daniar
Senior Member
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgarian
- Jul 17, 2014
- #1
Hello native English speakers.
I've always been taught that when forming questions starting with the question word 'who' such as 'Who came to the party?', 'Who wants some cake?', we don't use auxiliary verbs and the question has the same word order as a statement. I've only seen old grammar books give examples like these 'Who did come?' and to be honest, I've met some absolutely incompetent teachers who haven't even heard of what I've just written. Anyway, I also know that in such questions 'who' plays the role of a subject which is in 3rd person singular and therefore, the main verb has an -s ending. I was really surprised to hear my former English teacher say 'Who want to answer the question?'. Then, I thought I might have misheard her. However, the famous Beyoncé song Run the World has the sentence 'Who run the world? Is it because she refers to all women? Is this standard English? I'm a bit confused right now...
I would be really grateful if you could answer my question.
Daniar
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Keith Bradford
Senior Member
Brittany, NW France
English (Midlands UK)
- Jul 17, 2014
- #2
Your original idea was right.
The other examples are incompetent. Do not expect good English from popular songs.
kayokid
Senior Member
Chicago
English, USA
- Jul 17, 2014
- #3
Hello.
Well, here are my own personal thoughts:
Hello native English speakers.
I've always been taught that when forming questions starting with the question word 'who' and 'what' such as 'Who came to the party?', 'Who wants some cake?', we don't use auxiliary verbs and the question has the same word order as a statement.I've only seen old grammar books have examples like these 'Who did come?', 'What did happen?' (emphatic/emphasis wording) and to be honest, I've met some absolutely incompetent teachers who haven't even heard of what I've just written. Anyway, I also know that in such questions 'who' plays the role of a subject which is in 3rd person singular
and therefore, the main verb has an -s ending. I was really surprised to hear my former English teacher say 'Who want to answer the question?'
. Then, I thought I might have misheard her. However, the famous Beyoncé song 'Who run the world' has 'run', not 'runs'. Is it because she refers to all women? Is this standard English? (No, see comment below) I'm a bit confused right now...
I would be really grateful if you could answer my question.
Daniar
Regarding the Beyonce song: This is dialectical usage.
Regarding your teacher: She was dead wrong.
Greyfriar
Senior Member
Isle of Wight, Southern England
British English
- Jul 17, 2014
- #4
Hello,
I would stick with the correct rule that questions beginning with 'who' take the verb in the third person singular. 'Who runs the world?' You can only use 'run' when making a statement such as 'those who run the world' - third person plural.
I can't. at present, think of any exceptions to this rule. Perhaps someone else will.
PaulQ
Senior Member
UK
English - England
- Jul 17, 2014
- #5
Unfortunately, I do not know "the famous Beyoncé song 'Who Run the World'" but I can say:
daniar said:
I've always been taught that when forming questions starting with the question word 'who' such as 'Who came to the party?', 'Who wants some cake?', we don't use auxiliary verbs
This is incorrect. 'Who did come?', Who needs to know? Who can jump highest? Who is to be the leader? etc. are all correct.
I was really surprised to hear my former English teacher say 'Who want to answer the question?'.
Perhaps she was tired. You and I know it should be 'Who wants to answer the question?'
However, the famous Beyoncé song Run the World has the sentence 'Who run the world?
If you listen to the line of the song, it is very repetitive: the chorus sings "Girls" and Beyoncé adds "who run the world". (so we have "Girls who run the world.")
Who can be singular or plural: "I know many people who are poor." / "I know a man who is poor."
or, as a question:
A: "They are poor."
B: "Who are poor?"
A: "Those people over there are poor."
A: "He is poor."
B: "Who is poor?"
A: "That man over there is poor."
G
George French
Senior Member
English - UK
- Jul 17, 2014
- #6
daniar said:
However, the famous Beyoncé song 'Who run the world' has 'run', not 'runs'. Is it because she refers to all women? Is this standard English? I'm a bit confused right now...
I would be really grateful if you could answer my question.
Daniar
Standard English in a song? That is not normally one of the requirements....
The song title is "Girls Who Run The World", at least that's what I have found out, out there.
GF..
Note that many songs do use correct grammar.......
lyrics:- http://www.metrolyrics.com/girls-who-run-the-world-lyrics-beyonce-knowles.html
daniar
Senior Member
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgarian
- Jul 18, 2014
- #7
I see. The only thing I don't understand is why 'Who did come?' is correct. Yes, I know that we can start a question with 'who' and use an auxiliary verb after it, eg 'Who(m) did you go with?' 'What do you know about the murder?', etc. This is why I gave some examples(Who needs a break?) which, according to all grammar books I've read, don't have the word order of usual questions, all questions in which 'who'/'what' are subjects of the sentence. But why 'Who did come?', I don't understand...
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kayokid
Senior Member
Chicago
English, USA
- Jul 18, 2014
- #8
"Who did come?" is an emphatic form of the question, "Who came?"
Ex.
A: I invited several people over to my house yesterday but Tom, Susan, John, Mary and Sam didn't come.
B: I don't understand. Those are your closest friends. If they didn't make to the party, who did come?
Does that help?
daniar
Senior Member
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgarian
- Jul 18, 2014
- #9
Yes, now I understand. I never knew this! Is it used only in informal speech?
G
George French
Senior Member
English - UK
- Jul 20, 2014
- #10
daniar said:
Yes, now I understand. I never knew this!
Is it used only in informal speech?
No.
GF..
1dollface1
New Member
English
- Jan 11, 2016
- #11
PaulQ said:
Unfortunately, I do not know "the famous Beyoncé song 'Who Run the World'" but I can say:This is incorrect. 'Who did come?', Who needs to know? Who can jump highest? Who is to be the leader? etc. are all correct. Perhaps she was tired.
You and I know it should be 'Who wants to answer the question?' If you listen to the line of the song, it is very repetitive: the chorus sings "Girls" and Beyoncé adds "who run the world". (so we have "Girls who run the world.")
Who can be singular or plural: "I know many people who are poor." / "I know a man who is poor."
or, as a question:
A: "They are poor."
B: "Who are poor?"
A: "Those people over there are poor."A: "He is poor."
B: "Who is poor?"
A: "That man over there is poor."
It is confusing as her lyrics start out that way, but as you get into the song, it changes to "Who run the world? (Girls). Bugged me quite a bit when it was changed... I can't stand the song because of it.
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