0
Believer Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

How are they different semantically?

0How are they different in meaning?02br
02br
00One afternoon, a science teacher was lecturing his class on biology. 02br
02br
00Possible Qs and differences in meaning:02br
02br
01i001) What/which subject did he lecture on?02i02br
02br
01i002) What/which subject was he lecturing on?02i0-
  

Top answer

" if you don't understand what the lecturer is talking about. ". " is a question you would often hear.

— Paco2004

  • " if you don't understand what the lecturer is talking about.
  • ".
  • " is a question you would often hear.
  • 02br 02br 00paco 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
0 Hello02br
02br
00I think you might ask to your friends in class "On what is he lecturing?" if you don't understand what the lecturer is talking about. But I wonder if you could have many a chance to use "On what was he lecturing?". "On what did he lecture last semester?" is a question you would often hear. 02br
02br
00paco 0-
0
0
0Hi, Paco,02br
02br
00Which brings us to another question:02br
02br
00What is the difference between “What was he lecturing on?” and “On what was he lecturing?”0-
0
0
0Hi, 02br
02br
00There is no difference between the two phrases above. However, 01font00On what was he lecturing?02font00 sounds more formal, or even pompous if said in a rather superior tone of voice. Most people would not usually phrase it this way in casual speech. (Although some of my educated colleagues do use it without it so
0

Related Questions