Verbs 7: Operators and Subjects

Materials by Liz Siler

Review Points

• Operators are necessary to perform operations such as negation.

Study Points

• You can use an operator to find the subject of the verb phrase.

• The subject can be found by making a yes/no question with an operator.

Yes/No Questions

• Yes/No Questions are questions that can be answered with either a “yes” or a “no.”

Examples

Are whales mammals? Yes.

Do you like whales? Yes.

Are those whales playing? No.

Yes/No Question Formation (Step 1)

• Start with a clause (a statement with a single verb phrase):– Whales [are] mammals.– You [like] whales.– Those whales [are playing].

Yes/No Question Formation: (Step 2)

• Move the operator before the subject.

• If there is no operator, make one using “do” (just as you did for negatives).

• Add a question mark.

Examples: Yes/No Questions

EXAMPLES:

• Whales are mammals > Are whales mammals?

• You like whales > Do you like whales?

• Those whales are playing > Are those whales playing?

Locating the Subject

• The grammatical subject of the verb phrase is the part of the clause that comes – AFTER the operator and – BEFORE the rest of the verb phrase

in a yes-no question (if there is more verb phrase).

Examples

• Are > whales mammals?

• Do > you < like whales?

• Are >those whales < playing?