Subject and Object Questions Exercises (Who likes tea? Who do you like?)
Do more with this exercise
Subject questions and object questions
In a subject question, who or what is the subject of the verb, so we do not use do, does or did: Who likes tea? In an object question, who or what is the object, so we use do, does or did: Who do you like?
- Object question:
- Question word + do/does/did + subject + verb: What does Tom want? Who did you see? The answer is the object: Tom wants a bike.
- Subject question:
- Question word + verb. There is no do, does or did: Who wants a bike? What happened? The answer is the subject: Tom does.
- Present simple:
- In a subject question, the verb ends in s, as with he or she: Who lives here? Who likes pizza?
- Past simple:
- In a subject question, use the past form of the verb: Who broke the window? What happened? Do not say Who did break the window.
- With be:
- With be, the order is the same in both questions: Who is in the kitchen? What is on the table?
- Short answers:
- Answer a subject question with the person and do, does or did: Who likes pizza? Anna does. Who called you? Mia did.
Examples
Who lives in this house?
Who is the subject. There is no does, and lives ends in s.
Who does Tom like?
Who is the object. We use does + like. The answer is a person Tom likes.
What happened?
What is the subject, so we do not use did. Happened is the past form.
What did you buy yesterday?
What is the object. We use did + buy.
Who called Sam? Mia did.
Who is the subject. The short answer is Mia did.
Who is in the kitchen?
With be, we do not use do, does or did in either type of question.
Practice exercises
Choose the Correct Question
Choose the correct words to complete the question.
1.___ likes pizza? Anna does.
2.Anna likes Tom. Who ___ Anna like?
3.Mia called Sam. ___ Sam?
4.What ___ your sister want?
5.___ is on the table? A book and a pen.
6.Tom likes Anna. The answer to 'Who does Tom like?' is ___.
7.Tom likes Anna. The answer to 'Who likes Anna?' is ___.
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
Put the Words in Order
Click the words in the correct order to build the question.
14. Build the sentence:
15. Build the sentence:
16. Build the sentence:
17. Build the sentence:
True or False
Decide if each statement is true or false.
18.'Who likes tea?' is a subject question. We do not use do or does in it.
19.In 'Who likes pizza?', we need does before likes.
20.In 'Who do you like?', the answer is the person you like.
21.'Who live in this house?' is correct English.
22.'What happened?' is correct English. We do not use did.
Who Likes Tea? Who Do You Like? Subject and Object Questions
Some questions ask about the subject, and some ask about the object. Compare: Who likes Anna? and Who does Anna like? In the first question, the answer is the person who likes Anna: Tom does. In the second question, the answer is the person Anna likes: she likes Tom.
In an object question, we use do, does or did: Who does Anna like? What did you buy? The order is question word + do, does or did + subject + verb. This is the normal question order that you already know from wh- questions.
In a subject question, there is no do, does or did. The question word takes the place of the subject, so the verb comes next: Who lives here? What happened? In the present simple, the verb ends in s: who lives, who likes. In the past simple, use the past form: who called, who broke, what happened.
A common mistake is to add does or did in a subject question: Who does like pizza? Who did break the window? We only use these forms for strong emphasis, so do not use them in normal questions. Say: Who likes pizza? Who broke the window?
With be, the order is the same in both types: Who is in the kitchen? What is on the table? The exercises above practice both types of question with who and what, in the present simple and the past simple.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a subject question and an object question?
In a subject question, who or what is the subject: Who called Sam? The answer is the person who did it. In an object question, who or what is the object: Who did Sam call? The answer is the person who received the action.
Why do we not use do, does or did in subject questions?
Do, does and did are only needed when another word comes between the question word and the verb. In Who likes tea?, who is already the subject, so the verb follows it directly.
Which verb form do I use in a subject question?
In the present simple, use the s form: who lives, who likes. In the past simple, use the past form: who called, who broke.
How do I answer a subject question?
Say the person or thing and do, does or did: Who likes pizza? Anna does. Who broke the window? Tom did.
Which question words can be the subject?
Mostly who and what: Who knows the answer? What happened? Words like where, when and how are not subjects, so with most verbs they need do, does or did: Where does she live?
Answer key
1. ___ likes pizza? Anna does.
Answer: Who
Who is the subject, so there is no do or does. The verb likes ends in s.
2. Anna likes Tom. Who ___ Anna like?
Answer: does
Who is the object here, so we use does + like. Anna is she, so we use does.
3. Mia called Sam. ___ Sam?
Answer: Who called
Who is the subject, so we use the past form called. We do not use did.
4. What ___ your sister want?
Answer: does
What is the object. Your sister is she, so we use does + want.
5. ___ is on the table? A book and a pen.
Answer: What
The answer is things, so we use what. With be, there is no do or does.
6. Tom likes Anna. The answer to 'Who does Tom like?' is ___.
Answer: Anna
Who is the object of like. The question asks about the person Tom likes: Anna.
7. Tom likes Anna. The answer to 'Who likes Anna?' is ___.
Answer: Tom
Who is the subject of likes. The question asks about the person who likes Anna: Tom.
8. ___ makes breakfast in your house? My mother.
Answer: Who
The answer is a person, so we use who. Who is the subject, and there is no do or does.
9. Who ___ Maria help? She helps her brother.
Answer: does
Who is the object. Maria is she, so we use does + help.
10. Who ___ in that big house? The Parks.
Answer: lives
Who is the subject. We use the present simple with s, as with he or she: lives.
11. Who ___ you meet at the cinema? I met Ana.
Answer: did
Who is the object and the time is past, so we use did + meet.
12. ___ happened? The window is broken.
Answer: What
The question asks about a thing or an event, so we use what. What is the subject, so there is no did.
13. Who ___ the pizza? Tom ate it.
Answer: ate
Who is the subject, so we use the past form of eat, without did: ate.
14. lives / who / house / this / in / ?
Answer: Who lives in this house?
In a subject question, the order is who + verb. There is no does.
15. your / does / what / want / brother / ?
Answer: What does your brother want?
In an object question, the order is what + does + subject + verb.
16. broke / window / who / the / ?
Answer: Who broke the window?
In a subject question, we use who + the past form. There is no did.
17. did / see / park / at / who / you / the / ?
Answer: Who did you see at the park?
In an object question, the order is who + did + subject + verb.
18. 'Who likes tea?' is a subject question. We do not use do or does in it.
Answer: True
Who is the subject, so we use who + likes.
19. In 'Who likes pizza?', we need does before likes.
Answer: False
Who is the subject. We say Who likes pizza?, not Who does likes pizza?
20. In 'Who do you like?', the answer is the person you like.
Answer: True
Who is the object of like, so the answer is a person: I like Anna.
21. 'Who live in this house?' is correct English.
Answer: False
Who works like he or she in the present simple: Who lives in this house?
22. 'What happened?' is correct English. We do not use did.
Answer: True
What is the subject, so we use the past form happened without did.