what the matter was 也是正确的

google一下, 好像全中国都在考:
She asked _____. A. what was the matter   B. what the matter was

(提供的答案是A)

但是, what the matter was 也是正确的:
Michael Swan's Practical English Usage, 3rd edition（2005）, 278.7条:
I asked what was the matter.
I asked what the matter was.

截至今天, 《纽约时报》上大约有1880个what was the matter；372个what the matter was：

- [ ]

... he arrived Just after the body had been placed in the tonneau of the car, and inquired what the matter was. Brown refused to-night to discuss the case. ...

盼望老师们不要出本文开头引用的这样的考题来考学生。

joham

两句话重点有差异而已。我们怎么只说一种是正确的？

问一个问题，主语是哪个？

Bye, guys.

What's the matter?
Is something the matter?
There's nothing the matter with Bob/the machine.

从这些例句可以看出，the matter 在句子中做的是表语，而不是主语。但是语言在许多情况下是非理性的，习惯怎么说/写就怎么说/写，或者是可以怎么说/写，就怎么说/写。有不少本族语的人们说She asked what the matter was，连Michael Swan这样国际知名的学者都认为正确，并且编进他的惯用法著作，我们有什么理由不接受呢？再举出一些不合语法的句子：
How about we have the game when we get back? (Longman)
She's written I don't know how many books. (Swan)
I said how old is she? (Collins)
I said did they have a dog. (Collins)

joham

比如：
我的名字是宣城教育园地。
宣城教育园地是我的名字。

这两句话哪个对，哪个错？
请问主语是哪个？

这两个问题问得实在有点不理解。

Shakespeare 就用过what the matter was：
"You suddenly arose, and walk'd about, Musing, and sighing, with your arms across; And when I ask'd you
what the matter was, You star'd upon me with ungentle looks."--_J. Cæsar_, Act ii, Sc. 2.

joham