Using What + A Form of Do

 

Here's a breakdown of how "what + a form of do" is used:

1. Asking General Questions about Actions and Activities:

This is the most common use. We use "what + do/does/did" to inquire about what someone is doing, what their job is, what they like to do, or what happened.

 * Present Simple: "What do you do?" (This can mean "What is your job?" or "What are you generally doing in life?").

   * "What does she do in her free time?"

 * Present Continuous: "What are you doing?" (Asking about an action happening right now).

   * "What is he doing over there?"

 * Past Simple: "What did you do yesterday?" (Asking about a completed action in the past).

   * "What did they do at the party?"

 * Past Continuous: "What were you doing when I called?" (Asking about an ongoing action in the past).

   * "What was she doing all morning?"

 * Present Perfect: "What have you done?" (Asking about a completed action with present relevance).

   * "What has he done to fix the problem?"

 * Future Simple: "What will you do tomorrow?" (Asking about a future action).

   * "What will they do if it rains?"

Key Points:

 * The form of "do" (do, does, did, are doing, is doing, were doing, was doing, have done, will do) changes depending on the tense and the subject of the question.

 * The main verb describing the action follows the subject.

2. Asking for Repetition or Clarification:

We can use "What did you say?" or "What do you mean?" to ask someone to repeat or explain something they've said.

 * "I said I'm tired." "What did you say?"

 * "It's a complex situation." "What do you mean?"

3. Expressing Surprise or Emphasis (Less Common with "do" alone):

While less direct with just "do," "what" can be combined with other verbs and "do" in exclamations to express surprise or emphasis.

 * "What a mess you did make!" (Emphasizing the extent of the mess).

 * "What did happen here?" (Expressing surprise or a strong desire to know).

Important Considerations:

 * Subject-Verb Agreement: Remember to use "does" for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) in the present simple.

 * Auxiliary Verb: "Do," "does," and "did" act as auxiliary (helping) verbs in questions in the present and past simple when the main verb is not "be."

 * Word Order: In questions, the typical word order is: Question word (What) + auxiliary verb (do/does/did/is/are/was/were/have/will) + subject + main verb + (other parts of the sentence).

By understanding these patterns, you can effectively use "what + a form of do" to ask a wide range of questions and understand its use in different contexts.