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Grammar Focus • 12 Mins

Subject and Object Questions with Who and What

Learn how to ask questions about the person doing an action vs. the person or thing receiving it.

👩‍🏫

For Teachers

Use this 12-minute lesson to introduce and practice subject and object questions with your class.
Check answers together after students finish all 12 interactive practice items below.

✏️

For Learners

Read the 4 easy grammar rules in the table below first to see how questions work.
Then try the 12 practice questions from easy to hard to test your knowledge!

📜 4 Simple Rules: Who & What Questions

Theme: History of Writing

Look at these simple rules to see when to use do / does / did and when to put the main action word right after who or what.

Rule 1

Subject Question (Doing the Action)

When who or what does the action, put the verb right after it. Do not use do, does, or did.

Example 1: Who created this ancient alphabet?

Example 2: Who painted the sign?

Rule 2

Object Question (Receiving the Action)

When who or what receives the action, put did, does, or do after it, then the person or thing, then the main action word.

Example 1: What did the scribe draw on the stone?

Example 2: Who did the teacher ask?

Rule 3

Questions About Now

In the present, when who or what does the action, the verb ends in -s (like lives or happens). When who or what gets the action, we use does and the main action word.

Doer (Subject): Who writes a poem with a dot and dash? / What happens at the end?

Receiver (Object): What does this secret consonant mean in English grammar?

Rule 4

How to Choose (Doer vs. Receiver)

Ask yourself: is the answer the person doing it or getting it?
"Anna saw it" → Who saw it? (Anna did it) | "Anna saw Ben" → Who did Anna see? (Anna saw him).

Doer: Who copied the rare alphabet? (Maya copied it)

Receiver: What did the boy copy? (He copied a dash)

💡 Golden Rule

Subject Question = NO "do / did" | Object Question = USE "do / did"

✅ Right Pattern

• Who created the first alphabet? (No did)
• What did you trace on the wall? (Object question)
• Who lives in this old library? (-s form for subject)

❌ Mistake to Avoid

• Who did create the first alphabet?
• What you traced on the wall?
• Who do live in this old library?

Practice

12 Practice Items (Easy to Hard)

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

1 (translate)

Choose the correct question for: "Someone translated this poem."

____ a. Who did translate this poem? ____ b. Who translated this poem?

2 (write)

Choose the correct question to ask about the underlined words: "The scribe wrote a poem."

____ a. What did the scribe write? ____ b. What the scribe wrote?

3 (live)

Choose the correct question for: "Someone lives here and studies old handwriting."

____ a. Who lives here and studies old handwriting? ____ b. Who do live here and studies old handwriting?

Part 2: Write a question about the words in brackets

4 (trace)

Rewrite the sentence into a question about (Leo):

"(Leo) traced the small dot on the stone. Use who."

____ (Write your question here...)

5 (trace)

Rewrite the sentence into a question about (a small dot):

"Leo traced (a small dot) on the stone. Use what."

____ (Write your question here...)

6 (read)

Rewrite the sentence into a question about (a difficult translation):

"The student read (a difficult translation). Use what."

____ (Write your question here...)

Part 3: Fill the gaps with the correct verb form

7 (know)

Complete the present simple question:

Who ____ the meaning of this consonant?

8 (find)

Complete the past object question with two missing words:

What ____ she ____ in the grammar book yesterday?

9 (happen)

Complete the past subject question:

What ____ to the first handwriting system long ago?

Part 4: Correct the error in a short message to a friend

10 (write)

Read the message and write the underlined question correctly:

💬 Message: "Hi Sam! Who did write this beautiful poem on the board?"

____ (Write the correct sentence...)

11 (draw)

Read the message and write the underlined question correctly:

💬 Message: "Guess what! What you drew with dots and dashes?"

____ (Write the correct sentence...)

12 (know)

Read the message and write the underlined question correctly:

💬 Message: "Can you help me? Who does know the translation of this word?"

____ (Write the correct sentence...)

Grammar: Subject and Object Questions

Subject and Object Questions with Who and What

For Teachers

For Learners

📜 4 Simple Rules: Who & What Questions

Subject Question (Doing the Action)

Object Question (Receiving the Action)

Questions About Now

How to Choose (Doer vs. Receiver)

✅ Right Pattern

❌ Mistake to Avoid

12 Practice Items (Easy to Hard)

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

Part 2: Write a question about the words in brackets

Part 3: Fill the gaps with the correct verb form

Part 4: Correct the error in a short message to a friend

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