Reorganizing words to form a valid question

Reorganizing words to form a valid question
 

I am asked to reorganize this sentence. I have tried every variant I think. I must make these words into a correct question. This is some online practice thing. I can't even skip the question, it's just repeatedly says I'm wrong.


¿ Juan en cafetería la cena ?

I keep thinking it wants me to say is "Is Juan in the cafeteria eating dinner" or something. Every combo doesn't seem to work.

It's not a sentence. That is why you cannot make sense of it. If está were there, you can conceivably create a sentence: Juan está en la cafeteria la Cena

I can remove some words, does that help?

No, it's not a sentence. Where's the verb?

There is a verb: "cenar". :)

O verdad. Entonces se puede hace un frase con sentido.

< snip >

So I got a hold of the teacher and even she said that she wouldn't have made the question this way.

The answer is ¿Cena en la cafetería Juan?

Perfectly good question.

You can also place the subject before the verb, or after the verb, just before the prepositional phrase.

I agree with Rusty's recommendation. Actually, for me it's way better to ask "¿Cena Juan en la cafetería?"
Very often in Spanish, what comes first is what is more important, and I find more important the person than the coffee shop. ;)