Английский язык с нуля до продвинутого. Практический курс по приложению English Galaxy. А0. Урок 17

Summary

The lesson teaches how to form special (wh-) questions with the verb to be in the present tense.

The basic word order is:

Question word + am/is/are + subject + the rest of the sentence

Choose am, is, or are according to the subject: I am; he/she/it is; you/we/they are.

Question words and examples

• How: How are you?; How is he/she doing?
• Where: Where are you now?; Where is she?; Where is it?
• Why: Why am I here?; Why is he right?; Why is it so expensive?
• When: When are you at home/free/at work?
• What: What is here?; What is in the box?; What is better? In ordinary speech, what is is often contracted to what’s.
• Who: The choice of is or are depends on whether a subject follows who:
  • Who is here? / Who is there? — no separate subject follows who.
  • Who are you? / Who are they? — you or they is the subject.

Common question patterns

• Asking someone’s age: How old are you?; How old is he?; How old is she?
• Asking where someone is from: Where are you from?; Where is he from?; Where is she from? In this pattern, from appears at the end of the question.
• Asking someone’s occupation: What is your job? and related forms, such as What is his job? and What is her job? Example answers include I’m a manager, I’m a businessman, and I’m a doctor. Use a/an before a singular profession.
• Asking someone’s name: What is your name? Answers may use a full or contracted form—My name is Kate, My name’s Kate—or simply Kate.

Choosing is or are with noun subjects

When the subject is a noun rather than a pronoun, identify whether it is singular or plural:

• Singular: Where is your friend?; How much is this thing?; How far is this place?
• Plural: Where are your parents?; How much are these jeans?

The practical method is to identify the subject first, choose the matching form of to be, and place it after the question word.

Speakers and sources

• Presenter/instructor: One speaker teaches the lesson; the subtitles do not identify the presenter by name.
• English Galaxy app: Mentioned as the app used to practise the course material.
• Native English speakers: Referred to generally in the explanation of contractions; no separate native speaker is heard in the subtitles.