Word order in passive questions

[Bates]

Can anyone explain why, when using the passive tense to ask a question you sometimes use the construction:

Question word + to be + subject + past participle

e.g.When was Coca-Cola invented?

But sometimes leave to be & past participle together:

e.g. How much Coca-Cola is sold in a day?

Thanks

 

[5jj]

The question in your first sentence is 'When?'; in the second, it is 'How much Coca-Cola?'. Compare that with:

How much is Coca-Cola sold for in your country?

In that last sentence, the question is 'How much?' (= at what price?)