0
Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

come or came

I teach English to Latin Americans. I need to explain the following use of the past tense:
When did the colonists come to Jamestown?
Which colonists came to Jamestown?
Why is one of them "come" and the other "came?" Is it because of the word "did?"
  

Top answer

" Yes. Only d o is inflected for tense. It is the verb of the main clause.

— RandomGuy

  • " Yes.
  • Only d o is inflected for tense.
  • It is the verb of the main clause.
  • Come to Jamestown is a non-finite complement.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
AnonymousIs it because of the word "did?"
Yes. Only do is inflected for tense. It is the verb of the main clause. Come to Jamestown is a non-finite complement.
0
0
AnonymousWhy is one of them "come" and the other "came?" Is it because of the word "did?"
Right. 'Do/Does/Did' is used for questions and negative statements:

Did they come?
No, they didn't come.
Yes, they came.

Do you dance?
No, I don't dance.
Yes, I dance.
0

Related Questions