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Grammarwannabe Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Negatives in questions

I got tag questions and inverted tag questions (Didn't she...)

When using a negative in a question, why can we say

"What hasn't she done?" but cannot say "What has not she done?"

instead we have to say "What has she not done?"

  

Top answer

" Questions require subject - verb inversion. She has not done (anything) is the declarative form. (What) has she not done?

  • " Questions require subject - verb inversion.
  • She has not done (anything) is the declarative form.
  • (What) has she not done?
  • is the interrogative form.
  • The alternative forms using contractions are: She hasn't done (anything).
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2 Answers
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GrammarwannabeWhen using a negative in a question, why can we say "What hasn't she done?" but cannot say "What has not she done?"

Questions require subject-verb inversion.

She has not done (anything)

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Why can we say

"What hasn't she done?" but cannot say "What has not she done?"

I think people used to say "What has not she done?' many, many years ago, but today it is archaic. Simply put, we don't say it because we never hear anyone else say it.

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