Information Questions: Information Questions (#5): Answers for Subject Questions

 Information Questions (#5):
Answers for Questions about the Subject

 

There are are several different ways to answer "Wh-"
questions. One way is to give a complete answer. In
a complete answer for "Wh-" questions about the
subject (or part of it), the sentence is often repeated:

Q: A:	Who's in the kitchen? Bob's in the kitchen.
Q: A:	Which man is Bob's father? The tall man in the red jacket is Bob's father. / Bob's father is the tall man in the red jacket.
Q: A:	Whose brother was with us yesterday? Mei-Li's brother was with us yesterday.
Q: A:	What was given to Bill? A $10,000 prize was given to Bill.
Q: A:	How many people will come to the party? About 40 people will come to the party?
Q: A:	How much sugar was used in these cookies? Two cups of sugar were used in these cookies.
Q: A:	Who bought a new car? Masha and her husband bought a new car.
Q: A:	Whose students do the most homework? Mrs. Sato's students do the most homework.

Note: Complete answers are correct, but short answers
(see below) are more common.

 

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Short answers are also common for "Wh-" questions
about the subject (or part of it). One way to answer
(which is very common in everyday conversations) is
to say the subject:

Q: A:	Who's in the kitchen? Bob.
Q: A:	Which man is Bob's father? The tall man in the red jacket is Bob's father. / The tall man in the red jacket.
Q: A:	Whose brother was with us yesterday? Mei-Li's brother.
Q: A:	What was given to Bill? A $10,000 prize.
Q: A:	How many people will come to the party? About 40.
Q: A:	How much sugar was used in these cookies? Two cups.
Q: A:	Who bought a new car? Masha and her husband.
Q: A:	Whose students do the most homework? Mrs. Sato's students.

 

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Another type of short answer consists of the subject +
BE / auxiliary / do, does, or did:

Q: A:	Who's in the kitchen? Bob is.
Q: A:	Who's sitting beside Chiharu? Amel is.
Q: A:	Who has already finished? We have.
Q: A:	Who drank the last of the milk? Joe did.
Q: A:	Who might know the answer? Ahmed might.

Note: Answers of this kind are common for questions
about the complete subject.