Janet sat on the table. Where did Janet sat?

[Kamshing]

1) Janet sat on the table.
Where did Janet sat?

2) Janet was sat on the table.
Where was Janet sat?

Dear teachers, please teach me whether the above two sentences are correct.

I am learning how to ask questions based on the above statements.

Thank you.

 

[Skrej]

Neither one is correct.

#1 should be 'Where did Janet sit?' The interrogative form of the Simple Past puts the helping verb 'do' into the past tense, while the main verb remains in the base form.

#2 could be 'Where was Janet sitting', if you want to use the Past Progressive. Again, the 'be' verb is put into the past, while you use the present participle of your main verb.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Did Janet sit "on" the table or "at" the table? Sitting "on" a table is rather unusual.

 

[Kamshing]

Dear MikeNewYork, Thank you. I should use "on the chair" to make this question simple.

Dear teachers, is this sentence correct? (Janet was sat on the chair).

2) Janet was sat on the chair.
Was Janet sat on the chair?

Can I use "WAS" to ask question?

 

[Raymott]

Those sentences are correct if you mean that someone sat Janet on the chair. They are not correct if you mean that Janet sat on the chair. In the first case, someone put her there; in the second, she put herself there.

Waiter: "Why are you sitting at this table?"
Couple: "This is where we were sat (by the manager)."

 

[emsr2d2]

I have heard a few people recently using "I was sat at the table" to mean the same as "I was sitting at the table" but I find it at best unnatural and at worst grammatically incorrect for the context. I agree with Raymott that the first means that someone else put you there. The latter indicates your position/location.

Janet was sitting on a chair.
Where was Janet sitting?

Janet sat on a chair.
Where did Janet sit?

 

[Tdol]

Was Janet sat on the chair?

Can I use "WAS" to ask question?

If you did, the answer would be Yes, she was/No, she wasn't, so it would not get you to the answer you're looking for. Also, the form Was she sat is non-standard. It is used in some regions, but it is not universally accepted and many would consider it to be wrong.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Couple: "This is where we were sat (by the manager)."

Having read definition#3 below, I think 'seated' can be used instead of 'sat'.

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/seat_2

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, "seated" works.