Who/Did?

Question

Who/Did?

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Hi guys

Why in this question we do not use "did": Who brought you up? (instead of: Who did bring you up?)

And in this one we do: Who did you look up to? (instead of: Who you looked up to?)

thanks

Aug 12 2008 08:41:07

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NewguestHi guys

Why in this question we do not use "did": Who brought you up? (instead of: Who did bring you up?)

And in this one we do: Who did you look up to? (instead of: Who you looked up to?)

Hi,

It has to do with the role of "who". Is it the subject (as in Who brought you up?) or is it the object (as in Who did you look up to?)?
Here's a brief extract from a page from BBC Learning English that explains the differences between these two types of sentences:

When the question word is the subject - 'who' in this example - the auxiliary 'do' isn't needed and the word order is:
subject (who) + verb (wants) + object or complement (more coffee).
A. Who wants more coffee?

...

Here's one where the question word is acting as an object:
A. Who did you meet there?
B. I met an old friend.
In this example, 'who' is the question word and 'did' is the auxiliary.
'Who' is referring to the object of the sentence, the person I met.

Compare:
Who saw you?>>> "Who" is the subject. You were seen by somebody.
Who did you see? >>> "Who" is the object. You saw somebody. (Strictly speaking, this one should be "Whom did you see?" ... but in everyday conversations "Who did you see?" is far more common).

Aug 12 2008 09:05:59

Thank you very much!!!

Aug 12 2008 21:28:47

NewguestWhy in this question we do not use "did": Who brought you up? (instead of: Who did bring you up?)

And in this one we do: Who did you look up to? (instead of: Who you looked up to?)

Compare the expected answer to the question. Note the position of the question word and the position of the answer word.

Who brought you up? X brought me up.
Who did you look up to? I looked up to X.
If the word that answers the question is first in the answer, ask the question in the same order as the answer. Don't use do, does, or did.
(This is basically the same answer as Tanit gave. Tanit's is technically more correct. Mine is a good guideline.)
CJ

Aug 13 2008 01:33:45

Students: We have free audio pronunciation exercises.

Hi

What about this sentence: Which bank offered him the best rate? I might answer: X bank offered him the best rate OR The best rate offered him X bank.

Do the same rules as above apply here?

Aug 23 2008 18:05:01

NewguestThe best rate offered him X bank.

This sentence is not grammatical, so I'm not quite sure what you're asking or how to answer you.

CJ

Aug 24 2008 17:14:54

CalifJim
NewguestThe best rate offered him X bank.
This sentence is not grammatical, so I'm not quite sure what you're asking or how to answer you.

CJ

Hi

So I conclude that the only option to answer this question is to say: Citibank offered him the best rate. I thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?

thanks

Aug 24 2008 17:32:53

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NewguestI thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?

No. You thought wrong. It's not correct. Sorry.

CJ

Aug 24 2008 20:58:28

CalifJim
NewguestI thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?
No. You thought wrong. It's not correct. Sorry.

CJ

Hi again

Can you tell me what's incorrect about this sentence, or does it just sound strange to you and it's hard to explain what is wrong with it?

Aug 24 2008 21:06:05

NewguestHi guys

Why in this question we do not use "did": Who brought you up? (instead of: Who did bring you up?)

And in this one we do: Who did you look up to? (instead of: Who you looked up to?)

Hi,

It has to do with the role of "who". Is it the subject (as in Who brought you up?) or is it the object (as in Who did you look up to?)?
Here's a brief extract from a page from BBC Learning English that explains the differences between these two types of sentences:

When the question word is the subject - 'who' in this example - the auxiliary 'do' isn't needed and the word order is:
subject (who) + verb (wants) + object or complement (more coffee).
A. Who wants more coffee?

...

Here's one where the question word is acting as an object:
A. Who did you meet there?
B. I met an old friend.
In this example, 'who' is the question word and 'did' is the auxiliary.
'Who' is referring to the object of the sentence, the person I met.
Compare:
Who saw you?>>> "Who" is the subject. You were seen by somebody.
Who did you see? >>> "Who" is the object. You saw somebody. (Strictly speaking, this one should be "Whom did you see?" ... but in everyday conversations "Who did you see?" is far more common).
NewguestWhy in this question we do not use "did": Who brought you up? (instead of: Who did bring you up?)

And in this one we do: Who did you look up to? (instead of: Who you looked up to?)
Compare the expected answer to the question. Note the position of the question word and the position of the answer word.

Who brought you up? X brought me up.
Who did you look up to? I looked up to X.
If the word that answers the question is first in the answer, ask the question in the same order as the answer. Don't use do, does, or did.
(This is basically the same answer as Tanit gave. Tanit's is technically more correct. Mine is a good guideline.)
CJ
Hi

What about this sentence: Which bank offered him the best rate? I might answer: X bank offered him the best rate OR The best rate offered him X bank.

Do the same rules as above apply here?
NewguestThe best rate offered him X bank.
This sentence is not grammatical, so I'm not quite sure what you're asking or how to answer you.
CJ
CalifJim
NewguestThe best rate offered him X bank.
This sentence is not grammatical, so I'm not quite sure what you're asking or how to answer you.

CJ

Hi

So I conclude that the only option to answer this question is to say: Citibank offered him the best rate. I thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?

thanks
NewguestI thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?
No. You thought wrong. It's not correct. Sorry.
CJ
CalifJim
NewguestI thought that if I said: The best rate offered him Citibank - would also be correct?
No. You thought wrong. It's not correct. Sorry.

CJ

Hi again

Can you tell me what's incorrect about this sentence, or does it just sound strange to you and it's hard to explain what is wrong with it?

doriscornago · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-28T15:45

Here is a detailed answer: https://www.englishforums.com/blog/who-brought-you-up/

CalifJim · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-28T21:14

The answer at that link is unsatisfactory.

It claims the following:

You ask "Who brought you up?" to get the answer in the subject position.

My aunt Sally brought me up.

You ask "Who did bring you up?" to get the answer in the object position.

The person who brought me up was my aunt Sally.

1) The use of "did" simply provides emphasis, especially when it is used after a negative.

— No, it was not my cousin Charlie who brought me up. And it wasn't my uncle Robert either.
— Well then who did bring you up?
— My aunt Sally brought me up.

2) Questioning the subject can be done with auxiliary do, but that is a matter unrelated to the fact that when you question the object you always need auxiliary do. The addition of 'did' to the given sentence means nothing remotely like a signal that the answer must be an object in the sentence given as a reply.

3) Aside from 'me' there is no object in the sentence

The person who brought me up was my aunt Sally.

'was' is a linking verb, so 'my aunt Sally' is not an object but a subject complement.

Those are just the glaring errors. There are also a few lesser ones.

CJ

Who/Did?

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