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Phonetic reduction and ellipsis in wh-questions

427b

Some phonetic reduction of auxiliary do may take place in wh-questions in

informal speech:

Where 

d’you work?

(/d
u/ = do you)

A: Where d’you buy that?

B: In Barcelona.

(/d
u/ = did you)

In informal speech, occasionally, auxiliary verbs may not need to be present where

the meaning is obvious:

A: And Peter goes, like, ‘What you talking about?’ I thought that was weird. 

B: Yeah. 

(understood: What are you talking about?)

Where you going tonight? Anywhere special?

A wh-question may be declarative in form, especially if the speaker is checking

information already given or checking on a particular detail:

A: So what do you do? You kind of arrive at what time?

B: Twelve o’clock or something.

(compare the more formal: (At) what time do you arrive?)

A: So you just send it through the post?

B: Yeah.

A: And you address it to who?

B: Just the Manager.

(compare the more formal: And who do you address it to?, or most formal: And

to whom do you address it?)