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.
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