Sentence correction

Question

Which one is correct?How old do you think is he?How do do you think he is?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Anonymous1 How old do you think is he?2 How do old do you think he is?

1 is wrong.
2 is right.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJim Anonymous1 How old do you think is he?2 How do old do you think he is?1 is wrong.2 is right.CJ

Thanks. So the 'do you' makes it an indirect question, right?

And without the 'do you' it would be: how old is he?

Would that be right?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousSo the 'do you' makes it an indirect question, right?

No. There's nothing related to indirect questions here. It's just that when you form a question from the equivalent statement, you put the question words at the beginning and do a subject-verb inversion, but you don't do the inversion twice. 'do you' is already one inversion. You wouldn't invert 'he is' to 'is he' as well.

The word order may be the same word order you get with an indirect question, but this isn't the same thing as an indirect question.

AnonymousAnd without the 'do you' it would be: how old is he?

Right. The only subject and verb you can invert here is 'he' and 'is'.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJim AnonymousSo the 'do you' makes it an indirect question, right?No. There's nothing related to indirect questions here. It's just that when you form a question from the equivalent statement, you put the question words at the beginning and do a subject-verb inversion, but you don't do the inversion twice. 'do you' is already one inversion. You wouldn't invert 'he is' to 'is he' as well.The word order may be the same word order you get with an indirect question, but this isn't the same thing as an indirect question.AnonymousAnd without the 'do you' it would be: how old is he?Right. The only subject and verb you can invert here is 'he' and 'is'.CJ

Thanks CJ. Could you please give me an example of what you have explained above, because I am having a hard time trying to put the steps together. Thanks in advance!

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymousan example

Statement: He is [how old].
Fronting the question words: [How old] he is.
Inverting S-V: How old is he?

Statement: You (do) think he is [how old].
Fronting: [How old] you (do) think he is.
Inverting S-V: How old do you think he is?

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJim Anonymousan exampleStatement: He is [how old].Fronting the question words: [How old] he is.Inverting S-V: How old is he?Statement: You (do) think he is [how old].Fronting: [How old] you (do) think he is.Inverting S-V: How old do you think he is?CJ

Thanks. Are the word orders in the statement example correct? Is there an actual sentence as 'he is how old' or 'you do think he is how old'? Or do you have them in that order just to show me how to formulate the questions?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousThanks. Are the word orders in the statement example correct? Is there an actual sentence as 'he is how old' or 'you do think he is how old'? Or do you have them in that order just to show me how to formulate the questions?

They're written that way just to show you the steps for formulating the question. They aren't real sentences that anyone would say.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJim AnonymousThanks. Are the word orders in the statement example correct? Is there an actual sentence as 'he is how old' or 'you do think he is how old'? Or do you have them in that order just to show me how to formulate the questions?They're written that way just to show you the steps for formulating the question. They aren't real sentences that anyone would say. CJ

Got it, thanks. So what is in the brackets is the actual age [how old] , for example 20 years, right?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousSo what is in the brackets is the actual age [how old] , for example 20 years, right?

Right.

CJ

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