[Grammar] Questions about wh-questions

[Viashivan]

Hello everyone,

I got some questions concerning the forming of wh-questions in a simple past tense conversation.

1.)“Did you do sport in the summer holidays?” -> “Yes, I did.”

(a) “What | kind of sports did you do?”

“Which |

(b) “What did you do?”

My questions are:
- Are both variants (Which or What) of (a) correct questions?
- Why does “kind of sports” move in between the question word and the aux. verb? I thought the question word would immediately be followed by the aux. verb if it is not a subject question?
- In the context of that conversation would (b) be an acceptable substitution for (a)?

2.)“Did you read a book in the summer holidays?” -> “Yes, I did.”
(a)“What was/is the name of the book you read?”
(b)“What did you read?”

My questions are:
- Which one is correct and why? “What is the name...” or “What was the name...”. (The verb “read” is in simple past.)
- Would (a) and (b) deliver the same result or answer?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Soup]

Hello Viashivan

• Which sports?

• What sports?

• “kind of sports” functions as the object of the main verb, so it moves to the front in forming a question:

• I played many sports during the summer holidays.
• What kind of sports did you play?
• What sports did you play?
• Which sports did you play?
• Which kind of sports did you play?

• Yes, (b) would be an acceptable substitution for (a).

• Did you read a book during the summer holidays?
• What was the name of the book?
  • • Past tense, in the past.
• What is the name of the book?
  • • Present tense expresses a fact.
• Yes, (a) and (b) deliver the same result.