Subject or object?

[ESL-lover]

Hello............................

my question is:

What is the time?
what time is it?

What is the colour of.....?
what colour is ............?

can you explain it?
which on is the correct? If both why?what is the deference?

Thank you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, :wink:

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by ESL-lover

Hello. My question is:

What is the time?
What time is it?

What is the colour of...?
What colour is...?

Can you explain it? Which one is correct? If both, why? What is the difference?

It is 4:00.
It is what time? WH-Replacement
What time it is? WH-Movement
What time is it? Subject-Verb Inversion (Question formation)

4:00 is the time.
What is the time? WH-Replacement

The color of money is green.
The color of money is what? WH-Replacement
What the color of money is? WH-Movement
What is the color of money? Subject-Verb Inversion

Money is green.
Money is what color? WH-Replacement
What color money is? WH-Movement
What color is money? Subject-Verb Inversion

:D

[RonBee]

English often has more than one way of saying the same thing. "What is the time?" and "What time is it?" ask the same question and either would probably get the same answer. Both are correct, but the second one is, I think, used more often. The same applies to your other examples. Both are correct.

:)

[Tdol]

We also have other ways of asking it:

Have you got the (correct) time on you?

Here's another one!

What's the time, please?

Mind your ps and qs!

More time expressions here! 8)

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by Lynne Hand

Here's another one!

What's the time, please?

Mind your ps and qs!

More time expressions here! 8)

I do apologise for my manners. ;-(

Here's another one

What time do you make it?

I see less need for please here as it's checking time to synchronise or something, rather than a request.