[thadajirajaras]

Many times I want to make questions without subject. I think that we can do this be using prep after the question word. Or such as "How to + V.", "What to + V." But I don't really know much about these method.

[susan53]

No, this type of question must have a subject. How/what +to etc are incorrect - don't use them. These structures are generally used in subordinate clauses. So the following are correct :

I don't know how to do it.
She told me what to do.
Can you tell me how to do it?

but *How to do it? is incorrect. The correct question uses an auxiliary verb and subject :

How do you do it?
How should I do it?

The structure may also be used as a heading for a section which is going to give you the answer : How to book your flight /When to visit Milan. But these are not questions - they are really a short form of the idea : The next section will tell you how to book your flight - so we're back to the idea of a subordinate clause again.

The only time I could imagine the structure being used in a question would be if the question was rhetorical : Where to draw the line? That's the problem that we all face. But I've not been able to find any authentic examples. However, I can't imagine it ever being used as a genuine question - and certainly haven't been able to find examples of that.

True "questions without a subject" are those where the question word replaces the subject. So :

Who wrote this report?
David wrote it.

As you can see, Who refers to David - the subject of the answer. So in the question Who = subject. In this type of question there is no auxiliary verb - you just use the "ordinary" verb form and word order.

[thadajirajaras]

So There is only one type of question that have no subject. That's "how about".
How about + n?

Thank you ^^

[thadajirajaras]

Where can I see many short forms of the ideas that look like the question.

For example
Where to go
where to keep this
which one on the table
How much to buy it
How long for going to that place

---> Are All of these the ideas, not the questions?

[thadajirajaras]

Now I think that English needs subject in almost ways.

[thadajirajaras]

1) Hello teacher--> Can I put the subject "I" in front of "Hello"?

I have another question.
2)Good morning teacher--> Why is there no verb?

[thadajirajaras]

Can I get rid The word inside () in these sentences?
1) I love playing batminton and (I) want to play with you.
2)I will marry you because (I) love you
3) You (have to go into that room) then I have to go into that room.
4)He loves you but (he) wants to go.

[susan53]

Quote thadajirajaras

Can I get rid The word inside () in these sentences?
1) I love playing batminton and (I) want to play with you.
2)I will marry you because (I) love you
3) You (have to go into that room) then I have to go into that room.
4)He loves you but (he) wants to go.

1 and 4 - yes. And and but are co-ordinating conjunctions. Any element of the clause following a co-ordinating conjunction which is a repetition of an element in the first clause can be omitted.

3 - yes. then often acts as a co-ordinator, and when it does can follow the rule above.


2 - no. because is a subordinating conjunction, and the rule is not the same. The subject must be repeated here.

PS - you still haven't understood the idea of different questions in different threads. If you have a different question, go out of the forum and then come back in and start again with a new post, giving it a new title. Don't click on the reply button in a previous question.

[susan53]

1.

Quote thadajirajaras

1) Hello teacher--> Can I put the subject "I" in front of "Hello"?

Hello is not a verb but an interjection. Only verbs have subjects.


2)

Quote thadajirajaras

Good morning teacher--> Why is there no verb?

The same explanation - because Good morning is another interjection made up of a noun phrase (adjective+noun). If you like, you can think of it as meaning : I wish you a good morning. We would be very unlikely to actually say that however.

PS. Remember what I said in a previous post about the use of the word "teacher" being inappropriate in English as a form of address.

[susan53]

Where to go
where to keep this
How much to buy it

Where did you see these? Without knowing the exact context, it's impossible to comment on them more than I did in the previous answers.


How long for going to that place - this is incorrect. It's completely ungrammatical.

which one on the table - this is incorrect. Again, it's completely ungrammatical.

[susan53]

Quote thadajirajaras

So There is only one type of question that have no subject. That's "how about".
How about + n?

Thank you ^^

about is a preposition. Prepositions can be followed by a noun - eg lunch - or a verb in the -ing form. So I could say either :

How about lunch tomorrow?
or
How about having lunch tomorrow?

Another possibility is to add an if clause :

How about if we have lunch tomorrow?

Remember that What about can always be substituted for How about too - ie What about lunch tomorrow? /what about having lunch tomorrow? / What about if we have lunch tomorrow?

[thadajirajaras]

thank you ^^

sorry that I ask the other questiion in the same forum.