he visit Paris?" (Note: The main verb reverts to the base form).

The main difference lies in what the question word (Who, What, Which) refers to.

1. Subject Questions:

• Definition: The question word acts as the subject of the verb.
• Grammar: We do not use the auxiliary verb 'do/does/did'. The word order remains the same as a statement.
• Formula:
• Example: "Who called you?" (Answer: John called me.)

2. Object Questions:

• Definition: The question word acts as the object of the verb.
• Grammar: We must use an auxiliary verb (do/does/did) followed by the subject.
• Formula:
• Example: "Who did you call?" (Answer: I called John.)

When a Wh-question involves a preposition, its placement depends on the register (formal vs. informal).

1. Informal Structure (Dangling Preposition):

• In spoken or informal English, the preposition is placed at the very end of the sentence.
• Example: "Who are you waiting for?"
• Example: "What is this music listening to?"

2. Formal Structure:

• In formal written English, the preposition is placed before the question word. When referring to people, 'who' changes to 'whom'.
• Example: "For whom are you waiting?"
• Example: "To which department should I apply?"

Negative questions contain the word 'not' (usually contracted as n't) immediately after the auxiliary verb.

Structure:

Functions/Situations:

1. Confirmation/Expectation: Used when the speaker expects the answer to be 'Yes' or wants to confirm an assumption.
   • Example: "Didn't you go to the party?" (I thought you went.)
2. Surprise/Annoyance: Used to express surprise that something hasn't happened.
   • Example: "Haven't you finished your homework yet?" (I am surprised/annoyed it is taking so long.)

Answering negative questions can be confusing because the 'Yes' or 'No' refers to the truth of the situation, not the grammar of the question.

• Answering 'Yes': Means the positive statement is true.

  • Question: "Don't you like pizza?"
  • Answer: "Yes, I do." (Meaning: I do like pizza.)

• Answering 'No': Means the negative statement is true.

  • Question: "Haven't you seen the movie?"
  • Answer: "No, I haven't." (Meaning: I have not seen the movie.)

Tip: In English, it is often clearer to provide the short tag answer (e.g., "Yes, I have" or "No, I haven't") rather than just "Yes" or "No".

Usage: These phrases are used to express agreement or similarity with a previous statement.

1. Agreeing with Positive Statements (So...):

• Use So + Auxiliary Verb + Subject.
• The auxiliary verb must match the tense of the original statement.
• Statement: "I love chocolate."
• Response: "So do I." (Present simple)
• Statement: "I am tired."
• Response: "So am I."

2. Agreeing with Negative Statements (Neither...):

• Use Neither + Auxiliary Verb + Subject.
• Statement: "I don't like spicy food."
• Response: "Neither do I."
• Statement: "I can't swim."
• Response: "Neither can I."

Alternative: You can also use "I usually don't either."

When using verbs of opinion or expectation (think, believe, suppose, hope) to answer questions, the negative formation varies.

1. Transfer of Negation (Think/Believe/Suppose):

• Usually, the negative is transferred to the main verb, not the 'so' clause.
• Correct: "I don't think so."
• Incorrect/Rare: "I think not."

2. Negative with 'Hope' (and 'Afraid'):

• With 'hope', we do not negate the verb; we negate the object.
• Correct: "I hope not."
• Incorrect: "I don't hope so."

Difference:

• "I don't think so" expresses an opinion that something is untrue.
• "I hope not" expresses a desire for something to be untrue.

Analysis:

1. The underlined word is "flowers".
2. "Flowers" is the Direct Object of the sentence (What did John buy?).
3. Since it is an object (thing), the question word is What.
4. The verb "bought" is in Past Simple, so we need the auxiliary did.

Derivation Formula:

Step-by-step:

• Wh-word: What
• Aux: did
• Subject: John
• Verb: buy (base form)
• Remainder: for his mother

Final Question:
"What did John buy for his mother?"

Type of Question: Subject Question.

Analysis:

• In the statement version of this sentence (e.g., "John lives in that house"), the person (John) is the Subject.
• The question asks for the identity of the subject.
• Rule: When the question word (Who) replaces the subject, the word order is identical to a positive statement: .
• Therefore, no auxiliary 'do/does' is inserted. "Who does live..." is only used for emphatic purposes.

1. Imperative Statement:

• Positive: Open the door.
• Negative: Do not (Don't) open the door.

2. Present Perfect Statement:

• Positive: I have finished my work.
• Negative: I have not (haven't) finished my work.

3. Present Simple Statement:

• Positive: He works here.
• Negative: He does not (doesn't) work here. (Note: 'works' changes to 'work').

The choice of preposition depends on the verb used in the sentence.

1. Using 'To':

• Used when there is a transfer of something from one person to another.
• Verbs: Give, send, lend, show, write, tell, offer.
• Example: "I gave the book to him."

2. Using 'For':

• Used when someone does a favor or performs an action on behalf of another.
• Verbs: Buy, cook, make, find, get, save.
• Example: "I cooked dinner for him."
• Example: "She bought a gift for her mom."

Analysis:

• Current Sentence: "The teacher explained the rules to the students."
• Verb: Explain.
• Exception Rule: The verb 'explain' is an exception in English grammar. Unlike 'give' or 'send', 'explain' cannot be followed immediately by an indirect object without a preposition.

Correction:
We cannot say: "The teacher explained the students the rules." (Incorrect).

The structure must remain: "The teacher explained the rules to them."

However, if the question implies a standard verb like 'give':
Original: "He gave the book to the students."
Rewrite: "He gave them the book."

Person A: I really don't like waking up early on Sundays.
Person B: Neither do I. It's the only day I can sleep in.

Person A: But I can usually wake up early during the week without an alarm.
Person B: Really? So can I. My body clock is very consistent.

Target Info: "to Japan" (Destination/Place).
Question Word: Where.

Structure:

1. Wh-word: Where
2. Auxiliary: are (from "they are")
3. Subject: they
4. Verb: traveling
5. Remainder: next week

Result: "Where are they traveling next week?" (Note: 'to' can be omitted with 'Where', or placed at the end: "Where are they traveling to next week?")

Strict Grammatical Usage:

• Who: Used as the Subject of a sentence or clause (the one doing the action).
• Whom: Used as the Object of a verb or a preposition (the one receiving the action).
• Rule of Thumb: If you can answer with "him," use "whom." If you answer with "he," use "who."

Modern Usage:
In modern, informal English, 'whom' is often considered overly formal or archaic. Native speakers frequently use 'who' for both subject and object positions, except in very formal writing or when immediately following a preposition (e.g., "To whom it may concern").

• Formal: "Whom did you invite?"
• Informal: "Who did you invite?"

Error Analysis:
The error is in the word order. In English Wh-questions (object questions), the auxiliary verb must come before the subject.

• Incorrect Structure: ("Why you didn't call")
• Correct Structure:

Correction:
"Why didn't you call me?"

To identify the objects, we analyze the verb "offered".

1. Direct Object: What was offered?

   • Answer: "a new job".

2. Indirect Object: To whom was it offered?

   • Answer: "the candidate".

Structure check: The sentence follows the pattern .

Statement: George Orwell wrote 1984.

1. Subject Question:

• Target: The subject (George Orwell).
• Question Word: Who.
• Rule: No auxiliary.
• Result: "Who wrote 1984?"

2. Object Question:

• Target: The object (1984).
• Question Word: What.
• Rule: Use auxiliary 'did' (Past Simple).
• Result: "What did George Orwell write?"